Combine Clifton Smith with the Vikings rotten coverage on special teams, and the Bucs should have strong field position Sunday.

Already Joe has written that the Bucs defense should dominate the Vikings’ passing game Sunday. But that’s not the only area Joe feels the Bucs should excel.

Sure, Vikings quarterback Gus Frerotte is miserable beyond words. But the Vikings’ special teams are truly pathetic. Consider, as documented by Chip Scoggins of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, the Vikings have given up six touchdown returns combined on their kickoff and punt coverage teams. Six! That ties an NFL record, and it’s not even December yet.

In the last nine games the Vikings have allowed four punts to be returned for a score. But it’s not just touchdowns the Vikings’ punt team hacks up. Minnesota is last in the NFL in punt return yards giving up 18.1 yards a punt. That’s the most yards an NFL team has given up on average since the 1977 Cleveland Browns.

As Joe stated Monday, if the Bucs are able to shut down Adrian Peterson, no small task, the game is in the bag. Unless Chucky decides to outsmart Brad Childress and play Son of Bob.