Much was made of Vikings OLG Steve Hutchinson committing his first penalty in 27 games in Week Seven against the Steelers, an apparent testament to his discipline. But Hutchinson, long one of the most dependable linemen in the NFL, hasn't played up to his sterling reputation this season. He hasn't been bad, but a back injury clearly has limited his power and execution. A handful of mistakes — most notably, allowing a blocked field goal at the end of the half against the 49ers and getting walked back on the sack that caused a fumble recovery against the Steelers — show that Hutchinson doesn't anchor as well against powerful defensive linemen. In fact, D-linemen with great drive have given him fits at times this season, and though the Vikings are nowhere near considering benching Hutchinson, we are hearing that this problem has sounded a few alarms amongst the coaches.

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