The Vikings Ship Sets Sail Towards The Postseason

Well after all of the drama of the past few works I have one word: relief.  All of the speculation and controversy is over.  The Vikings know where they stand now, and it's right where most fans and commentators had us in the first place: the #2 seed.  We get a first round bye and a home game.  Also we will be playing at noon central time, 1 eastern time, you know the time slot we dominate this year.  All I can say is thankfully we won't be playing a night game.

I can't believe the 2009 regular is already over.  The season added the word "schism" to Vikings fan's vocabulary.  It started off in whirl of controversy and for the most part it ended in a whirl of adversity.  We lost three of our last five games after starting off 10-1. 

People were speculating that the team was divided, we were going to have to play in the Wildcard round and go to Philly in the second round, etc.  A lot was riding on our week 17 game that just a month ago looked like it may be a meaningless game because we would have long since knotted up a first round bye.  What's worse is that not only did we have to win, we had to hope for Philly to lose, and Philly has been hot of late.  With all of the turmoil and adversity surrounding the team a lot of fans and haters of the team expected  the team to fold.

Well we didn't fold to say the least.  At one point in the game we were up 44 to nothing.  Brett Favre had maybe his best game of the season going 25 for 31 for 300+ yards and 4 touchdown tosses.  The defense looked the best it's looked in weeks, AP looked good with limited touches, and the special teams didn't totally blow it.  It was from start to finish our best game of the season I believe.  I commend Chilly on letting the starters play in the third quarter, we really kept the hammer down.  That will be important because we will have a week off.

You can say what you want about how the Giants had mailed in their season weeks ago, being up by 44 points against any NFL team is an accomplishment, and I think it brings our confidence and swagger back a bit.  Lets face it, both fans and the team needed some confidence.  It was so nice to see our team playing to it's potential and it puts a lot of our mind's at ease.

Whether or not Philly won, I didn't really care I just wanted our team to end the regular season on a high note.  I wanted to feel good heading into the postseason, and well a 44-7 beatdown at home makes me feel good.  Philly losing is only a cherry on top of it all. 

Lets be honest, how many of us really thought Tony Romo and the choke prone Cowboys could beat the the Eagles who over the past decade play their best football in December and January?  I know I didn't, I hoped for it but I thought that the Eagles would win.  Well they didn't, and know they will get a rematch this week.

What's weird is that we will have three rematches in the first round of week 17 games.  We will have the New York J-E-T-S Jets! Jets! Jets! going to Cincy to play the Bengals, Green Bay heading back to the desert to take on the defending NFC Champs, and Philly heading back to the Taj-ma-Jerry to play the 'Boys again.  They were all blowouts in week 17 but I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if all three games went the other way in the playoffs.  I think Cincy is a better team than New York and I still don't trust a team with a rookie starting quarterback on the road in the playoffs.  I think the Eagles just can't lose in the playoffs (though I really want Dallas for our first game so I will again be pulling for big D) and I think Arizona is better than Green Bay, especially considering they have playoff experience.

One way or another I believe the Vikings will have to play the Packers again to get to the Super Bowl.  The scenario that the NFL should hope for is this: The Pack and Cowboys win in the Wildcard round.  We beat Dallas and Green Bay knocks off New Orleans.  That would set up a showdown at High Noon at the O.K. Corral between the Gunslinger and the Pretty Boy for all the NFC marbles.  I for one don't think I could take that.  I think we would win, I think we are a better team than Green Bay but why would I want to subject myself to that torture?  Imagine losing to the Packers in the postseason, especially in the NFC Championship game.  I'd have to find a short pier to take a long walk off.

Though, who thinks Brett Favre would let his team lose that game?  I mean is there any dream greater for Favre than the chance to beat Ted Thompson for a third time and eliminate them from the playoffs?  That would be absolutely priceless seeing Favre up the stage hoisting the NFC championship trophy with that sly smile on his face and seeing the shot of the dejected Packers in tears?  Couple that with a shot of the brooding, creepy Ted Thompson sitting all alone in a luxury box sipping on some strong alcoholic drink and it would be epic.  I mean potential best moment ever epic.  The only thing that would make it better is if it could be at Lambeau, that way I could see dejected desperate Green Bay fans crying.

As tempting as that is, I'll pass on Green Bay and heartily cheer for Arizona this weekend.  That said, I don't want to have to go on the road all postseason, if that means Green Bay playing us than so be it.  I don't want to have to play Philly either, those are my two fears this postseason: playing on the road and playing Philly.  Something about Philly sends a shiver up my spine.  We just can't beat that team for some reason.

On the AFC side of things I like San Diego.  I think they are the best team in that conference.  They play the best defense, well the Jets may have some contention with that, their offense is top notch and they have postseason experience.  They are the #2 seed, but fortunately for them Indy is #1 and they seem to be Indy's playoff kryptonite of late.  Indy, for it's part, continued to slack off and and now when they finally play a game in the second round of the playoffs they will have had nearly a month of not playing hard, tough, meaningful football.  That's when complacency sets in.

I am sorry, but the Colts just have all the feel of a one and done team.  Same with New Orleans.  They way both of them are backing into the playoffs like an old man into a bath tub just doesn't scream confidence.  I don't like easing into the playoffs, that's why for the Vikings this past month could be a huge blessing.  It humbled them and forced them to play meaningful football to the very end.  The Colts, on the other hand have had the #1 seed locked up for what feels like months now.  They really haven't had much to play for and they weren't playing lights out football to begin with.  Same with New Orleans, who did have the #1 see to play for at home against Tampa last week but that didn't appear to ignite any spark in them.  They now have lost 3 straight, two of those games at home, one of them they had to blow a 17 lead to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers! 

But wait, you say, the Colts have Peyton Manning!  The "greatest" of all time!  Yeah, about that.  If you exclude Manning's Super Bowl run in 2006 he is an outstanding 4-8 in the postseason.  Not the numbers of the "greatest to ever play the game."  Peyton Manning is kind of like the anti-MJ.  MJ kind of coasted through the regular season and saved his best for the biggest moments.  Manning, well Manning is a bit of choke artist.

I'll take the San Diego (super) Chargers in the AFC thank you very much.  They have just been playing the best football in that conference, maybe the league for the past 6 or 7 weeks.

Luckily for the Vikings, all of the division winners in the NFC play indoors.  The road to Miami in the NFC is paved with artificial surface.  The Vikings are just two little wins away from the Super Bowl.  I haven't been this excited for a playoffs since 2000.  Last year, lets face it, I didn't think they were going to the Super Bowl.  This year we have a real, legit shot.  Favre came here for two things: to stick it to Ted Thompson and win the Super Bowl.  He can feel it, he can taste it, he wants it.  As long as we stay on the program we were on last week we have a real chance.

The Vikings must stick to that game plan, that was the game plan that got them to 10-1.  Fools such as myself were calling for more running, NO!  Please don't, at least don't force it.  Take what is there, if we would have done that in the first half against Chicago I would be taking about the 13-3 Minnesota Vikings with homefield throughout.  Instead Chilly tried to force balance on us. 

Balance isn't a 50/50 spread of run and pass.  It is the ability to throw when the opportunity presents itself and run when the run game is there.  Take what the defense gives you Chilly.  If they are dropping back to stop Favre then run.  But if they are loadind up to stop AP just throw it.  Let Favre sling it.  When Favre runs the offense we win.  Who cares how we win?  I just want to win and so does Favre.  So please Chilly, let Favre run the show.  Favre will run when it's there and throw when it's there.

For my Offensive player of the game for the Giants game I give that to...Brett Favre.  Duh.  Amazing, he was a man on fire Sunday.  It was beautiful to watch.

Defensive player of the game...Jared Allen for finally showing some signs of life.  He had two sacks, including a fumble forced and recovered.  Jared Allen playing well will be vastly important to a playoff run for the Vikings.

My final regular season Gunslinger award goes to...*drumroll*...Brett Favre!  The Gunslinger becomes the first man to win the award twice.  With controversy and turmoil swirling around the team Favre stepped up in a big way.  Perhaps the best game of the season for Favre capped off perhaps his best year in his entire career.  He finished the season with 4200 yards and 33 touchdowns.  He became the first quarterback in NFL history to finish with 4000 yards and 30+ touchdowns with 7 interceptions or less.  I mean at the beginning of the year what Viking fan could honestly say they saw that coming?  Who would have thunk it?  Brett "King of the Int" Favre would be the QB to pull that accomplishment.  Impressive.  I love it.  I love Brett Favre.

Well that about wraps it up for now.  I will be back periodically to discuss the postseason and just get stuff off my chest.  It's nice to not have to worry about the Vikings this weekend, I'll just watch the games and not worry about a thing.

Well until next time it's been real.

Skol Vikings