Number 2

It appears that getting the number two seed in the NFC is currently the best case scenario for the Vikings.  To ensure we get number two, we need to win out against the Bears and the Giants.  The Eagles are one game behind us, and supposedly if we tie with them on our records they will get the higher seed because they will have the tie breaker.  I just spent a few minutes looking through the NFL tie breaking rules and it seemed to me that we would have it, but whatever, just to be safe let's win them both.  I guess that might help us out a little with a somewhat popular in sports phrase known as MOMENTUM.  Plus, I am cheering for any scenario that will provide for both the Vikings and Giants to have reasons to play hard in week 17, because I have tickets to that game.  The last thing I want is to watch T-Jack play for an entire game against a half hearted Eli Manning, although maybe Favre will tell Childress to back down again and decide to play the whole meaningless game anyway.  So I guess good entertainment either way.

A Great Plan

Lost in all the recent controversy involving Favre and Childress and their supposed power strugggles and disagreements with each other is a not so distant problem involving our star rookie and his two week boute with a migraine.  Since there is no way the Vikings are going to have much success in the post season without Percy, I thought it important to report on the situation.

Harvin spent some time in the Mayo Clinic and met with a few specialists on the issue and left with "a great plan" for dealing with his migraines in the future.  I guess as fans we'll take that as a good thing.  Who knows what this great plan might be?  No specifics were revealed.  It doesn't really matter to me, the plan could be drink a gallon of coffee and eat three bags of purple skittles at the first sign of a migraine, and as long as it worked, I would be happy. 

Once Again

For whatever reason, I'm thinking the most likely right now is that someone who maybe financially really matters to the Vikings has something for Fox, or maybe just against NBC, and to help this person out our team wants NBC to not carry entertaining football games, explaining why the two times we've played the Sunday night game on NBC we've absolutely sucked.  That is the only explanation.  Tonight's game against Carolina was even worse than the game against Arizona.  I don't get it at all, oh wait actually I get it completely as I explained it all a couple sentences ago.

On the bright side, today we did clinch the NFC North and this is the first time we've one that in consecutive years since the '77 and '78 seasons.  Back to being negative again, Jonathan Stewart ran for over 100 yards on our defense and that is the first time we've allowed a 100 yard rusher in 36 games.  

A Trip Down Memory Lane

Percy is finally back practicing, as of Friday I believe, and wants to play tonight. We will see what happens. This would be an important step towards getting our offense back into high gear before playoffs.

With the Saints losing on Saturday to the Cowboys, that makes the last few games of our season a little more interesting. It gives us a slight chance of maybe stealing the #1 seed from them. Their last two games are against Tampa Bay and Carolina, so let me be clear, the chance is slight. Not sure how a tie is broken if we both go 14-2. I think it is tremendously to our advantage though if we could somehow get that number one seed. Or, somebody can do us a favor and beat the Saints in round two and then we'd have home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.

Having Antoine Winfield back did amazing things for our defense last week. Jasper Brinkley did fine in his first full game at middle linebacker. It will be interesting to monitor his performance for the rest of the season.

I was recently remembering the legend that was Jermaine Wiggins and all his glory with the Vikings. I looked up some old Vikings videos from 2004 when Wiggins was our starting tight end. The man looked like he hopped in an NFL time machine during the late eighties and it launched him into 2004. That season doesn't seem like so long ago, but back then Daunte was still our starting QB and we still had Moss. That was the infamous season where we went 8-8, sneaked into the playoffs, and went to Green Bay and upset them. Our now beloved Favre threw four interceptions for the Pack, leading to our victory, and Moss did his mock moon to Green Bay fans. That season Daunte threw for over 4,700 yards, had 39 touchdowns and only 11 interceptions, and had a 69% completion percentage. It looked like he was entering his prime, plus he had just perfected his really cool touchdown celebration, where he does the basketball traveling symbol a few times in a row while skipping and bobbing his head. I guess it was a short lived prime, as he completely fell apart the next season when we traded Moss, who is still my favorite Viking of all time.

Anyway, watch these two vidoes from 2004, they are entertaining. Daunte threw five touchdowns in back to back games.

http://www.nfl.com/videos/minnesota-vikings/09000d5d8015d7e7/Vikings-34-Texans-28

http://www.nfl.com/videos/minnesota-vikings/09000d5d80165c2f/Vikings-38-Saints-31

What if....

-What if our coaching staff had a clue how to intelligently adjust a game plan to the flow of the game?  For example, not immediately abandoning the run game against Arizona and opting for the "Let's throw the ball every time plan even though it's not working at all and they are sitting back in coverage every play."  In the process, giving the ball back quickly to a hot Arizona offense that capitalized.

-What if T-Jack had started the Arizona game?  I honestly think we would have won the game.  We would have stuck with the run game, because with T-Jack, we know we HAVE to stick with the run game.  We would have controlled the ball and kept the ball out of their offense's hands, and I believe put up enough points to have won.

-What if Antoine Winfield's foot really did fall off at the ankle?  This is the only explanation that explains to me why we haven't seen him yet.  He has been out now for eight weeks.  We have been told since week two that he is questionable and may be returning, BUT HE NEVER DOES!

-What if the the 2009 Minnesota Vikings are the best team in the history of the NFL?  There is only one way to argue this point.  If the Colts and Saints go undefeated, and we beat both of them in the playoffs to win the Superbowl.  If we do that, I can and will say whatever I want about how awesome we are and how much better than any other team in history.

-What if EJ Henderson had remembered to take his Citracal pills?  AHHHHHHHHH!  I know little to nothing about his repacement, Jasper Brinkley.  I do know this though, the name Jasper Brinkley sounds like a tough dude who in a movie, would never be seen without a gun in hand or a fellow to his left or right with a gun in their hand.  Based on that, I think the rookie is going to do quite well filling in for EJ.