7-5 but have to go without a few players:
Vikes' wall of shame
Suspensions of Williams DT duo opens division door for Bears
December 3, 2008
<!-- Article By Line -->BY
MIKE MULLIGAN Staff Reporter
<!-- Article's First Paragraph --><!-- BlogBurst ContentStart -->Two days after the Bears lost in Minnesota and fell out of first place in the NFC North, the NFL presented them with yet another possible path to the playoffs by suspending six players for the remainder of the season, including the Vikings' pair of Pro Bowl defensive tackles, Pat and Kevin Williams.<!--dropend-->
Also suspended for violating the league's policy on steroids and other banned substances were New Orleans Saints running back Deuce McAllister and defensive linemen Charles Grant and Will Smith, and Houston Texans long snapper Bryan Pittman. A seventh player, Atlanta's Grady Jackson, reportedly was not among the suspended because the league is seeking additional information from him.
<!-- BlogBurst ContentEnd --><!-- start sidebar -->»
Click to enlarge image
NFL suspending six players for the remainder of the season, including the Vikings' pair of Pro Bowl defensive tackle, Kevin Williams (upper left). Also suspended for violating the league's policy on steroids and other banned substances were New Orleans Saints running back Deuce McAllister (bottom right) and defensive linemen Charles Grant (bottom left) and Will Smith (upper right).
(AP)
<!-- begin poll --><!-- end poll -->RELATED STORIES
Season over for Burress
<!-- Fact box starts here -->
<!-- BlogBurst ContentStart -->Given that New Orleans and Houston are among the Bears' final four opponents, the NFL's ruling couldn't have been more favorable to Lovie Smith's 6-6 team.
How will the Vikings respond to losing two key figures in their No. 2-ranked run defense? The Vikings said in a statement they are ''very disappointed'' in the ruling. There were multiple reports that both Vikings players and perhaps some of the others were planning to file a motion in federal court this morning to put off the suspension. A league source said that would be a major problem for NFL owners, who would expect Vikings owner Zygi Wilf to prevent the players from taking such action to preserve the authority of commissioner Roger Goodell.
Owner's ego in the way
Wilf was described by one source as a relatively new owner who was letting his ego about the success of his team get in the way of his responsibility to other owners and the league itself.
''There is a collective bargaining agreement with the NFL Players Association to handle such matters,'' the source said. ''The idea of a lawsuit is outrageous. This isn't the NCAA.''
In a news release announcing the suspensions, the league emphasized that the league's policy on steroids and other banned substances ''does not set forth an obligation to issue specific warning about specific products.''
The league went so far as to reprint a key section of the policy in its release:
''You and you alone are responsible for what goes into your body. Claiming that you used only legally available nutritional supplements will not help you in an appeal. ... Even if they are bought over-the-counter from a known establishment, there is currently no way to be sure that they contain the ingredients listed on the packaging or have not been tainted with prohibited substances. ...
''If you take these products, you do so AT YOUR OWN RISK! For your own health and success in the league, we strongly encourage you to avoid the use of supplements altogether, or at the very least to be extremely careful about what you choose to take.''
The league also says it sent two warnings about StarCaps in December 2006 -- one to team presidents, general managers and head athletic trainers and another to NFLPA executive Stacy Robinson, who is charged with watching over the policy for the union.
If the suspensions are honored, the Bears' path to the playoffs gets significantly easier. The Bears most likely have to win out and have the Vikings lose two of their final four games to win the division. If the teams finish tied, the tiebreaker system would favor Minnesota because the Vikings have a better conference record and beat Carolina among common opponents.
Lions hold key
Of course, without the ''Williams Wall,'' the Vikings are no sure bet to beat winless Detroit at Ford Field on Sunday. If the Lions can upset Minnesota and the Bears take care of business when they play Green Bay, the Bears would finish with a better division record and therefore win the tiebreaker.
There is no telling just how damaged the Vikings will be without two Pro Bowl players at defensive tackle. Each had seven tackles against the Bears to help key Sunday night's 34-14 victory. Pat Williams also had a pass defense and Kevin added two tackles for loss and quarterback hits. He also used a pile-driver move on Kyle Orton that shook the quarterback up, although the sack was erased by an encroachment penalty.
In place of the Williams Wall, the Vikings would start eight-year veteran Ellis Wyms, who did not record a tackle against the Bears, and third-year man Fred Evans, a former Morgan Park star, who has 16 career tackles after notching two stops against the Bears.
The Vikings' final three opponents all have winning records, with Atlanta and the New York Giants boasting two of the best running games in the NFL.
Mike Mulligan and Sun-Times colleague Brian Hanley host a sports-talk show from 5 to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday on WSCR-AM (670).
KEVIN WILLIAMS, Vikings
PAT WILLIAMS, Vikings
BRYAN PITTMAN, Texans
DEUC E MCALLISTER, Saints
CHARLES GRANT, Saints
WILL SMITH, Saints
