E.J. Henderson

Viking middle linebacker E.J. Henderson has been a dominating football player in 2007, making plays all over the field. He stuffs the middle, he chases running backs sideline to sideline, and he puts pressure on the quarterback. He's been one of the really fun Vikings to watch, and I'm really excited to have him on the team.

It is disappointing that Henderson did not make the Pro Bowl; Patrick Willis and Lofa Tatupu are the NFC's middle linebackers. Still, I can't really complain. It's too easy for a fan of one particular team to complain that a player on that team got shafted; I've watched all but a handful of the Viking plays this season, meaning I've seen a lot of Henderson's great play, but I've only watched San Francisco and Seattle once each (Willis was very good, and I don't even remember noticing Tatupu). I can't really argue against Willis or Tatupu.

But it's been a pleasure watching E.J. Henderson this season. He's been a standout individual performer, and he's a key reason the Viking defense has consistently dominated against the run (and improved against the pass). If you watch the Vikes closely, you're going to notice Henderson making solo tackles all over the field and putting serious disruptive pressure on the quarterback. Hopefully there's Pro Bowl recognition for him in the future.

Congratulations to Viking Pro Bowlers Steve Hutchinson, Matt Birk, Adrian Peterson, Tony Richardson, Kevin Williams, Pat Williams, and Darren Sharper.