Untitled Page

Jared Allen News & Rumors

Jared Allen named Defensive Player of the Year in 'NFL 101' Awards
January 18
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Vikings defensive end Jared Allen has been named the NFC Defensive Player of the Year in this year's NFL 101 Awards. A national media committee, comprised of 101 NFL sportswriters and broadcasters, selected the winners in several categories in a nationwide vote that took place at the end of the regular season. Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers and New England's Tom Brady were named the Offensive Players of the Year in the NFC and AFC respectively. Baltimore's Terrell Suggs was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Year."
Vikings sack man Jared Allen lassos a spot on All-Pro team
January 7
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"The hits keep coming for Vikings defensive end Jared Allen, who calf-roped 49 of a possible 50 votes for the Associated Press' All-Pro first team, as announced Friday. Allen and Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson each nabbed 49 votes, tied for the most on the team. "The All-Pro team to me is one of the all-time accomplishments," Allen told the AP. "Pro Bowls are nice, but guys get voted in longer than they should and guys who deserve to go don't always get to. It's the whole league. It's not just an AFC and NFC thing. So to me this is the honor I hold the highest. It's something to put on the resume and tell the grandkids about." The Vikings' most consistent performer all year,"
Allen needed just one more calf to rope for record day
January 2
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 columnist Chip Scoggins
"Jared Allen desperately wanted one more one-on-one matchup, one more third-and-long, one more surefire passing situation. He also wouldn't have complained if Chicago Bears quarterback Josh McCown had offered his help. Maybe a little trip, turtle roll and two-hand-touch sack. Those count, too. Allen stood one calf-roping celebration from Michael Strahan's single-season NFL sack record Sunday, and he smelled blood. Everyone inside the Metrodome knew it, including the Bears, who resorted to double- and triple-teams at times to prevent being on the wrong side of history. Ultimately, the Vikings offense didn't do enough to force the Bears into attack mode. Instead, the Bears simply milked the"
Jared Allen is Vikings' only Pro Bowl selection
December 28
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"One of the Vikings' only constants in a dire season has been rewarded for his banner performance. Defensive end Jared Allen is Minnesota's lone representative on the NFC's Pro Bowl team, marking his fourth trip to Hawaii after recording a league-leading 18-1/2 sacks through 15 games. With a playing style as energetic as his personality, Allen is fourth on the active sacks list with 101-1/2 since entering the league in 2004. Three sacks Sunday against the Chicago Bears in the Metrodome would give Allen the franchise's single-season record, currently held by Chris Doleman with 21 sacks in 1989. Four-and-a-half sacks would shatter Michael Strahan's decade-old NFL record of 22-1/2. "My desire"
Allen rewarded for standout season
December 28
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Asnapshot look at the Vikings as they prepare for Sunday's game against the Bears at Mall of America Field. Player in the spotlight Pro Bowl invitations were handed out Tuesday evening and, not surprisingly, defensive end Jared Allen will be headed back to Honolulu next month. This will be Allen's fourth Pro Bowl trip, a fitting reward for a star who is now only 2 1/2 sacks away from tying Chris Doleman's single-season team record of 21. Allen has been consistent all season and has emerged as a reliable locker room leader as well. The Pro Bowl trip is further validation of his superb effort this season. "This feels amazing," Allen said. "This is obviously a high honor to be considered a"
Willie Smith's biggest test may come from Jared Allen
December 22
Washington Times
 
"Willie Smith has had quite an introduction to the NFL. The Washington Redskins' undrafted rookie left tackle has faced New England's Andre Carter and the New York Giants' Jason Pierre-Paul in his first two games. Those two defensive ends have combined for 23.5 sacks this season. Smith on his third NFL play surrendered a sack that resulted in a fumble, which New England recovered for a touchdown. However, he did not give up a sack last week against the Giants in his first start. "I got off the ball better and got my hands inside a little bit better," Smith said. "Just fundamentally I was a lot more sound, but still I've got a lot of work to do.""
In dimmest of seasons, Vikings' Jared Allen refuses to fade
December 18
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Despite his team's 2-11 record, regressive play, bloated payroll and lost identity, the NFL's premier pass rusher expresses unshakable faith in the 2012 Vikings. "I think there's still a core of talent here that buys us time, and with free agency, I don't know how you're ever in a rebuilding period," Jared Allen said. "I've done that once (in Kansas City), and it's no fun. I trust our organization not to go through that. "If you come in and they're telling you, 'We're rebuilding,' no one wants to hear that because you're telling me we don't have a shot." Allen won't accept that. You might as well tell him to be quiet. "We need a lot of changes; a lot needs to get fixed here," he said. "But"
Vikings' Jared Allen: 2-10 probably hurts defensive player of year chances
December 8
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Jared Allen, 29 now, playing in his eighth season, says he's a little quieter than he used to be. "I used to run my mouth pretty good," he said. "As I get older, I've got to save as much energy as I can to put toward the plays. I used to talk a lot more." He may be quieter on the field, but, mercifully, he still has plenty to say off it. For example, he was asked how much attention the Minnesota Vikings defense should give to Detroit Lions receiver Calvin Johnson on Sunday? "I would put it all on him," he said. "If a guy's national nickname is Megatron, unless you got Optimus Prime on your team, let's double him up.""
Vikings' Jared Allen proposes call to arms to cover Calvin Johnson
December 8
Detroit News
 
"Jared Allen, 29 now, playing in his eighth season, says he's a little quieter than he used to be. "I used to run my mouth pretty good," he said. "As I get older, I've got to save as much energy as I can to put toward the plays. I used to talk a lot more." He may be quieter on the field, but, mercifully, he still has plenty to say off it. For example, he was asked how much attention the Vikings defense should give to Lions receiver Calvin Johnson on Sunday? "I would put it all on him," he said. "If a guy's national nickname is Megatron, unless you got Optimus Prime on your team, let's double him up." And so it went for the better part of an entertaining 12-minute teleconference Wednesday,"
Jared Allen, Ray Edwards still friends despite Allen's shot to the crotch
December 7
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Having spent three seasons together on the Vikings' defensive line, Jared Allen and Ray Edwards consider themselves friends. And sometimes friends have to remind each other of their camaraderie by, well, popping one other where it hurts most. At least that's how the Allen-Edwards reunion went down in Atlanta two weeks ago. Called into duty as the emergency long snapper after an injury to Cullen Loeffler, Allen wasn't about to let Edwards steamroll him without punishment on an extra point attempt.So when Edwards tried to do so, Allen jabbed him in the crotch. As Allen told Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk: "He's known for just blowing up the long snapper. As I told him, 'Man, you run me"
Jared Veldheer shuts down Vikings' Jared Allen
November 21
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"After the game, quarterback Carson Palmer found left tackle Jared Veldheer and asked him if he realized what he had just done. "I don't think it's hit him," Palmer said of Veldheer snapping Vikings defensive end Jared Allen's streak of games with a sack at 11. "Not many guys play that well against that guy, and he didn't have any help either. We came in and put him one-on-one, didn't put a tight end on his side to help. The coaches asked before the game if he was up to the challenge, and he said yeah. He was, obviously.""
Vikings' Allen still a disruptive force
November 15
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
 
"Considering how much time Jared Allen spent in the Green Bay Packers' backfield Monday night, it was no surprise to see backup quarterback Matt Flynn in the game with 10 minutes 30 seconds remaining. First of all, the Packers held a comfortable 38-7 lead - en route to a 45-7 victory - over the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field. Second, coach Mike McCarthy didn't want to risk subjecting golden-armed Aaron Rodgers to additional harassment from Allen, the Vikings' indefatigable defensive end. Allen did what he does best, wreaking havoc with speed rushes off the edge and forcing the Packers to adjust their game plan when it became clear left tackle Marshall Newhouse needed help. McCarthy went"
Jared Allen on facing unbeaten Packers: 'We're not anybody's pushover'
November 11
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Chasing perfection comes with extra baggage like greater expectations and more intense media scrutiny, which the Green Bay Packers soon will discover if they continue their solo journey up the standings. Midway through the 2011 season, the Packers are 8-0 for the first time since 1962 entering Monday night's game against the Vikings at Lambeau Field. The defending Super Bowl champions have won 14 consecutive games since a Week 15 loss last season. Green Bay and superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers are racking up victories and offensive yardage at a furious pace that has them stalking the 2007 New England Patriots, the last team to go 16-0. Vikings defensive end Jared Allen was unwilling to"
Jared Allen all smiles after wife gives birth to first child
October 29
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Jared Allen's stellar season just keeps getting better. Vikings coach Leslie Frazier confirmed Friday that the team's sack leader missed the past two practices because his wife, Amy, gave birth to the couple's first child, a daughter named Brinley Noel Allen. Allen, who leads the league with 11-1/2 sacks and has a franchise record of nine straight games with at least one sack, attended team meetings before heading back to the hospital. Allen had a "smile from ear to ear" around the facility, Frazier said. Allen will travel with the team to Carolina for Sunday's game. "As far as I know, everything is fine," Frazier said. "They are excited about the fact they have their firstborn, a little"
Vikings DEs Jared Allen, Brian Robison have been double trouble for opponents
October 16
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"For now, Vikings defensive ends Jared Allen and Brian Robison can consider what it means to combine for 13 sacks through five games. Soon enough, they will stop focusing on rushing the passer and start worrying about rushing to the hospital. "I'll be the dad first, and then I can tell him what it's like," said Allen, whose first child, a daughter, is due in November - two months before the Robisons' first child, also a daughter, is due. "It really is a beautiful thing for both of us." It is a wonderful time in many ways for both of them right now, except for the Vikings' 1-4 record. Off the field, they can share their anticipation over impending fatherhood, whether at Winter Park or at"
Vikings sack machine Jared Allen targets Bears QB Jay Cutler
October 14
Chicago Sun-Times
 
"If his pass protectors repeat their performance from Monday night in Detroit, Bears quarterback Jay Cutler might be on the wrong end of another dubious sack record. Cutler, who was sacked an NFL-record nine times in the first half last October at the New Meadowlands Stadium, will be on the same field Sunday night as Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen, the hottest pass rusher in the NFL, and the single-game sack record of seven doesn't seem inconceivable. But in an interview with the Sun-Times on Thursday, Allen said the struggles of the Bears pass protection will likely result in more obstacles between himself and Cutler."
Vikings defensive ends Jared Allen, Brian Robison feast on Cardinals' backfield
October 10
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"The Vikings finally nailed shut a victory Sunday, and nobody hammered the Arizona Cardinals harder than defensive ends Jared Allen and Brian Robison. Relentless in their pursuit of quarterback Kevin Kolb and resilient in their returns from second-half injuries that briefly sidelined them, Allen and Robison commanded a rejuvenated Minnesota defense which at long last fulfilled its mission of creating havoc and turnovers. Each recorded a pair of sacks while Allen recovered a fumble to set up a touchdown and deflected a pass to stymie Kolb and the Cardinals' offense. They were the marquee performances in a top-down defensive effort that forced four turnovers and limited the NFL's"
Jared Allen says the bad blood between him and the Lions has cooled
January 1
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Vikings defensive end Jared Allen has had plenty of uncomplimentary things to say about the Lions — and Detroit in general — since he joined the NFC North two years ago. He still holds a grudge against offensive lineman Gosder Cherilus for the block Cherilus threw at his knees during a 2008 game at Ford Field, and after the Lions and Vikings got into a shoving match earlier this season, Allen let his distaste for the Lions be known, saying: "I don't like Detroit. I don't think I've ever pulled punches about that." But Allen became the Lions' most unlikely ally during a conference call with reporters Thursday when he was asked about bad blood between the teams and whether the Lions play"
Vikings' Jared Allen has good things to say about Lions
January 1
Detroit Free Press
 
"Jared Allen has had plenty of uncomplimentary things to say about the Lions -- and Detroit in general -- since he joined the NFC North two years ago. He still holds a grudge against offensive lineman Gosder Cherilus for the block Cherilus threw at his knees during a 2008 game at Ford Field, and after the Lions and Vikings got into a shoving match earlier this season, Allen let his distaste for the Lions be known, saying, "I don't like Detroit. I don't think I've ever pulled punches about that." But Allen, a 28-year-old defensive end, became the Lions' most unlikely ally during a conference call with reporters Thursday when he was asked about bad blood between the teams and whether the"
Jared Allen: Don't boo us
November 20
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Defensive end Jared Allen is asking politely for fans to help the Vikings on Sunday not drown out momentum with boos out of distaste for their 3-6 record. "I know we haven't won, but we've given you some good years the last couple years, too," Allen said. "At home, the crowd is going, you've got that energy. It evens the playing field a little bit." It's not that Allen doesn't understand the frustration. Vikings fans want a winner. "You don't blame them," Allen said. "We just ask that you stick with us. We're going to right the ship one way or another." Injury report: Quarterback Brett Favre (foot/elbow) and wide receiver Percy Harvin (ankle) are probable for Sunday after participating"
Pat Williams, Jared Allen rip anonymous Childress criticism
November 12
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Big Pat Williams made it loud and clear he's not a big fan of unnamed sources during an otherwise quiet media access period inside the Vikings' locker room Thursday. Asked about a Chicago Sun-Times article that cited six unnamed Vikings who said they wanted coach Brad Childress fired, the nose tackle didn't hold anything back. "That's just all reports," he said. "Ain't no names. ... So I really don't pay no attention to that. That's all he-say, she-say stuff. They ain't going to put no names out there, so I don't know if it's true or not. "That's like somebody [spreading a rumor about me], but they don't have to tell me who said it," Williams added. "If somebody starts that rumor, [people"
Lack of sacks still plague Allen, Vikings
October 29
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"The Vikings' failure to get to the quarterback in Sunday's loss at Green Bay not only kept their disappointing sack total at six, it also marked the first time in 19 years they have gone back-to-back games without a sack. The last time it happened was November 1991, when the Vikings lost to Chicago and then won at Green Bay. That was so long ago that then-rookie Brett Favre was spending his time holding a clipboard on the sideline for the Atlanta Falcons. What's most surprising about the Vikings' dearth of sacks -- their six is tied for second-to-last in the NFL with Cincinnati and only one more than Tampa Bay -- is that their front four hasn't changed. Defensive ends Jared Allen and Ray"
Applying pressure
October 22
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Jared Allen was asked last season which left tackles he's had the best one-on-one matchups with in his career. "Me and [Chad] Clifton up in Green Bay have had some good battles," he said. Unfortunately for the Packers, Clifton wasn't available for either of their games against the Vikings last season because of injury. Allen had a field day with his replacements, Daryn Colledge and T.J. Lang. Allen collected 7.5 sacks, 15 tackles, four quarterback hurries, a forced fumble and a safety in the two meetings. The Pro Bowl defensive end posted a career-high 4.5 of the team's eight sacks of quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the first meeting. Allen was so dominant in that 30-23 victory that Vikings"
Jared Allen effective despite having only one sack
October 15
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"If he just had another half-second, or was just another half-step quicker, Vikings defensive end Jared Allen figures he could have a half-dozen sacks by now — instead of just one. "You could count four, five, six, maybe," Allen said after Thursday's practice. "Look at the Detroit game. I would have had two in the Miami game. That half-step, that half-second, is huge. Huge! There's always what ifs, but eventually it comes back. They seem to come in spurts." They came in spurts for him last season, with more than half his sacks (7 1/2) coming in two games against the Green Bay Packers. Allen has had 14 1/2 sacks in each of the past two seasons and is the NFL leader in sacks with 73 since"
Jared Allen will alter sack celebration but wonders why it's an issue
October 5
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Jared Allen said Vikings coach Brad Childress informed him Saturday before the Detroit game that the NFL had called and said the All-Pro defensive end would be subject to a 15-yard penalty and league fine if he performed his calf roping celebration after sacks. Allen has done that celebration after sacks throughout his seven-year career so he was surprised that it has now become against the rules. "Yeah, I just figured after seven years of doing it ... but hey whatever," Allen said Monday. "Rules are rules I guess." The league prohibits players from going to the ground in celebrations except to pray. On his celebration, Allen takes a knee, pretends to rope a calf and then throws his arms"
Jared Allen: 15 yards for unnecessary roping
October 4
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"It looks like Jared Allen might be in the market for a new sack celebration. Or at least a different version of his current one. An NFL spokesman confirmed Sunday that the league has informed Allen and the Vikings that the All-Pro defensive end will be penalized and possibly fined if he performs his "calf roping" celebration after a sack. FOX Sports first reported the story. The league prohibits players from going to the ground in celebrations. After sacks, Allen takes a knee, pretends to rope a calf and then throws his arms in the air. Allen presumably can still perform his celebration as long as he's standing on his feet. Allen has performed his post-sack celebration for years so it's"
Vikings' Allen believes Favre will return
June 18
ESPN.com
 
"Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen said Brett Favre declined an invitation to attend his wedding recently, but Allen is convinced Favre won't decline the opportunity to play for the Vikes this fall. "If I was a betting man, and I had to put money on it today, absolutely," Allen said Thursday when asked on "The Waddle & Silvy Show" on ESPN 1000 if he thinks Favre will return. "I hope if the answer was no, he would have already had the wherewithal to tell us that he's not coming back so we could have done something in free agency. "But again, the man's earned the right to do what he pleases. He hasn't let anybody down yet, so I'm not here to start harping on it yet." Allen also"
Jared Allen says Vikings' loss in NFC championship game still stings, but motivates too
June 13
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 columnist Tom Powers
"Jared Allen strolled off the practice field at Winter Park the other day and found the usual gaggle of media waiting. I'm not sure if the Vikings had just completed a minicamp session, an OTA or a pre-barbecue workout. There are so many of these different things that I get confused. Hey, Jared, someone asked, when was the last time your hair was this short? "At birth," Allen said with chuckle. A funny line, although I'll bet he was a pretty furry baby. Hey, Jared, what's it like waiting on Brett Favre? "It was hard to get through practice," Allen deadpanned. "I don't know how we're going to get through the weekend." On and on it went, with the newly married Allen declaring himself "the new"
Allen impresses defensive coordinator
June 7
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Vikings starting cornerbacks Cedric Griffin (ACL) and Antoine Winfield (foot) have not participated in Organized Team Activities this spring, although it's expected Winfield will be present for the mandatory minicamp next weekend. (Griffin already is doing rehab work at Winter Park.) Nonetheless, Griffin and Winfield's absences have given the Vikings' other corners an opportunity to get plenty of work and make a favorable impression. One guy who has done exactly that is Asher Allen, who was selected in the third-round out of Georgia a year ago. Allen was inactive for the Vikings' first six games last season but got on the field after Winfield broke his foot in October against Baltimore."
Jared Allen talks OTAs; mullet to return
May 27
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Jared Allen created a stir Tuesday when the Vikings website revealed the Pro Bowl defensive end had shed his mullet in anticipation of his wedding this weekend. But Allen also talked some football with Mike Wobschall of Vikings.com after taking part in a practice that was part of Organized Team Activities at Winter Park. Allen, like many veterans, did not participate in OTAs last week when they opened but is in attendance for at least a portion of this week's work. "It's kind of like a half-way point like when you have spring ball in college," Allen said. "It's nice to come out, get out [there]. We've all been working out for a couple of months. Test your conditioning to see where you're"
Vikings' Childress cites online poll in defense of Jared Allen's videotaped tirade
April 21
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Minnesota Vikings coach Brad Childress said today the team will not get involved regarding the conduct of defensive end Jared Allen in a video hosted by TMZ. Allen is shown reacting angrily towards a man's epithet against his fiancée while the couple was at a bar in Scottsdale, Ariz. "I actually spoke to Jared about that last night," Childress said. "That's from, I think, way back in March if I'm not mistaken. I don't think he's happy with his language. But I don't think he was happy with what was said to his fiancée either." Childress said "bloggers can get involved" but the team isn't interested."
NFL Star Jared Allen -- Violent Threat in Bar Fight
April 20
TMZ.com
 
"Jared and his fiancee were hangin' at the Grapevine bar in Scottsdale, AZ a few weekends ago when some dude allegedly hurled the 4-letter slur towards the future Mrs. Quarterback Destroyer. When Jared heard the insult, the 6'6", 270 pound Pro Bowler -- who's also an avid hunter -- told the guy, "I'll break your f*cking neck homeboy ... and then I'll write a check to your f*cking name too." In the video, a woman can be seen dragging Jared away from the other man. We're told both Jared and the other dude each left the bar without further incident."
Jared Allen's app can give you an iMullet
April 16
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Jared Allen's name has been associated the past few years with the sacking and pummeling of NFL quarterbacks. Now you'll also find the Vikings defensive end's name attached to a new application available for free for iPhone and the iPod Touch. Allen, in a description of the new app on the iTunes Web site, called it "my official iPhone app" that "contains everything that I think you need to help you understand how to live the best life (my life).""
Jared Allen is 'a lovable guy'
January 24
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"It's impossible to avoid the larger-than-life persona of Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen in the Twin Cities. Step off the plane, and there's Allen's purple Vikings jersey hanging on the wall at the security checkpoint. Walk past Mall of America Field, and a poster of Allen's menacing visage stares from the stadium walls. Tune in Thursday nights and listen to his weekly radio show, or turn on the television and watch him pop on as a guest on the Vikings' weekly television program. Jared Allen owns this town. "That's Jared," said fellow defensive end Ray Edwards. "He's a lovable guy." Allen added to his popularity as the Vikings reached Sunday's NFC championship game at New"
Former Chief Allen is a big hit in Minnesota
January 19
Kansas City Star
 
"It's impossible to avoid the larger-than-life persona of Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen in the Twin Cities. Step off the plane, and there's Allen's purple Vikings jersey hanging on the wall at the security checkpoint. Walk past Mall of America Field, and a poster of Allen's menacing visage stares from the stadium walls. Tune in Thursday nights and listen to his weekly radio show, or turn on the television and watch him pop on as a guest on the Vikings' weekly television program. Jared Allen owns this town. "That's Jared," said fellow defensive end Ray Edwards. "He's a lovable guy." Allen added to his popularity as the Vikings reached this week's NFC championship game at New"
Vikings DE Allen poses 'high energy' challenge
January 17
Dallas Morning News
 
"Of course Jared Allen considers himself a role model. He's a professional athlete, an NFL success story, a father himself. He knows kids look up to him. They buy his jersey, call his radio show, beg him for autographs. So he's serious about using his platform to influence America's next generation of, well, tough guys. Stay in school? Get good grades? No, something more important. "My No. 1 advice for high school kids: Grow a mullet," says Allen, who has sported one his entire career. "It's not just a hairdo. It's a lifestyle." It may be - but it hasn't always been clear whether that's a good thing for Allen, the Vikings' first-team All-Pro defensive end. In the 27 years since he was"
Vikings' Allen at Top of His Game and Seeking His Next Adventure
January 15
New York Times
 
"For a guy who can bring down an elk with a spear and a buffalo with a crossbow - check out his YouTube videos - Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen's aim with a Nerf basketball can be shaky. That is the story Vikings linebacker Ben Leber tells, anyway. Vikings players often shoot at a Nerf hoop on a pillar in their locker room here. No dunking allowed. "Don't let him fool you; I don't think he's ever won," Leber said, smiling. "He might talk a big game, but he's not very good." Allen, a renowned trash-talker, is not one to let even mild ribbing from a teammate pass. "I won two games today," Allen said Thursday before practice. "Ben beat me a couple of times, but I haven't had much"
Jared Allen, Vikings not surprised to be playing red-hot Cowboys in playoffs
January 12
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"All along, Jared Allen had a feeling the Vikings would play Dallas. Allen and the Vikings practiced Sunday in preparation for their NFC divisional playoff game against Dallas a week later at the Metrodome. The matchup didn't come as a surprise. "We've been focused on them," said Allen, the Pro Bowl defensive end. "I think it was kind of inevitable that we were playing Dallas." It's a tough matchup. Dallas comes into the game the hottest team in the NFC playoffs, winner of four consecutive games dating to an upset win at New Orleans that ended the Saints' bid for an undefeated season. The Cowboys present matchup problems for a variety of reasons, offensively and defensively. Quarterback"
Jared Allen, Vikings not surprised to be playing red-hot Cowboys in playoffs
January 11
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"All along, Jared Allen had a feeling the Vikings would play Dallas. Allen and the Vikings practiced Sunday in preparation for their NFC divisional playoff game against Dallas a week later at the Metrodome. The matchup didn't come as a surprise. "We've been focused on them," said Allen, the Pro Bowl defensive end. "I think it was kind of inevitable that we were playing Dallas." It's a tough matchup. Dallas comes into the game the hottest team in the NFC playoffs, winner of four consecutive games dating to an upset win at New Orleans that ended the Saints' bid for an undefeated season. The Cowboys present matchup problems for a variety of reasons, offensively and defensively. Quarterback"
Bears' Chris Williams, eight others combined to stop Vikings' Jared Allen
December 30
Chicago Tribune
 
"The first time the Bears and Vikings played one month ago, the Bears dared Jared Allen to beat them. He did, roping and tying them up like a helpless heifer. Allen, who was blocked by more than one man on only three plays out of 27 drop-backs, disrupted more than one-third of the Bears' pass attempts that day. It was a different story Monday with a different left tackle and a different plan. Orlando Pace started the first time and was replaced by Kevin Shaffer late in the game. Chris Williams started this time. But Williams hardly was the only blocker in the plan to stop Allen. Nine players blocked Allen on pass plays. The Bears used 14 different pass blocking combinations on Allen."
Allen needs return to form Monday
December 27
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 columnist Sid Hartman
"The Vikings defensive end has had great success against Chicago but has not gotten to the quarterback much of late. The Vikings, 16th in the NFL in passing defense, will need another great performance from Jared Allen on Monday night against the Bears to make sure that quarterback Jay Cutler, who has thrown 25 interceptions this season, doesn't have a game like Matt Moore had for the Panthers last week. Allen has 13 1/2 sacks this season, second in the league to Denver's Elvis Dumervil, who has 15. But Allen has only one sack over the past three games. However, the defensive end has 6 1/2 sacks in three games against the Bears since joining the Vikings, including two in Week 12 at the"
Peppers the athlete meets Allen's motor
December 20
Charlotte Observer
 
"Defensive ends Julius Peppers and Jared Allen came to the NFL on different paths. They arrive tonight at Bank of America Stadium - where Peppers' Carolina Panthers face Allen's Minnesota Vikings - playing under different sets of expectations and perceptions. They are among the NFL's elite at their position. Peppers is a four-time Pro Bowl player who is making nearly $1 million per game. Allen, two years younger than Peppers, leads the NFC in sacks this season and has been to the Pro Bowl two consecutive years. Allen has 12.5 sacks this season, second in the league to Denver's Elvis Dumervil (15). Peppers, hampered earlier in the season by a hand injury, has 8.5 sacks, well off the pace of"
Vikings' uplift more than just air inflation
December 20
Boston Globe
 
"Jared Allen walked off the Metrodome turf after last January's NFC wild-card playoff, looked at the scoreboard - Eagles 26, Vikings 14 - and steeled his resolve. So crossing paths with his defensive coordinator in the tunnel, Allen said to Leslie Frazier: "We gotta get back here. That's fun football. I have a taste of it. I want more.'' And it seems like he'll get it. While the slam-dunk story line with the Vikings has been Brett Favre making the difference between 10-6 last year and 11-2 this year, there's far more to Minnesota's leap into the league's elite than just its Juan Ponce de Leon. Yes, Favre's discovery of the Fountain of Youth counts for a lot. But this process started that"
There's no end to Allen's respect for Peppers
December 17
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Carolina's Julius Peppers ranks 12th in the NFL in sacks this season with 8 1/2, putting him four behind the Vikings' Jared Allen. The Panthers' four-time Pro Bowl defensive end, who played despite a broken hand this month, has a big fan in the Winter Park locker room. "Peppers is a beast. He is an absolute beast," Allen said Wednesday on a conference call with Panthers media. "He does things that sometimes I wish I could do. I have nothing but good things to say about him. For how big he is, he moves so gracefully. He does things at that end position that set precedent of themselves. He has been a player that I have always liked to watch." Allen and Peppers have trained together in"
Mismatch in trenches spells end doom
November 30
Chicago Sun-Times
 
"Now, at least the Bears have a gauge for how far their offensive line has to come. The Minnesota Vikings showed them just how much work needs to be done after they throttled the Bears at the point of attack, limiting them to 169 yards of offense and a measly two yards in the second half of Sunday's 36-10 demolition in the Metrodome. The Vikings' front four of Jared Allen, Kevin Williams, Pat Williams and Ray Edwards had quarterback Jay Cutler under siege from the start and there were not any running lanes whatsoever. The Vikings had four sacks--two by Allen after left tackle Orlando Pace was knocked out of the game with a groin injury -- but any time Cutler took more than a three-step"
Sackless game 'weird' for Minnesota Vikings' Jared Allen
November 27
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Vikings defensive end Jared Allen dominated his matchup against Seattle Seahawks left tackle Sean Locklear last Sunday. But when the game was over, with the Vikings winning 35-9, Allen didn't have a sack to show for his effort. "I tell you what. It was weird," Allen said. "It might have been one of my best pass rushing games." Allen had six tackles, four of them for a loss, he forced a fumble and he helped the Vikings put tremendous pressure on Seahawks Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. "It's encouraging, because the guy is getting rid of the ball," Allen said, "but it is frustrating because you just want him to hold the ball a half-second (longer). "But we won. We held them to 4 yards"
Viking Jared Allen more than a mouthful
November 27
Chicago Tribune
 columnist Dan Pompei
"If Jared Allen indeed does fulfill his pledge to "peel the back of Jay Cutler's head off the turf" Sunday, the Bears should rush to thank him. After all, the other 23 defensive players who have been credited with sacks or partial sacks of Cutler this year have left him lying there. The Vikings' right defensive end might be kinder to Cutler because they have a friendship. They played against each other twice in 2007 when Cutler was with the Broncos and Allen was with the Chiefs. Allen sacked him once then. They met again in Hawaii in February at the Pro Bowl. They hung out a little by the hotel pool and found they had a common interest: raising money for juvenile diabetes research. Cutler"
Redskins TE adores Jared Allen's manly mullet
November 12
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"The tough-guy charm of Vikings defensive lineman Jared Allen that plays out in a recently released professional video has won him a long-distance admirer in a fellow NFL player. Washington Redskins tight end Chris Cooley, in a series of Twitter postings, is dumbstruck that the video has only collected a few thousand views on YouTube since it went live two week ago. In the clip produced by the National Football League Players Association, Allen extolls the machismo of the mullet hair style as he has his manly mane carefully cut and combed at a barbershop while country music plays in the background. "The mullet isn't just a hairdo, it's definitely a lifestyle," he says in the video. Allen"
Allen enjoying a stellar season with Vikings
November 6
Kansas City Star
 
"Now Minnesota defensive end Jared Allen has to show he can get sacks against somebody other than the Green Bay Packers. Allen, the former Chiefs star, leads the NFL with 10 1/2 sacks, although 7 1/2 of them have come in two games against the Packers. At the halfway point of the season, it's not unrealistic to start projecting Allen with not only his first 20-sack season, but he's got a chance to break Michael Strahan's NFL-record 22 1/2 sacks set in 2001. "As an individual stat, that's amazing," Allen said after the Vikings' 38-26 win at Green Bay last Sunday. "Would I take a Super Bowl over that? Any day of the week. Twenty sacks would be great, but it's way too early to be thinking about"