Key injuries cost Vikings this season

Do you want one good reason why the Vikings are 5-8 this season, compared to 11-2 in the first 13 games last year?

At this time a year ago, Vikings starters missed a total of 13 games because of injuries, with the one key loss being middle linebacker E.J. Henderson, who missed the rest of the season after breaking the femur in his left leg Dec. 6 against Arizona.

This season in the same number of games, the starters have lost 40 games because of injuries. Cornerback Cedric Griffin (torn anterior cruciate ligament, right knee) and guard Anthony Herrera to (torn ACL, left knee) are on injured reserve.

The loss of Griffin, who had a fantastic 2009 season, made the secondary much more vulnerable. Vikings interim coach Leslie Frazier said he believes Griffin has Pro Bowl potential. Second-round draft pick Cris Cook was counted on for help at cornerback, but after two knee operations, he is on injured reserve as well.

Herrera is a veteran, experienced guard who had one of his best seasons last year. His replacement, Ryan Cook, had not started a game since 2008.

The rest of the offensive line has been hampered by injuries, too. Center John Sullivan (calf) has played hurt all season. The leader of the line, guard Steve Hutchinson (broken right thumb), did not play against the Bills or Giants and was replaced by a rookie, fifth-round draft choice Chris DeGeare, who previously had seen little action.

A year ago, quarterback Brett Favre was just about injury-free. But this year he has had more injuries than at any other time in his career, which has hurt his effectiveness.

Favre's numbers through 12 games this season, after having his record of consecutive regular-season starts end last week at 297: 10 TDs, 60.4 completion rate, 18 interceptions and a quarterback rating of 69.2.

No doubt the absence of wide receiver Sidney Rice, who missed nine games this season recovering from hip surgery after catching 83 passes and eight touchdowns in 2009, has something to do with Favre's statistics. Favre is convinced the team would have won three or four more games early in the season if Rice had been in the lineup.

Then you have wide receiver Percy Harvin and his migraine headaches. His stats are still outstanding (51 catches, 627 yards, four TDs), but he has missed the past two games, and how much better could he have performed if he had better health?

No doubt other teams have been hurt by injuries, but it seems as if injuries to Favre and other key players have hurt the Vikings more.

Liddle, Ullger swap jobs Scott Ullger, who has been the Twins' third base coach since October 2005, will become bench coach next season. Bench coach Steve Liddle will replace Ullger as third base coach.

Because the Tigers upped the salary scale for relief pitchers when they signed Joaquin Benoit to a three-year, $16.5 million contract, the Twins reportedly lost two free agent relievers Wednesday: Jesse Crain to the White Sox for a three-year deal, and Matt Guerrier to the Dodgers for a three-year, $12M contract.

Gardenhire said Tsuyoshi Nishioka, the Japanese infielder the Twins are trying to sign, reminds people in the organization of former Twins shortstop Greg Gagne.

Twins President Dave St. Peter said the Twins and the Minnesota State High School League have finalized plans for holding the Class 3A, 2A and 1A baseball championship games at Target Field on June 21.

Single-game tickets to Twins spring training games in Fort Myers, Fla., go on sale January 8. Single-game tickets for Twins regular-season games go on sale March 19.

Dome roof repairs Bill Lester -- executive director of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, which runs the Metrodome -- said he is eager to get the dome's collapsed roof fixed. Engineers are here from Birdair Inc., who made the fabric for the roof; Geiger and Associates, the roof's designer, and another couple of structural engineers.

The MSFC has insurance on the roof and property that could pay for the losses the Vikings might face by not being able to play the Giants and Bears in the dome.

Jottings Forty-nine of the Vikings who will be honored as the top 50 players in Vikings history will be present at the banquet Sunday night at the Minneapolis Convention Center. The lone absentee will be former linebacker Wally Hilgenberg, who died after a battle with ALS in 2008. Former quarterback Fran Tarkenton, who initially turned down the invitation, will attend after former Vikings coach Bud Grant persuaded him to come.

Gophers athletic director Joel Maturi said estimates about how much it will cost to get TCF Bank Stadium ready for the Vikings to play the Bears on Monday night are around $750,000. However, this figure also includes getting the surrounding parking lots in football-ready condition. Lawyers for the Vikings and Gophers will meet to determine what the Vikings would pay to rent the stadium.

Ex-Timberwolves player and executive Fred Hoiberg has coached Iowa State to a 9-2 record, including a 75-72 victory over in-state rival Iowa.

Former Gophers linebacker Nate Triplett, who was drafted in the fifth round by the Vikings and later released, has seen his first NFL action the past two weeks with the Indianapolis Colts. Triplett recorded two solo tackles in the Colts' 30-28 victory over the Titans.

The University of Minnesota will honors former Gophers and major league Hall of Famers Dave Winfield and Paul Molitor early in February to raise some money to build the new baseball stadium. The university has raised about $4 million of the $7.5 million needed to start building the new Siebert Field.