by By Sean Jensen sjensen@pioneerpress.com , St. Paul Pioneer Press

Although three of their first five wins were against some of the league's worst teams -- Cleveland, Detroit and St. Louis -- the Vikings legitimized their lofty 7-1 record in the other five games, including a competitive 27-17 loss to the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field.

In the past two offseasons, the Vikings have addressed glaring needs: a potent pass rusher and a proven quarterback.

The former, Jared Allen, already has 10 1/2 sacks, and the latter, Brett Favre, is just six shy of the 22 touchdown passes Gus Frerotte and Tarvaris Jackson combined for in 2008.

Coming off an emotional win at Lambeau Field, the Vikings are now an even more popular pick as the favorites in the NFC, along with the undefeated New Orleans Saints.

OVERALL GRADE: A-MINUS

QUARTERBACK

Could the Vikings be 7-1 with Jackson or Sage Rosenfels? It doesn't seem likely. It's telling that coach Brad Childress refused to take no for an answer from Favre, a first-ballot hall of fame quarterback. He has done what Vikings quarterbacks have not in quite some time, regularly make routine plays but also consistently make spectacular ones, too, most notably the 32-yard touchdown pass to Greg Lewis that beat San Francisco. And in the event Favre gets hurt, the Vikings have better backups than most other NFL clubs.

GRADE: A

RUNNING BACKS

Adrian Peterson, the league's defending rushing champion, is tied for second in the NFL with 784 rushing yards. And Favre -- as he often points out -- is the beneficiary of Peterson's prowess. Teams continue to focus on stopping Peterson, and he still manages to make plays. Actually, Peterson only has 39 fewer rushing yards than he totaled after eight games last season. But he has three more rushing touchdowns and 85 more total yards from scrimmage. He is far more dangerous as a receiver than last year. Chester Taylor has been an effective third-down back but averages a modest 2.7 yards per carry, and his longest run is just 11 yards. He also let a fourth-quarter pass bounce off his hands to Pittsburgh linebacker Keyaron Fox, who returned an interception for a touchdown to secure the Steelers' win.

GRADE: A-minus

RECEIVERS/ TIGHT ENDS

Sidney Rice has emerged as the go-to receiver, rookie Percy Harvin has been an excellent secondary option and tight end Visanthe Shiancoe has recorded all six of his touchdown catches in the red zone. Bernard Berrian has made a few plays -- like the 31-yard TD reception in the third quarter against Green Bay on Oct. 5 -- but he needs to get healthy and clearly still needs to get on the same page with Favre. Berrian is on pace for just under 600 receiving yards, which would be a huge disappointment for a player who signed a six-year deal for more than $40 million before the 2008 season. Overall, though, the Vikings have the league's 12th-best passing offense, and they've done enough to help Favre throw for a league-leading 16 touchdowns.

GRADE: B-plus

OFFENSIVE LINE

Perennial All-Pro left guard Steve Hutchinson definitely has been affected by a back injury, which has contributed to uncharacteristic penalties and missed blocks. But the bye should help him take some much-needed time to heal up. Center John Sullivan has had trouble holding his position, but the team is generally pleased with his play, and right guard Anthony Herrera has had his ups and downs. Rookie Phil Loadholt seems to constantly improve and looks like a long-term fixture at right tackle, while left tackle Bryant McKinnie appears to be elevating his play, especially as a run blocker. The line struggled early in the season, especially in pass protection, but its play has been much better of late. Though he was sacked four times in Pittsburgh, Favre held the ball too long in several instances, and the Packers didn't register a single sack at Lambeau Field. With opposing teams loading up the box, the linemen have had trouble opening holes for Peterson, who has topped 100 yards just twice this season. But he still averages nearly five yards a carry and has scored nine rushing touchdowns.

GRADE: B

DEFENSIVE LINE

It was remarkable that three defensive linemen represented the Vikings at the Pro Bowl last season, and they are making a case to repeat. Jared Allen leads the league in sacks with 10.5, and Kevin Williams leads all tackles with 5.0. And Pat Williams is, well, being Pat Williams. Ray Edwards is coming off arguably the best game of his career, and the Vikings are getting meaningful snaps from Brian Robison, Jimmy Kennedy and Fred Evans. They comprise the league's best and most talented D-line, accounting for 26.5 of the team's league-best 31 sacks.

GRADE: A

LINEBACKERS

This unit was at its best early last season, when E.J. Henderson appeared likely to make his first Pro Bowl. But as he returns from a season-ending foot injury, Henderson isn't making the same sort of splashy plays. Chad Greenway is making plays (two interceptions, two fumble recoveries), but he's among the league leaders in missed tackles with at least six. Ben Leber has been his usual steady self, and he's generated his share of key plays, most notably a stuff of Packers tight end Jermichael Finley on third and goal from the Vikings' 1-yard line on Oct. 5.

GRADE: B

SECONDARY

No matter how you dissect it, the Vikings have done a decent job of covering up the absence of their best defensive back, Pro Bowl cornerback Antoine Winfield, for two games. Karl Paymah has been picked on and struggled, yet the Vikings have better depth than most clubs. Still, the larger problem is hard to figure: poor tackling. A core requirement of cover-2 defensive backs is sure tackling. That isn't the strong suit of Paymah, who is used to a different scheme, but the starting safeties don't have an excuse. Tyrell Johnson and Madieu Williams have taken poor angles on several key plays, most notably on Pittsburgh rookie receiver Mike Wallace, who scored a 40-yard touchdown in the final minute of the first half.

GRADE: C

SPECIAL TEAMS

An area of emphasis during the offseason was fixing a unit that gave up an NFL-record seven touchdowns in 2008. The re-signing of linebacker Heath Farwell, the team's leading tackler in 2006 and 2007 before being sidelined by a knee injury last season, went a long way. But the Vikings added more talented tacklers and blockers, such as Kenny Onatolu and rookie Asher Allen, as well as some talented returners, most notably Harvin. After losing games last season, this unit arguably has won a couple, providing amazing field position at Lambeau Field and generally limiting opposing returners to modest gains. Kicker Ryan Longwell shows no sign of decline, and Chris Kluwe has been solid with the exception of a couple of poor punts in Pittsburgh, including a 19-yarder.

GRADE: A

COACHING AND FRONT OFFICE

Vikings coach Brad Childress is looking brilliant for being persistent with Favre. Now, he has plenty of momentum toward getting a new contract, with his current deal expiring after the 2010 season. Vice president of player personnel Rick Spielman and his staff have done an excellent job of adding players, particularly with a draft that has produced two immediate starting-caliber players (Harvin and Loadholt). Allen also has flashed his potential, and linebacker Jasper Brinkley could be a diamond in the rough. Vice president of Football operations Rob Brzezinski has locked up most of the team's core players, including Favre for the 2010 season. While the Vikings traded for blue-chip players such as Hutchinson and Allen, the club has not had a major misstep in terms of personnel and has aided the development of players such as Greenway and Rice.

GRADE: A

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