Vikings Earn Chance to Redeem Themselves On SNF

Well the Minnesota Vikings are playing a road game on Sunday Night Football (and again I will be working so I won't be able to watch it again) against a team we beat last year.  Sound familiar?  If it does, it should.  This story happened two weeks ago, only this time Vikings fans hope for a different ending.  Two weeks ago on "Football Night in America" the Arizona Cardinals flat out embarrassed us.  They out played us in every facet of the game.

Last week those same Vikings destroyed a play off bound Bengals team, and those same Cardinals got embarrassed by San Fran.  So who knows what to make that game in the desert.  This week we go to Carolina to play the Panthers.  At 5-8 the playoffs are out of question for a team that went 12-4 last year.  They are being forced to play their back up QB Matt Moore, I think that's his name anyways.  Jake Delhomme...well poor Jake has tanked this year.  With a win the Vikings can finally clinch the division, and if the Eagles lose we will clinch a first round bye in the playoffs.  So we still have something to fight for here.

The Panthers are playing for pride at this point, with that said they are still a talented team and this game has scared me all year long for some reason.  I mean in theory their strength (running the ball, basically the only thing they can do on offense) is our greatest defensive strength.  So you would think they wouldn't cause much fear but for some reason I just can't shake this team.

On offense they have a great running back tandem in DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart.  Although Stewart is apparently a little dinged up and may not be able to go in this one.  They also have one of the more talented receivers in the game in (the original) Steve Smith.  The same guy who absolutely torched us in 2005.  I think Fred Smoot still wakes up screaming in the middle of the night from nightmares of that game.  That was probably Smoot's worst day of his whole life.

On defense the Panthers have a few good pieces in Chris Gamble and Julius Peppers.  Peppers used to be known as "the Freak" and used to claim he could run a 4.4 40 time.  In the past couple of years I swear he's gone missing.  I haven't heard anything from him.  I mean I don't believe anyone filed a missing persons report but Peppers hasn't done anything of note in a few years.  I guess Jared Allen didn't get the memo that Julius Peppers is missing because he went on record this week raving about what a great player Peppers is.

Overall though the Panthers defense which was once fearsome is mostly middle of the road.  They are a tough team though, especially at home.  Also, it could be cold and rainy and well we have all heard ad nauseaum that Brett Favre struggles in the cold and poor weather.  Perhaps this game it would be best to continue with the trend of last week and run AP a lot.  Perhaps even throw in a few carries for Chester.

One thing I am worried about Percy Harvin.  These must be some wicked migraines because he's still not practicing.  I feel bad for him, it must kill him to not be out there helping his team.  The kid is a baller and I know he would be out there if could, I do not question his toughness.  Thank heavens we don't have Hines Ward on our team to question his toughness.  We seem to struggle on third down without Harvin.  Percy seems to be Brett Favre's security blanket on third down.

I do want to see a lot of short routes and a lot of running in this game.  Grind this win out, and don't risk a lot of turnovers.  Maybe, just maybe if we get the ball to Bernard Berrian he might have a big game or something this year.  Has he ever had a big game?  Seriously, we pay him loads of money, for what?  He's mostly an afterthought on the offense and is clearly similar to Samuel L. Jackson's character in the movie Unbreakable. 

On defense we need to shut down the running game.  Do that and force the Panthers back up QB to make a lot of throws.  Hopefully our defensive line can apply steady and constant pressure on Mr. Moore.

One thing I need to get off my chest, is anyone else rooting against the Saints and Colts going undefeated?  Please, tell me I am not the only one in America rooting against this.  I mean please, Peyton Manning is overhyped as it is, now everywhere I turn I see him and Drew Brees.  Aren't we all sick of hearing about it every....single....freaking...day of our lives!?  I mean since like week two we have been talking about it!  Does anyone else tire of the annual Mercury Morris embarrassment?  Who cares what Morris thinks about anything?  Why do people still continue to call on him?  I mean once a team gets to 6-0 there he pops up telling Scott Van Pelt that the 1972 Dolphins are the best team ever and this current team is not in his "neighborhood" or whatever.

Newsflash Mercury, the Saints, Colts, and any number of teams in the NFL could probably take your precious '72 Dolphins to the woodshed.  It's so easy for him to sit here 37 years later and brag about his team but the truth is they are not the best team of all time.  I would take any of those Steelers teams from the 1970s, the 49ers teams in the 80s, or even the Cowboy teams in the 90s over that 72 team.  Truth be told the 2007 New England Patriots are way better than the 1972 Dolphins.  It's not their fault it's just the game is faster, stronger and overall better than it was almost 40 years ago.  The offenses are smarter and so are the defenses.

But I digress back to the point.  ESPN, please stop talking about the Saints and the Colts.  I have grown to hate these teams with the fiery passion of 10,000 suns.  It'd be one thing if this hysteria just started, but it's been going on for over two months now!  So please, for the sake of all us, Cowboys, please beat the Saints.  I mean I think I can handle one undefeated team, I went through 2007, but two is just ridiculous.

Also I think it would make me smile if the Steelers could beat the Packers.  They are getting a little too full of themselves over there in Green Bay, Wisconsin.  I agree (for once) with Colin Cowherd when he said the Packers felt like "fools gold."  The highlight of my week was watching him throw a Packer helmet in a trash can.

So right now what I want for Christmas is a Vikings win in primetime, a Packers loss, and a Saints loss.  With that I'd be pretty happy.

So I leave you with this thought, if the Vikings win on Sunday it will mark our most wins in a season since 1998.  It is also our first season with at least 11 wins since 2000.  Vikings fans now those seasons well.  Hopefully this year can turn out different than those two.

I will be back around Tuesday-ish to recap the Vikings game.  I will give out my Offensive and Defensive Players of the Game, my Gunslinger, and Randy Moss awards.  Until then, be easy and as always:

Skol Vikings