The Minnesota Vikings have been a clear run-first team in four years under coach Brad Childress, until that Brett Favre fellow came to town and created an identity crisis of sorts.
Even with Favre racking up touchdown passes and minimizing mistakes, defenses continued to stack the line to slow star Adrian Peterson out of the backfield. So behind Favre's aged but dangerous arm, the Vikings have become a pass-first team.
For the playoffs, the question is this: Will they stay that way?
``I don't know if we're a run team first or a pass team,'' tight end Visanthe Shiancoe said. ``It just all depends on what the defenses give us. We're going to take it.''
Favre was one of a record 10 quarterbacks who topped 4,000 yards passing this season in this increasingly air-it-out NFL. The offensive line has done a decent job of protecting him, save for a couple of rough games in December. The Vikings ranked in the middle of the pack, 12th in the league, in fewest sacks allowed per pass play.
Whether it was shrewd strategy or athletic advantage, though, opponents had the edge at the line of scrimmage for most of the season when it came to the ground game. Peterson's 4.4-yard average per carry was the worst of his three NFL seasons.
