(My Sportsbook) - Dennis Green may be the second-winningest coach in Minnesota Vikings history, but on Sunday, he will likely feel a bit like a second-class citizen.

Green, who left Minnesota in disgrace with one game left in the eventual 5-11 season of 2001, will return to the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome to face a frosty welcome as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals. Those who only recognize the embattled version of Green, as opposed to the one that reached the playoffs in nine of his first 10 years on the job, won't have too much trouble locating the visiting head coach this week. Green appears close to being deposed in Arizona after two-plus seasons and a 13-29 record, which has included a disappointing 2-8 mark this year. The Cardinals snapped an eight- game losing streak, its longest since 1991, with a 17-10 home victory over the Lions last week.

Green was 101-70 (.591) in his decade with the Vikings, with only the venerable Bud Grant serving the organization more productively, though an inability to win in the playoffs (Green was just 4-8 in the postseason), a contentious relationship with both the local media and front office, and some scandalous alleged off-the-field behavior helped sour the locals on Green.

At the moment, with their team in the midst of a four-game losing streak, Vikings fans aren't especially enamored of current head coach Brad Childress either. Minnesota's slide from playoff hopeful to also-ran continued last week, when the Dolphins handed the Vikings a 24-20 setback in south Florida. Minnesota, which is tied with similarly 4-6 Green Bay for second place in the NFC North as Week 12 begins, has not won since defeating Seattle (31-13) on Oct. 22nd.

The Vikings have not dropped five straight since 1997, when Green's Vikings followed up an 8-2 start with five consecutive losses before rebounding to make the postseason.

SERIES HISTORY

Arizona holds a 9-8 lead in its all-time regular season with Minnesota, breaking a deadlock in the series with a memorable 18-17 win in the final week of the 2003 regular season. That victory, which came on a 28-yard TD pass from Josh McCown to Nate Poole as time expired, cost the Vikings a playoff spot and handed the Packers the NFC North title. The Cardinals had lost seven straight games going into that contest. Minnesota had won the previous meeting between the clubs, a 31-14 triumph at the Metrodome in 2000. The Cardinals are 0-4 in Minnesota since last winning there in 1977.

In addition to the regular season series, the teams have met twice in the postseason, with Minnesota winning NFC Divisional Playoff matchups against the Cardinals in both 1974 and 1998.

Green has never gone up against the team that he coached from 1992 through 2001, and Minnesota's Childress will be meeting both Green and the Cardinals for the first time as a head coach.

CARDINALS OFFENSE VS. VIKINGS DEFENSE

Looking to build on his first win as an NFL starter is Arizona quarterback Matt Leinart (1348 passing yards, 6 TD, 7 INT), who was an efficient 19-of-29 passing for 233 yards with a touchdown and no turnovers or sacks against the Lions. Leinart's single-game passer rating of 101.7 was the best of his young career, and the 2004 Heisman Trophy Winner also scored his second touchdown in as many weeks on the ground. In his final six games, Leinart will look to find a synergy with talented wideouts Anquan Boldin (55 receptions, 3 TD) and Larry Fitzgerald (33 receptions, 2 TD), both of whom have been somewhat productive this season but do not appear to be on a Pro Bowl level at this stage of the year. Boldin led the Cardinals with five catches for 87 yards against the Lions, while Fitzgerald logged two grabs for 30 yards in his second game back from a hamstring injury that sidelined him for three weeks. Third receiver and former first-round draft pick Bryant Johnson (22 receptions, 3 TD) has contributed, scoring his third touchdown of the year in the Detroit win. Tight end Adam Bergen (12 receptions, 1 TD) has seven of his 12 catches on the year in the last two games. The Arizona line has allowed 26 sacks on the year, including 14 in Leinart's seven appearances.

The Vikings rank just 26th in the league against the pass as Week 12 begins, a statistic that is a result of the following: a league-high 366 passes faced by a team that most opponents are unable to run on, the inconsistent work of a pass rush that has just 22 sacks on the year, and an unforeseen lack of playmaking from a secondary that includes four big names in cornerbacks Fred Smoot (43 tackles) and Antoine Winfield (61 tackles, 3 INT) along with safeties Darren Sharper (37 tackles, 2 INT, 1 sack) and Dwight Smith (47 tackles, 1 INT). Despite the pedigree of that group, Minnesota has just 10 INTs on the year, with six of those shared among Winfield, Sharper, and Smith. Minnesota defensive backs had 23 interceptions in 2005. Among the players seeking to pressure Leinart this week will be defensive end and former first- round pick Kenechi Udeze (18 tackles), who has a total of one sack since posting five in his rookie season of 2004. Tackle Kevin Williams (5 sacks) and end Darrion Scott (3.5 sacks) are 1-2 on the team in sacks, but Scott has not broken through to the quarterback in over a month.

It probably won't go on his highlight reel alongside the 49 100-yard games he racked up as a member of the Colts, but Edgerrin James' 22-carry, 96-yard performance versus Detroit at least offered a small sign that the perennial Pro Bowl running back is capable of producing in a red and white uniform. The 96 yards were James' most since he went for 107 in the Colts' win over Tennessee in Week 13 of last season. Despite his persistent struggles, which include a poor 3.1-yard average-per-carry, James is still on pace to become Arizona's first 1,000-yard rusher since Adrian Murrell finished with 1,042 yards for the 1998 team that reached the playoffs. Backup Marcel Shipp (4 receptions) made his three touches last week count for 39 yards, including a pair of receptions totaling 32 yards. The Cardinals continue to rank last in the league in rushing offense (74.5 yards per game) and yards per carry (2.9).

Things do not figure to go well for James and the Arizona running game this week, as they face a Minnesota team that leads the NFL in rushing defense (60.3 yards per game), yards allowed per carry (2.8), and first downs allowed on the ground (33). Last Sunday, the Vikings allowed the Dolphins to run for a grand total of four yards, a Miami franchise-low. Massive tackles Kevin Williams (31 tackles, 1 sack) and Pat Williams (28 tackles), both of whom are worthy of Pro Bowl honors, have been the main reason for the run-stopping dominance. Linebackers E.J. Henderson (60 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 INT) and Napoleon Harris (39 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 1 INT), who combined for 10 tackles in the Dolphins loss, have done a good job making plays behind the Minnesota front four.

VIKINGS OFFENSE VS. CARDINALS DEFENSE

Quarterback Brad Johnson (2139 passing yards, 5 TD, 10 INT) will make his 20th consecutive start for the Vikings on Sunday, though if the team's losing persists, he may not be around for a 21st. The veteran carries a passer rating of 73.4 into the Arizona game, which if it holds up through the end of the season would be his lowest in 11 seasons an NFL starter. Johnson has a total of just one touchdown pass during Minnesota's four-game losing streak, and hasn't thrown a TD strike to either of the team's starting receivers, Travis Taylor (37 receptions, 1 TD) and Troy Williamson (27 receptions), since Taylor scored his only TD of the year Oct. 8th. Taylor led the Vikes with eight catches for 67 yards in last week's loss to the Dolphins, while tight end Jermaine Wiggins (31 receptions, 1 TD) turned in a six-reception, 66-yard performance that was his best of the season to date. Johnson was sacked three times by the Dolphins, and has now been dropped a total of 22 times on the year.

Johnson should have plenty of time to throw due to the absence of Cardinals defensive end Bertrand Berry, who was placed on season-ending injured reserve earlier this week with a torn triceps muscle. Berry, who missed the final eight games of last season with a torn pectoral, had two of his six sacks on the year in last week's win against Detroit. Third-year-pro Antonio Smith (8 tackles, 1 sack) will take Berry's place in the lineup, and Chike Okeafor (28 tackles, 2 sacks) will continue to line up on the other side. The lack of a pass rush could negatively affect a secondary that did a solid job against the Lions connection of Jon Kitna and Roy Williams last week. Kitna failed to throw a touchdown pass for the first time since Week 2, and Williams' 67 receiving yards were well below his average for the season. Cornerbacks Antrel Rolle (54 tackles) and David Macklin (16 tackles) will match up with the Minnesota receivers this week, and safeties Adrian Wilson (48 tackles, 4 sacks, 3 INT) and Robert Griffith (45 tackles, 2 INT) will lend support. Rolle and Griffith had six tackles each in the Detroit win.

Minnesota running back Chester Taylor's performance against the Dolphins last week was a bit of mixed bag. Taylor (863 rushing yards, 4 TD, 34 receptions) rushed for 80 yards and reached the end zone twice after scoring a total of two TDs in his first nine games, but it took him 28 carries to amass the 80 yards and he also lost fumbles on back-to-back rushing attempts in the fourth quarter. Taylor has the third-most rushing attempts in the league (221) behind only James (222) and the Chiefs' Larry Johnson (248), but he is only sixth in yards and is well down the chart in yards-per-carry (3.9). Former starter Mewelde Moore (87 rushing yards, 29 receptions) has played well when called upon, averaging 5.8 yards per carry and ranking third on the team in receiving yards (279), but does not appear to be in line for a greater role at present.

The Cardinals are a middle-of-the-pack 18th in the league against the run (118.9 yards per game), holding the likes of Kansas City's Larry Johnson (15 carries, 35 yards) and St. Louis' Steven Jackson (24 carries, 62 yards) in check while also managing to give up two 100-yard rushers in games against both the Falcons and Packers. Arizona has a couple of good run-stuffers up front in tackles Kendrick Clancy (24 tackles, 1 sack) and Darnell Dockett (35 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT), and linebackers Gerald Hayes (67 tackles, 2 INT, 1 sack) and Karlos Dansby (33 tackles, 3 sacks) are also capable of making plays. The front seven held three Lions running backs to a combined 68 yards on 18 carries (3.8 yards per attempt) last week, with Hayes ranking among team leaders with six tackles and Clancy pacing the trench crew with four stops.

OVERALL ANALYSIS

It is desperation time for the Vikings, who follow this week's game with a trip to Chicago that, quite frankly, doesn't figure to go well. The frustrations of the last month are sure to be taken out on Arizona team that ended its slide in uninspiring fashion last Sunday and does not appear to be on the brink of a winning streak. Look for the Minnesota offense to play its best game of the year against an Arizona "D" that is missing its best player, and expect the Cardinal offense to sputter once again in the face of a defense that allows zero running room for opponents. Green will be humbled in his homecoming, and Vikes fans will love every minute of it.

My Sportsbook Predicted Outcome: Vikings 34, Cardinals 9