Domination At The Dome: The Purple Juggernaut Has Seahawk For Lunch

During the bye week two weeks ago Jared Allen and Brett Favre went hunting.  Two weeks later I don't think they have stopped yet.  Last week they hunted Lion and this week they shot down some Seahawk.  On the agenda for next week: Bear.  If you didn't watch the game yesterday at the Metrodome the final score doesn't do that game justice.  It may read 35-9 but it was a massacre.  The hapless 'Hawks had all of FOUR (yes four) rushing yards the whole game.  The time of possession read: 42 minutes for the Norsemen and 18 minutes for the Seahawks.  Seattle didn't even break the 50 yard line until deep into the third quarter!

You know it was a blowout when noted Viking hater Skip Bayless called it a "wipeout" and said no team is playing better than the Minnesota Vikings.  Amazing.  We finally saw the Vikings jump all over a team and keep the pedal to the metal the whole game.  We crushed their will and wouldn't take our foot off their throats.  Perhaps Chilly just needed to get paid.  I mean normal Chilly would have come out of halftime with the foot off the pedal and ran it 47 times just trying to hold on to the win.

Not this week.  We came out firing at halftime, taking a 28-0 lead before going to the bullpen so to speak and letting Tarvaris Jackson see the field.  Even with Jackson on the field we kept firing away and scored again.

This win feels really great after sleepwalking our way through last week's win.  This wasn't the penalty parade that last week was.  And Brett Favre, don't even get me started.  Skip Bayless took the words right out of my mouth when he asked, "Who is this guy?!"  The Mississippi Riverboat Gambler, the Gunslinger has turned in his cards and spurs for a scalpel and a microscope.  I mean 22 of 25 for 213 yards and four touchdowns to four different receivers.  That's beautiful.  That is the precise, assassin type play that has made Tom Brady one of the greatest of all time.

I have never seen a player go through such a transformation.  He has turned from turnover machine reckless schoolyard footballer to precise game manager fitting beautifully thrown balls into tight windows.  I mean 21 touchdowns and 3 interceptions.  I mean Jay Cutler averages 1.8 a game, and Favre averages .3 a game.  This is some of the greatest quarterback play I have ever seen.  This is certainly the best quarterback play Minnesota has ever seen.

To put in perspective how Twilight Zone/parallel universe this season has been, in this weeks game the crowd at Dome was chanting MVP for Brett Favre!  If you would have told me two years ago, that we would ever see the day Brett Favre would be getting MVP chants and being raised to icon status in Minnesota I would have slapped you. Add in that he would be the highest rated passer and have only three picks through 10 games I would have referred to mental health specialists.  This is bizarr-o world so it's only fitting we have bizarr-o Brett Favre quarterbacking our team.

Is there any question Brett Favre is the MVP of this league at this point?  Yes Drew Brees has played good this year, at times great, he's been up and down and has nine picks.  Yes his team is 10-0 but really he hasn't won them a game yet.  Really, I haven't seem him go out there with the chips down, almost no time left, no time outs and carry his team to victory, just will his team to the end.  I don't see it.  I know, I know he's got that uber cool pregame fire up session but I just don't see him as my definition of a MVP.  I want someone clutch.  Someone with a feel for the moment who thrives with the pressure. 

Adrian Peterson can make a case for himself.  I mean he's third in the league in rushing yards, second in touchdowns and he is totally capable of willing a team to victory.  Look at last year's Green Bay in the Metrodome.  I implore you to watch him just will his team to the end on that last Vikings drive.  Or look at his catch and run against Pittsburgh.  Granted, we lost but that loss was on his back up not him.  Or his catch and run to seal the deal against Green Bay in Lambeau this year.

Peyton Manning is the only other player in my eyes who can make a legit case.  I mean he is carrying that team on his shoulders.  It's all him.  He has lead the Colts to fourth quarter comebacks in the last four weeks.  Manning is super clutch (in the regular season anyways) 

However, all of that said Manning has been in Indy doing his thing for over a decade now.  Favre has come in and changed the culture of well the entire state of Minnesota.  Last year Vikings fans would fret over how the Vikings would find a way to make these last two games way too close for comfort.  We would have had to endure a comedy of errors and terrible quarterbacking as our team floundered towards a not-loss against inferior teams. 

Not this year.  This year even when things look bleak (see the San Fran game) you just feel all right because you have Brett Favre.  And when playing weaker teams, the question isn't if we will win, but by how much.  He is the highest rated passer, has the best touchdown to int ratio and is leading the most complete team in the NFL.  Watching Brett Favre play this year is like watching a brilliant maestro conduct a beautiful symphony.

Seriously, I just watched Trent Dilfer of all people call the Vikings the most complete and well balanced team in the NFL, what is going on with the world people?  I'm lost in a world where Skip Bayless, Merril Hoge, and Trent Difler love the Vikings.  In the end however, I am still a jaded Vikings fan.  Part of me still just can't commit myself fully.  I have to hold back a little bit because well I cheer for the most snake bitten franchise in football.  Part of me is still waiting for the other shoe to drop. I will concede this, this year is unlike any year I have seen, including 1998.  It just feels different.

Now, onto my Gunslinger segment.  I am torn this week, and I think I am going to break ground in the (extremely brief) history of this (not so prestigious) award.  There was no shortage of candidates this week.  I mean the Gunslinger had a great game, but was it really a Gunslinger game?  After much thought the third Travis Frey's Gunslinger Award goes to:

Brady Quinn, Quarterback Cleveland Browns

-and-

Matthew Stafford, Quarterback Detriot Lions

I had to do it.  I mean these two guys played each other this week in what was the game of the week.  And both of these guys had Gunslinger moments.  Brady Quinn (my hero while he was in college) had the whole "stickin' it to the haters" angle with his performance.  He had over 300 yards and 4 touchdowns.  He had his team in great position to win, up by 6 with 8 seconds to go.  Often criticized for not being able to perform very well (unfairly considering he has only had a few more NFL starts than I have) but he came up big.

However, Matty "Ice" Stafford had an ultimate Gunslinger moment with that pass to the endzone as time expired to draw the pass interference call. That set up the game winning 1 yard touchdown pass, his 5th of the day by the way.  He also had over 400 yards.  For a kid who grew up idolizing Brett Favre, he sure looked like him out there on Sunday.  I mean that bomb to the endzone was a thing of beauty, scrambling around finding a way to make the play.  Also, props on coming in to throw the game winner despite being hurt.  (By the way enjoy this Stafford because this stunt will cause me to catch a lot of flak from my Florida Gators fan wife)

I couldn't decide who was more Gunslinger-y since both QB's had Gunslinger angles, Quinn with the "stick it world" angle and Stafford with the "No matter what we're still in the game because he's our QB" angle.  So I decided on Co-Gunslingers. 

On Thursday I will preview Vikings vs. Bears.  That will be a huge game for the Vikings.  If we can win we will eliminate the Bears from contention.  I will also get the pleasure of watching Jared Allen introduce himself to Jay Cutler (my gold standard in sports-hate this year). 

Well until then remember kids, take your vitamins.

Skol Vikings