Discussion of league’s best should include the Vikings. Matt Bowen
Did we forget about the Vikings?
APChilly's Vikings are now 9-1.
Since Minnesota put away the Packers for the second time in 2009 during Brett Favre’s return to Lambeau Field almost four weeks ago, the NFL has shifted its attention to other stories, other headlines and the wild-card races.
After the win over Green Bay, the Vikings faded away from the front page with a bye week and two blowout home wins over the rebuilding Lions and the mess that has become the Seattle Seahawks in year one under Jim Mora, Jr.
But, starting tomorrow up in the Dome—or Mall of America Field—the Vikings start a stretch of schedule that will determine if they can get that No.1 seed in the playoffs, which from my perspective, could make them almost unbeatable in January.
Here is a look at Minnesota’s last six games…
11/29 vs. Chicago (4-6)
12/6 @ Arizona (7-3)
12/13 vs. Cincinnati (7-3)
12/20 @ Carolina (4-6)
12/28 @ Chicago (4-6)
1/3 vs. NY Giants (6-5)
This is a tougher stretch than we might think, due to going on the road to ‘Zona, hosting Mike Zimmer and his Cincinnati defense in the middle of December, and—despite Jay Cutler leading the NFL in interceptions—two games against Chicago, with the first taking place tomorrow in Minneapolis. Plus, divisional matchups are always tough due to the familiarity of common opponents.
But, even in looking at the Vikings’ schedule, it is hard not to admit that Minnesota could very easily win all six because, bottom line, Minnesota is a better football team than anyone on that list.
APFavre's numbers have been outstanding this season.
And I have a hard time arguing with that right now—especially with the effect Favre has had on this entire offense.
Favre has thrown 21 TDs this season compared to only 3 INTs with a huge QB rating of 112.1. But, besides those numbers—which are MVP-type numbers when you add in the team’s 9-1 record—Favre has made this offense so much more complete and so much more non-dependent on a breakout Adrian Peterson game each Sunday.
Sidney Rice, who was just another receiver in ‘08, has taken the place of Bernard Berrian as the No.1 receiver in Minneapolis. He has 50 receptions for 875 yards and 4 TDs. Even more impressive is that Rice is averaging over 17 yards a catch—something that is a direct reflection of Favre having the confidence in Rice to throw the ball down the field when he sees man coverage. And Rice has been productive because of it, going up and getting the ball. The TE position, one of Favre’s favorites in the red zone, has made huge strides. Visanthe Shiancoe already has seven TD catches. Rookie WR Percy Harvin—who is on the fast track to the Offensive Rookie of the Year award—is a weapon in the kicking game, but has also matured over the first 10 games for the Vikings. He provides major matchup issues for the defenses when he aligns inside the numbers, and is averaging almost 14 yards a catch.
And there is still Peterson, who we didn’t forget, but have come to realize that although he may be the top running back in the league—depending on who you talk to when discussing the Titans’ Chris Johnson—doesn’t have to be the centerpiece of the offense because of the weapons that Favre has developed on the outside. But, as we all know, over the last six weeks and into the postseason, A.P. will be the key to the Vikings’ ability to score touchdowns in the red zone and give Favre manageable down and distance situations to work with.
Plus, A.P. is a threat to score any time he touches the ball.
APDespite Winfield's injury, the Vikings defense has been cruising.
And, just like this Vikings team that is flying under the radar of sorts on this holiday weekend, the Minnesota defense—which may not be as dominant as it was in ’08—is still a reason that we look at this club as a Super Bowl contender. The defense is third in the NFL against the rush—giving up just over 85 yards a game—and with Antoine Winfield coming back from injury, the secondary can start making some more plays on the football to go along with one of the nastiest defensive lines in the entire league.
But can they be beat? Sure, just as we saw when they went to Pittsburgh, on the road and outside of the Dome, turnovers did them in. And that’s just it—they can be beat, but they aren’t giving us any reason to believe that they will be beat.
And, as we start to see the playoffs unfold into December, it is time to give serious thought to the Vikings as not only one of the favorites along with New Orleans to win the NFC, but to also win down in Miami.
Yes, we talk about the Saints, the Colts and the Patriots when it comes to the best teams in the NFL, with the Vikings always seeming to be on the outside looking in.
But, when you start to stack up the best teams after nearly three months of NFL action, I would have a hard time arguing against the fact that the Vikings could beat all three.
And we’ll get to see it all happen and unfold in the season’s final month.
Follow me on Twitter: MattBowen41
Check out the Minnesota Vikings Team Page at the NFP.
i hate brett favre, who cares
The real risk for the Vikings is that they have to play 6 more games with a 40 year old QB. They were leading the AFC East last year until Favre's injury caused them to slide.
At this point the main question in the NFC is whether the championship game will be played in NO or Minneapolis.
Dan D-
You are the typical Vikings fan. Have fun getting pounded by the Saints in the playoffs and have fun with Chilly as your coach for the next five years of average football.
Oh, and Matt played seven seasons in the league. How many tackles did you have at the JV level? If that is bad career, where can I sign up?
First of all, let me make it clear that I am NOT the Dan from above... what a dork!
Okay, with that out of the way...
I can't stand Favre at this point, but I've got to admit, the guy is amazing. Anybody who says that he's been over-hyped needs to look again at his numbers that Matt reported: 21 TDs vs. 3 picks. 3 PICKS!!! ...for Brett Favre?!?!? What has gotten INTO this guy?! He's 40 years old!! I can't stop using exclamation points!!
As a Packer fan, I keep expecting "4 interception Brett" to show up like he always has in the past, but the Vike fans keep getting dose after dose of nothing but "4 touchdown Brett" week after week. Even when he throws for less than that, it's only because he's staying disciplined and working within the game plan. ...it's, just... it's unprecidented in his career. He has NEVER played as well as he is now. ...never. And I watched him from the start. I remember the day when I just about spit my Rice Krispies because I read the small type announcement in the Milwaukee Journal's "transactions" paragraph indicating that our new GM had traded a 1st round draft pick for the guy who threw 2 INTs in 4 attempts in one game for the Falcons. I've seen Brett the whole way, and he has NEVER been this good.
And, btw, homefield throughout the playoffs doesn't even matter as much as Matt's saying. If the Vikes don't get it, the Saints will. And, if anything, that would probably be even better for Brett, since the Superdome is practically homefield advantage for him. But, either way, he's in a dome, and then the Superbowl is being played in sunny Miami, where the cold that undid Brett in Lambeau in '07 and the Meadowlands in '08 won't be an issue... Shoot! We Packer fans have got to start bracing ourselves for the unthinkable.
And if you think I'm only saying all this as a clever plot to try and reverse jinx the Vikings, well... you're absolutely right.
But still... frickin' Brett... My dream of seeing the Vikings move to LA was THIS || close, and stupid Wrangler man has to come along and give them legitimate title hopes... (sigh!)
The Vikings are a great football team. They are just as balanced as the Saints on offense, but have a slightly better defense. I am full of hope that we won't be deprived of a Saints/Vikings NFC championship, because that game has a chance to be a classic.
If it were Vikes/Saints though, I'd have to believe that the home team would win out in either scenario, which points out how huge the next six games are for both teams. Man I love late season football.
Northwoods Tom-
Typical Favre hater...can't give a 40 year old QB...let me repeat, A 40-YEAR OLD QB, credit for playing the 1st 10 games of the season at an MVP level and has his team 9-1. So Northwoods-Tom, what are you and all the other Favre haters gonna do when his stats are still there at the end of the season, and so is the dominant win/loss record?
So you go ahead and 'sign up' for a career that defines mediocrity. Me, I prefer one who's still getting better after 19 years, and was never afraid to take a chance to win it all...and more often than not, did. Oh yeah, and one who also doesn't end up writing about former players with such a transparent mask of jealousy.
PS...Do you have ALL of Matt's football cards or just his rookie card? Perhaps if you use chapstick next time when kissing Matt's butt, he'll even autograph one of those cards for ya...
@Dan D-
Hey man, wake up on the wrong side of the bed? Never understood why a fan would flip over a writer hyping their team up, but that comes off as a nervous fan--one who is really hoping that the wheels don't come off of the Vikings train.
Which they will. Wouldn't be shocked too see Favre throw a couple of picks today against Chicago. It aint going to last bud.
Dan, how is the writer showing jealousy by saying that Favre has "MVP" numbers? You lost me there. Sounds like you are the jealous one dude. Go back to writing on your Dungeons and Dragons blog. Leave the football to us.
Bear pull the upset today? Cutler knows the Tampa 2 defense and should have his best game of the season.
dan d is a typical viking tool. no class when the vikes are on top, which is rare, and no where to be seen when they aren't, which is often. enjoy the one-year joy ride.
Don't see it happening, Da Coach. Cutler will probably put up some good numbers, but it will be because his team is in catchup mode all day. I don't see the Bears defense even slowing down the Vikes today. This is a do or die game for the Bears, but their D is just overmatched against Minnesota's offensive firepower.
I just laugh when I read about the Viking fans calling everyone Favre haters, What the hell where you guys the last 16 years ? Now all of a sudden he's the second coming? Packer fans have EVERY right to hate> All they did was unconditionally love him while he became the NFL all time leader in interceptions, usually throwing them at the worst times. They still loved him, and all he did was take a crap in their front lawn while flipping them his middle finger. He may go down as a great QB, and NO ONE will deny him that..great person though? Nope..maybe the NFL's all time biggest asshole, but then again, he's a Viking now, so along with their front runner fans, that's par for the course. But lay off the Packer fans, yeah Favre gave them his all and yada yada yda, but they put up a lot with his crap too, and this was the final insult. No fan base-except maybe the Viking fans for all their talk-deserves to have happened to them what Favre did to Green Bay. I'm a life-long Bear fans,but I can tell you there is no greater fan base (other than US) than the Green Bay fans. I remember the 80's when they were suck ville, and the Bears were rocking, those people just went..and I can assure you , they NEVER had to worry about a blackout, unlike some teams that can't even sell out a play off game. Packer fans take heart though, at least you can say if it wasn't for the Packer icon, the Vikes would be what they really are -nothing. And as soon as he leaves they will be again the team no one gives a shit about.
Always fun reading the comments from Vikes fans vs. Packer fans and vice versa. As a Giants fan most of my friends would probably side with the train (no pun intended..) of thought that the Packers were short sighted in letting Favre go - no matter how it all went down. Rogers seems okay but so far only on the stat side - no real big wins to put on his shouldders. Favre still wins games and at the end of the day that's all that matters. It's still incredible to most Giant fans that Favre's pick is blamed for the NFC Championship loss in 2007. That loss was due primarily because Plaxico was superior to Harris and Harris never got any help. The other big difference was that the Packer D-Line sucked and couldn't get any consistent pressure on Elli. Everyone also forgets that if your cornerback had just fell on a fumble rather than trying to pick it up and run the game was essentially over and Green Bay was moving on. But destiny is destiny and the Giants were not to be denied. NFP is a pretty good site but anyone who reads this site regularly and is being honest about it has to admit that its writers have shown an obvious bias against Favre. But accusing the NFP writers of being jealous of Favre is a bit of a stretch. Enjoy the games!
Too bad Favre haters, another All-Pro performance. Vikes are 10-1 and Favre, at 40, is still the best player in the league.
M-V-P! M-V-P! M-V-P!
Stop lumping all Vikings fans into the "Dan D." category. Thankfully, very few fans of any team are as ignorant as he is.
This Vikings fan has been impressed with Brett Favre and his performance on what was already a playoff-caliber team before he arrived. But, the level they have gone too - the offensive prowess - has to be a direct reflection of Favre. Being a Niners fan, and then a Vikings fan after moving to Minny, I never was a Favre fan. And, I always thought he was maybe a bit overrated... big arm but lots of interceptions (kind of like Jay Cutler but with the ability to win the close games) - fun to watch, but not the sort of QB that wins championships.
Boy, was I wrong. I've had to reframe my thoughts about Favre - and about the last two decades of Packer teams for that matter. The way I see it now, Favre was (and is) the real deal. The Packer teams he was playing on were what was overrated. For most of his career, Favre has been making mediocre Packer teams good. (Heck, the Packers first year after Brett is a good indicator that he was the reason they shone. Though this year, the Pack's changes to their D are helping them get better.) And now Favre is making a good Vikings team great. Looking at the way this year's Vikings have played in their first 11 games, I think Favre was telling the truth when he said that they are the best team he has been on.
Now, I'm not drinking the Purple champagne just yet. I am well aware that there are five or six teams with strong Super Bowl potential and a handful of sleepers. And any team is just one injury away from disaster. "Any given Sunday" is what I love so much about football. But, I like Minny's chances alot more now that we have Favre.
If the Vikings do win the Super Bowl, should the Wilf's send "thank you" cards to TT and MM? =D
YES, the Wilfs should not only send thank you cards to TT and MM, but also to Roger Goodell and the NFL for not taking tampering charges against the Vikings seriously. They should thank the Jets too , for releasing favre after his agent harassed them so bad to do so so he could "go back and retire a Green Bay Packer...' which he was quoted as saying. When you have people like Favre around, it's hard to explain to your kids why lying is such a bad thing, all He's proved is that by lying and manipulating the system a person can get what he wants. So once again I say, Yes-Favre will probably be one of the greatest football players ever, as far as a man..NO, biggest liar in the history of sports.
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Nov 28, 2009
07:35 PM
Nice job, Matt. Way to 'get out in front' of this story. Afraid that you might have to actually compliment Favre instead of trashing him, since the Colts and Saints have a great chance of finally losing this weekend? You're such a football genius. It's probably why you had such a long and illustrious career...
The only people that 'forgot' about Favre and the Vikings are the same ones who have been ripping Favre for 3+ years saying he doesn't have it anymore. Well, he proved you guys wrong in '07, in '08 before the injury and low and behold, again in '09. Like I said, way to be out in front on this one, Matt.