Did You Plug the Hole Yet, Daddy?

Two weeks ago, the Minnesota Vikings had the makings of a team primed for a let-down following a season of relatively high achievement. Today, some of the holes in the machine appear capped, while others remain in the balance.

Last week, Minnesota District Court Judge Gary Larson provided the plug for two of the holes that the Vikings otherwise would have had to address when he issued his injunction against the enforcement of his own ruling. The injunction, which ostensibly calls into question the very logic in Larson's findings, will allow Pat and Kevin Williams to remain free of their NFL-imposed suspension until the NFL either successfully appeals the injunction or the Williamses' appeal of Larson's original ruling is complete.

At the end of last week, word also leaked that quarterback Brett Favre had surgery to resolve an ailment that, left untreated, would have made his playing in 2010 highly improbable. Favre's decision to have surgery can only be viewed as further confirmation of his intention to return to the Vikings this season.

The return of the Williamses and Favre still leaves the Vikings with several notable concerns--specifically at cornerback, middle linebacker, third-down running back, and at numerous places along the offensive line--and fails to resolve last year's running mystery as to why Tarvaris Jackson, rather than Sage Rosenfels, was the back-up for every one of the Vikings' games and whether that will obtain this year, as well. But the holes now are noticeably fewer and farther between. And that appears to be a good thing.

Up Next: The Stadium Thing.