The scoreboard may say one thing, but the Minnesota Vikings' 30-12 win over the disappointing Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday did little to show me they are serious NFC playoff contenders by beating an underachieving team while giving up nearly 300 yards in the air.

Outgained 286-104 off the QB's arm, Minnesota dominated the ground game 122-35. However, the biggest stat, besides the score board, was the turnover margin, 5-1 in favor of the Purple. Again, the defense kept Minnesota in the game and helped them to their largest victory of the season. Outside of an intentional safety in the fourth quarter, a second-half shutout at a 2008 playoff team's stadium is hard to come by.

But I'm not sold at the QB position. I was happy when Childress when to Gus, knowing what he has done as a backup before. But I believe some future Hall-of-Famer named Randy something was on the team. Gus is 6-3 as the starter but hasn't done anything to win the game for the Vikings. It seems Minnesota wins in spite of who is at the helm. Chester Taylor is the only Viking to have more TD passes than interceptions this year (1-0, while Gus is 11-12 and TJ is 1-1).

Continue reading "Vikings still haven't wow-ed me in road win against 4-7 Jags."

The Vikings can bless the Saints for their work this season.

On Monday Night Football two months ago, somehow the Saints managed to blow a game to the 1-3 Vikings 30-27. the win was the start of Minnesota's current 5-2 run. Back on MNF, the Saints helped the Vikings again by downing the Packers 51-29 to get above .500 at 6-5 and are back to within two games of NFC South leaders Carolina and Tamba Bay (8-3).

The Pack fell to 5-6, one game behind Both the Vikings and the Bears in the NFC North. With teams like Dallas (7-4), Washington (7-4), Atlanta (7-4), and the aforementioned two-way tie at 8-3 between the Panthers and the Buccaneers, it looks like the North won't have a wild card team. Throw in the fact that the Bears and Vikings play this week and the Bears and the Pack play in Chicago in week 16, the way to the playoffs is through a division title.

Continue reading "Bi-Polar Saints crush Green Bay, Help Vikings Again"

So it might not come down to this, but the Vikings (6-5 overall, 2-2 in the division) need to win on Sunday Night Football this weekend against the Bears (6-5, 3-1) to win the NFC North.

Yes, if they lose they will be a game back with four games to go; however, we would have lost both games to Da Bears and lose any tie-breaker, essentially being two games back with four to go. Throw in the fact that the Packer face a Carolina team that can be beat and the Vikings could fall to third in the division quickly (fortunately they can't drop to fourth--thank you Detroit). Green Bay is 3-1 in the divison, 5-6 overall.

You may recall the Viks lost 48-41 in Chicago earlier this season with a late Gus interception sealing the deal. Since that loss, the Vikings are 3-1, the only loss coming to 8-3 Tampa Bay. After a so-so, road win against a struggling team in Jacksonville, the Vikings are a three-point favorite (depending on what online betting site you use). This is a pretty accurate spread, considering Vikings wins in the division have been by two and one points while losses have come by seven and five.

Continue reading "Ball control key in Chicago/Minnesota game for lead in NFC North"