Call it addition by subtraction.

The departures of coach Dennis Green and future Hall-of-Famer Cris Carter from the Vikings' sidelines this season are the two biggest reasons Minnesota will improve on its 5-11 mark of a year ago.

The Green-Carter era finally blew up last season. Green's removal was long in coming, while Carter's me-first attitude finally overshadowed his diminishing receiver skills. Under the leadership of both, the Vikings had become an increasingly pompous organization, detached from both its players and its fans.

The start of the resurrection began before the final game last season when Green was shown the door and new coach Mike Tice was given the reins. Tice has delivered a breath of fresh air to a franchise once cloaked in secrecy.

All indications are Tice is not afraid to let his emotions show, nor to have his opinions of the team and individuals made public. The new coach is perhaps the biggest reason the Vikings have a legitimate shot at reaching the playoffs this season after last year's aberration.

The former tight end has already changed the offense, vowing to incorporate two tight ends in the base formation and to get the ball to all-world Randy Moss as much as humanly possible.

In return, Moss apparently has ditched the "I play when I want to attitude" and is emerging as a team leader. The Vikings are clearly Moss' and quarterback Daunte Culpepper's team and the two need to meet the challenge.

With a healthy Culpepper, a reinvigorated Moss, a more experienced Michael Bennett in the backfield and an offensive line eventually bolstered by first-round hold out tackle Bryant McKinnie, the Vikings offense has all the makings of once again being explosive.

Everyone knows how lethal Culpepper to Moss is; add a power running game to the mix and newcomers D'Wayne Bates and Derrick Alexander to the receiving position and the days of 35-40 points could be right around the corner.

The key to the revival of the offense rests with how well the group adapts to new offensive coordinator Scott Linehan's offense. A smooth transition to the offense is crucial as the first part of the schedule appears to be the easiest.

With last season's 5-11 mark fresh on everyone's mind most forget the Vikings were in the NFC Championship game in January 2001. Twenty months removed from the debacle in the Meadowlands, the Purple has finally moved to fix its oft porous defense.

Gone are terrible Orlando Thomas, over-rated Eddie McDaniel and over-achieving Robert Griffith. Joining the three is a long list of other less desirable, along with defensive coordinator Emmit Thomas.

The move to fix the defense followed closely the plan the New England Patriots used a year ago during its Super Bowl run. Instead of pursuing one or two high priced free agents, the Vikings went after and found a number of solid football players. The Vikes then added five youngsters through the draft, creating the deepest defensive team the club has fielded in years.

Tasked with putting this unit together is new defensive coordinator Willie Shaw. Shaw's plans are for an aggressive, attacking-style defense.

The centerpiece of the new-look defense is returning tackle Chris Hovan. Hovan is on the verge of a breakout season and with more help around him, this could be the year. Hovan will be joined on the defensive line by former Miami Dolphin defensive ends Kenny Mixon and Lorenzo Bromell. Mixon will start at left end, while Bromell is battling returning starter Lance Johnstone at right end. Either Fred Robbins or Darius Holland figures to join Hovan at tackle.

The defensive leadership will most likely come from two new veterans. Henri Crockett takes over at the middle linebacker position and Cory Chavous provides sorely lacking experience as the starting left cornerback.

Crockett figures to be joined on the linebacking corps by rookie Raonall Smith and second-year player Patrick Chukwurah.

Battles still rage in the secondary, where it looks like Chavous and Eric Kelly will start at the corners with veteran Ronnie Bradford and rookie Willie Offord at the safeties. However, Tyrone Carter, Carey Scott, Robert Tate, Brian Williams and non-drafted rookie Kyries Hebert will fight for playing time as well.

Not even the special teams were spared in the team's dramatic turnover. Gone are Mitch Berger and Gary Anderson, replaced with former Baltimore punter Kyle Richardson and kicker Doug Brien. Both should be improvements over players who skills were quickly diminishing.

The challenge for Tice and the coaching staff is to bring the new collection of Purple together as quickly as possible. A fast start is vital to a Viking playoff run. A soft early-season schedule makes a 5-0 start, and the possibility of a 10-6 season a distinct possibility.

By the time the Vikings face division rival Green Bay for the first time on Nov. 17, all will know just how successful the coaching staff is in bringing the club together. We also will know how well addition by subtraction worked.