Favre and The Schism Head to The Windy City

Hey gang, I am back!  Sorry I missed the recap of the Carolina Panthers game.  Just had a busy week, lots of work and other family things.  In case you wanted a quick recap of what transpired here's what happened, the Vikings got absolutely manhandled.  It was their worst game of the season, even worse than the stinker out west.  This was an absolute embarrassment.  Pathetic really.

So lets hope that none of our playoff games are on "Sunday Night Football," gosh if I will have nightmares of Faith Hill singing that song.  Luckily we play on Monday Night Football this week and we are 1-0 this year on Monday Nights. 

Oh and remind me to never, and I mean NEVER mock a player we are playing that week in my article again.  I openly mocked Julius Peppers and asked where he has been this year, well he answered.  Over. and. over. again.  I could only half watch the game at work but every time I looked up either one of three things were happening: A)The Panthers were on offense B)the Vikings were punting or C)Julius Peppers was hitting Brett Favre.  Peppers abused Bryant McKinnie like a red headed step child.

It got so bad Brad Childress considered pulling Favre to "protect him."  Thus leading to "Schism-gate 2.0 Back with a Vengeance."  Favre and Chilly had a little spat on the sideline.  Obviously, Favre didn't want to come out of the game, after all at that juncture we were winning 7-6.  I mean really Chilly, really?  You of all people want to bench Favre in a close game?  Wasn't this the same coach that drove Favre from the airport because he was just oh so giddy to have him in Minnesota?

Now he wants to bench him and embarass him on national TV?  I don't blame Favre for being upset.  I mean we wouldn't have 11 wins without Brett Favre.  We brought him in here to win us a Super Bowl.  As a 19 year veteran and a future first ballot Hall of Fame'r he deserves the opportunity to finish any game he wants.  Sure he wasn't lighting the world on fire but the man had about zero help out there.  Receivers were dropping catches, Sidney Rice shoot the whole team in the foot with a crucial fumble, AP wasn't getting enough touches, AP was dropping balls, and the offensive line was offensive.  Favre had no time to make reads back there.

Also, apparently Chilly isn't too familiar with Brett Favre.  A lot of times some of Favre's worst games turn into golden moments.  Who's to say that Favre wouldn't have caught fire late in the fourth quarter and led us to a dramatic victory?  Well that didn't happen because our defense was gassed from being on the field for 40 minutes so they had a let down in the fourth quarter, were a 1 point lead by us turned into a 19 point route for the Panthers.

But that's neither here nor there.  We are moving on, moving along quickly at that.  This week we play the Bears at Soldier Field.  The Bears are playing for pride, what's left of it anyways.  Three weeks ago I would tell you this game is a slam dunk, even if it was a cold December night in Chicago.

Now, well now I am a bit down on our beloved Vikings.  I think we can, and should win.  Although this could be a close game, after all it is a divisional game, our last one on the season.  After watching Matt Moore turn into Peyton Manning against our defense I can only imagine what Jay Cutler could do.  Really the Bears are limited on offense.  They have Matt Forte who could break out or something.  Their receiving core is perhaps the worst in the whole league, and their offensive line makes our's look fantastic.

On defense they are banged up and have been torched repeatedly this year.  Their coach is a "dead man walking" just waiting to get fired.  So hypothetically we should win this game right?  We are better on offense, defense, and special teams.  Well were better on offense, defense, and special teams than the Cardinals and Panthers and well that didn't turn out quite so well.

Look, I am not selling all of my Vikings stock.  We are 11-3 after all and still in line to win the second seed in the playoffs.  I still think we are a more complete team than the Saints and well the SAINTS FINALLY LOST!! WOOHOO!  *High fives all around*  Our long national nightmare is over finally.  Sadly the Vikings squandered a golden opportunity and will not win the number one seed.

Anyways the Vikings are still the most complete team in the NFL.  Every season has some drama and adversity.  A successful season hinges not on avoid adversity and drama, that is inevitable, a successful season hinges on how you come out of your adversity and drama.  There are two natural human reactions when faced adversity: fight or flight.  Are the Vikings going to continue to fight and come out of this adversity a better team for it?  Or are we going to wilt like a wet paper towel and bow out early in the postseason?

The Vikings for their part are saying all the right things.  Chilly and Favre have appeared to patch things up and the Vikings seem to be focused on the task at hand which is a good thing.  The lover's quarrel between Chilly and Favre doesn't appear to have effect the whole team.  And I think Favre's willingness to fight Chilly and stay on the field with his brothers in arms earned him a lot of respect.  He's here to win a Super Bowl, he's said that from day one and he's proving it with his actions on and off the field.  Favre is a man on a mission and sometimes he needs to kick Chilly out of his way.

On a positive note, Percy Harvin went to the Mayo Clinic and put him on a dietary regiment and gave him some medicine for his reoccurring migraines.  Hopefully he can be back on track and fully focused on causing other teams migraines.  Harvin, though a rookie, may be our most important player in this stretch run.  He's the question that opposing defenses have no answer to.  I call him the Droid, because in a world that doesn't, Droid does.  He does everything and cannot be stopped.

So at least there is some good news this week.  This is torture for us Vikes fans, I hope you other fans of other teams realize this.  I mean it's like reliving every painful memory from the past all over again.  We have to wait with baited breath for the other shoe to drop every year.  I mean this year I loved watching ESPN because of how everyone just loved us.  Two of the last three weeks I have gone back to my typical avoid ESPN at all costs routine.  I mean I didn't watch anything on ESPN until yesterday, I avoided all sports news like the plague.  I mean it's killing me.  I opted to watch the Home Shopping Network instead.  I meant that's what my life has come to.  That's why my least favorite team happens to be my favorite team.  Because of what they do to me!

(On a side note I have watched HSN so often now that hthis handmade Amish fireplace they are trying to push on me is looking appealing.  It's like "no you're right sales guy, I don't think I can get my house to 198 degrees.  I mean what if one day the sun goes away and we all need heat, I am going to need my house at 198 degrees."  But I digress)

I didn't get a chance to hand out my Gunslinger award this week.  I was going to call it off this week and leave it blank in mourning for my Vikings.  However I decided to give it the Gunslinger Brett Favre, the Godfather himself.  I mean seriously he bucks authority and went out and played and tried to help his team.  That's a gunslinger, never back down river boat gambler, kid on the playground havin' fun, I wear because they're comfortable style.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy Holidays.  I will be at the in-laws (pray for me) for the weekend.  I will be back Tuesday or Wednesday to recap the Bears game.  Hopefully I will be able to talk about a solid Vikings win.  Stay safe everyone and don't drink too much eggnog.

Skol Vikings.