The similarities are striking.

A troubled, but uber-talented college play-maker slipping in the draft. A thought-to-be, over-the-hill gunslinger. A talent-laden, but in some spots young, offensive line. A strong running game. A bend, but don't break defense. A coach who "the People" love-to-hate. And a win, on Monday Night Football, over the arch-rival Packers... on the same date, no less!! And the Super Bowl is in Miami! Don't say Candyman in the mirror! Don't do it!

The '09 version of the Minnesota Vikings are beginning to remind us all of '98.

In '98, it was week 2. An early season scare against the Tony Banks led Rams, in St. Louis, almost derailed the Vikings promising start. The Rams clawed back to tie the game at 31, just before Randall Cunningham hit Chris Carter for a 19 yard score to seal the 38-31 victory.
'09, week 3, Brett Favre led an improbable last-minute scoring drive before hitting journeyman Greg Lewis in the back of the end-zone for a last-second, last-play touchdown to seal the victory over the SF 49ers.

In '98, it was week 5, Monday Night Football in Green Bay. Randy Moss' coming-out-party. Both the Vikings and the Packers were 4-0, and the Packers were defending NFC Champs. The Vikings chased Favre out of the game and completely beat-down the Packers, 37-24. Randy Moss tore it up as he ended up with 5 catches for 190 yards and 2 TD's(52 and 44 yards, respectively).
'09, week 4. Monday Night Football in Minnesota. Brett Favre, now a Viking throws 3 TDs in beating his former team, 30-23. I realize that the venue isn't the same, nor the week, but the eerie thing is that both games were played on October 5th! Spooky, I know!

Looking back to the Minnesota Vikings schedule from '98, I noticed that that team, too, was 7-1. I really didn't even have to look back. The feelings from 1998 will forever be ingrained. I knew before looking that the Vikes lost their 8th game of the season to the Buccaneers, in Tampa, 27-24. I even remember the first play (or was it the second?) being a 7-yard comeback to Moss(on the right side) and me thinking it looked too easy; another win for the Vikes. It wasn't to be that day, but the Vikes didn't lose again until January- in a game that will forever be- the hardest loss of my life.

So it got me thinking... would the '09 Vikings beat the '98 Vikings? Being that the '98 Vikings are arguably the best Vikings team in Vikings history, how does the '09 version stack up? People are talking Super Bowl, Baby! But please, no "Going to Miami" remakes just yet. Karma's a bitch, you know.

Consider this your lucky day! I'm gonna break down each position, or position group, to decide which team would come out on top. Here we go:

QB- Randall Cunningham vs Brett Favre

Stats:

Cunningham threw for 3704 yards, 34 TDs and 10 INTs. QB rating was 106. He also led the '98 Vikings to the most points scored in NFL history(a record at the time).
Through 8 games, of which he only played 6 of those (and a quarter against St. Louis), he threw for 1718 yards, 16 TDs and 3 INTs. He completed 62% of his passes.

Favre, through 8 games has thrown for 1925 yards, 16 TDs and 3 INTs(SPOOKY!). He's completed 68% of his passes and has a QB rating of 106.

The QB winner is... Favre. Just because Cunningham had just as good of numbers, in 2 less games, doesn't hide the fact that his receivers were insane. In fact, that's the reason his numbers were All-Pro like. Favre is dealing with much less and getting the same result. I loved Cunningham, but his receivers made him. Favre's making his receivers. That's the difference. And that's a fact, Jack. Don't believe me? See Dante Culpepper...

Running Back- Adrian Peterson vs Robert Smith

It's easy to want to shout, without hesitation, "AP"! Believe me, I feel the same way. He's a beast! But check out these numbers! It's crazy how similar through 8 games:

Stats:

AP- 163 carries- 784 yards(4.8 avg) 9 TDs, 64 his long, 19 catches- 189 yards 0 TDs
Smith- 156 carries-745 yards(4.8 avg) 5 TDs, 74 his long, 20 catches- 212 yards 2 TDs

The RB winner is... Even. I'm not saying Smith is as good as AP (although AP could use some of Smith's patience), but the numbers don't lie. Did Smith benefit from having C. Carter and Moss? Sure. But don't think AP isn't benefiting from having Favre. Oh, and when it comes to fumbles, it's not even close. Smith had 1- THE WHOLE YEAR! AP already has 2, and a fumble-filled history. I'm not saying, I'm just saying...

Wide Receivers

Lets look at this side by side:

Stats:

Chris Carter: 36 rec./500 yards/6 tds
Bernard Berrian: 27 rec./299 yards/3 tds-
Verdict- Carter. Not even close. Not the same zip code. Not the same universe.

Jake Reed: 24 rec./345 yards/4 tds
Sidney Rice: 37 rec./585 yards/2 tds-
Verdict- Rice. Closer. Jake wasn't bad, but I love what Sidney is becoming. Would love to see Rice's 2 tds quadruple.

Randy Moss: 31 rec./593 yards/6 tds
Percy Harvin: 28 rec./369 yards/3 tds (2 tds on KO Ret.-avg. 30.7/ret.)-
Verdict- Moss. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE PERCY! He brings the Special Teams aspect, too, but we're talking receiving, and he's no Moss. Percy's doing great things, but do you remember how dominating Moss was? He demanded constant double-teams with Carter on the field. Amazing. A Super-freak, no doubt.

The Wide Receivers winner is... '98 Vikings- by a lot!

Tight End- Andrew Glover vs Visanthe Shiancoe

Stats:

Glover: 14 catches- 216 yards (15.4 avg) 3 TDs
Shiancoe: 22 catches- 203 yards (9.2 avg) 6 TDs

The TE winner is... Shiancoe. As much as I liked Glover, at the end of the day, he was just serviceable. He could catch, but he didn't stretch the field, and he wasn't very athletic. A Jermaine Wiggins, if you will.
Shiancoe, on the other hand, is long, can run, can block, and has turned in the greatest 180 ever on catching the football. He's also a great interview. I thought I could talk... Cheez!

Offensive Line- Favre has been sacked 18 times, Cunningham/Johnson 15 (through 8 games)

LT: Todd Stuessie vs Bryant McKinnie. Stuessie made the Pro Bowl and was a ferocious worker. McKinnie never will and, in my opinion, has underachieved dramatically.
The winner is... STUESSIE!

LG: Randall McDaniel vs Steve Hutchinson. I know McDaniel is a HOFer, but I'm pretty sure Hutchinson will be one, too.
The winner is... A PUSH!

C: Jeff Christy vs John Sullivan. Christy made the Pro Bow and was the Matt Birk of his day. Sullivan, albeit doing very well, is still a work in process. Ironically, the back-up center in '98 was... Matt Birk. Sullivan will get there, but, for now...
The winner is... Christy!

RG: David Dixon vs Anthony Herrera. Epitome of a push! These two are morphs of each other. And they both do a very good job.
The winner is... A push, I say!!

RT: Korey Stringer(R.I.P.) vs Phil Loadholt. At this moment, I'd say Stringer was the better player. Loadholt could end up being a perenial Pro Bowler, but as of right now...
The winner is... Stringer.

The O-Line winner is... '98 Vikings. When you put them side-by-side, it really stands out as to how good the '98 line really was.

Defensive Line

Jared Allen- 10.5 sacks
John Randle- 4.5 sacks.
It's Allen. He's having a monster first half(10.5 sacks, 3 FF, 2 FR, TD, & a Safety), but they're basically the same. They are both sack specialists that are doubled and chipped practically every play. Randle was a maniac!!
The winner is... Allen!

Derrick Alexander- 4 sacks
Ray Edwards- 3.5 sacks.
Still hate the Vikings for taking Alexander instead of Warren Sapp, but that's not his fault. He actually had a really good year in '98. Edwards, on the other hand, reminds me of Dwayne Rudd(who we'll get to in a bit)- a loudmouth who's not that good. Alexander is the better player.
The winner is... Alexander.

Jerry Ball & Tony Williams vs
Kevin & Pat Williams.
I'm not even going to bother with stats. Tony wishes he could be part of the '09 Williams'! The DEs are close, but this is where the '09 D-Line wins out. Kevin & Pat Williams could go down as the greatest DT combo, ever! Jerry & Tony? Not so much.
The Williams Wall in a bitch-slap!

The D-Line winner is... '09 Vikings! Seriously, this isn't even close.

Line Backers

No stats needed

Eddie McDaniel vs E.J. Henderson. Eddie was a Pro Bowler who played much bigger than his 6 foot frame. E.J. is having a solid year, but not as dominant as he was last year, until he got hurt.
The winner is... McDaniel gets my vote.

Dixon Edwards vs Ben Leber. Edwards wasn't bad, but he didn't wow me. Leber, on the other hand, is the most under-rated player on the Vikings. He's the best LB the '09 Vikings have.
The winner is... Leber!!

Dwayne Rudd vs Chad Greenway. Rudd was a disappointment from the get-go. His celebratory dances for making an ordinary tackle should have got him kicked out of the league, on merit alone. Greenway hasn't impressed me, either, but at least he's a hard worker who is a sure tackler. He's a helluva lot better than Rudd.
The winner is... Greenway.

The LBs winner is... '09 Vikings- more athletic and can tackle better than their predecessors. Ben Leber makes this group.


Cornerbacks
Jimmy Hitchcock vs Antoine Winfield. Hahahahaha! Do you remember how bad Hitchcock was? Winfield's not the best cover-corner out there, but against Hitchcock, he's Deion Sanders!
The winner is... Winfield.

Corey Fuller vs Cedric Griffen. Fuller could tackle, but that's it. I'm not saying Griffen is stink-on-shit, when it comes to covering, but he's better than Fuller! And Griffen's almost as sure as Winfield with tackling.
The winner is... Griffen!

The CBs winner is... Winfield and Griffen. The '09 CBs make the '98 CBs look like the poster child for pro-choice.

Safeties

Robert Griffith vs Tyler Johnson. Griffith was a good safety. He was in the right position and he could hit. Johnson's still young and learning on the fly. He's got loads of potential and the right mind-set to be good, but for now...
The winner is... Griffith.

Orlando Thomas vs Madieu Williams. Thomas wasn't bad. He wasn't great, but he wasn't bad. Williams signed for an ass-ton of $ and hasn't proven to me, or anybody, that he's worth it. I rarely see Williams making a play. Do you?
The winner is... Thomas gets the nod.

The Safeties winner is...'98 Vikings safeties. And they weren't even that good.

Special Teams

Punter

Mitch Berger vs Chris Kluwe.
Kluwe has a rocket leg, but no touch. Berger was one of the best.
It's got to be Berger!

Kicker

Gary Anderson vs Ryan Longwell.
Anderson didn't miss- until January. Goddamn I hate you, Anderson!
Longwell wins by default.

Kick Return

David Palmer vs Percy Harvin.
This is where Percy wins- easily. 30.7 avg. per return and 2 td! That's automatic field position, Baby!
Harvin!

Punt Return

David Palmer vs Jaymar Johnson. The Vikings had a jewel in Darius Reynaud, but he got hurt and Johnson's not the answer. Palmer was a very good punt returner.
Palmer!

The Special Teams winner is... Special Teams seams to be a push.


Some other Team Stats (through 8 games)

Points scored:
'98- 265 (38.0/game)
'09-244 (30.5/game)

Points Allowed:
'98- 143 (20.4/game)
'09- 174 (21.8/game)

Turnover Margin:
'98- +6
'09- +5

With all this (by far the longest post of my early career), I still can't figure out which team would have come out on top. In '98, I felt that team was bullet-proof. Not even Kryptonite could beat them! '09 doesn't give me the same feel. I know Favre and Co. are kicking ass, but there's something that doesn't feel right. I hope I'm wrong (cuz I'd love a Super Bowl!), but time will tell. If I had to bet my life... I'd go with '98.

Tune in or get tuned out- it's just Komencentz!