Monday's football post

Packers – Vikings
So the Vikings are 3-0 and we are loving life. Except for me. I am thankful for the good start and it already sets the Vikings up well to make a second straight playoff appearance. But after three games I’m not finding myself – how can I put this? – pleasantly surprised by the Vikings play.

The defence has been good, but not as stifling as I was expecting. The offence has looked okay at times, but pretty sucktastic at others. The same goes for Brett Favre. And playing the Cleveland Browns and the Detroit Lions to stalemates for a half in the first two games doesn’t do much for ones confidence in their favourite team. Neither does requiring a miracle touchdown throw/catch to beat the Frank Gore-less San Francisco 49ers – although the Niners are looking like a better team than expected.

Maybe most fans feel this way all the time about the teams they cheer for. Or I could be just a whiny, glass-is-three-quarters-empty Vikings fan. We’re so used to being disappointed. So used to the Vikings underachieving (at least in our minds.) So used to lacking confidence in them to win when it really matters, that we have a tendency to downgrade everything they do – even when they start the season 3-0. Perhaps it’s part of our fan DNA. I’m willing to admit my emotions about this team right now juts might be some old fashioned Viking pessimism coming through.

But I really do fear – based on what I’ve seen in the first three games of the season – that the Vikings could be paper tigers and won’t be able to match up with the big boys when the time comes.

What do you think?

A bit about the game.
I won’t write about the Favre-faces-the-Packers angle here. You can get that anywhere. I’m also confident it’s not relevant to what will happen on the field. So let’s stick with what we know (or think we know) about these two teams as Monday night approaches.

– Aaron Rodgers and Packers passing game is pretty good.

– Green Bay’s new 3-4 defence is creating lots of turnovers.

– If Antwan Odom makes the Pro Bowl, he should take the entire Packers offensive line – all expenses paid – to the event with him.

– The Vikings offence is scoring a lot of points – fourth in the league at 29.3 per game – but has looked suspiciously 2006 and 2007-like in all three games.

– Adrian Peterson abuses the Packers.

– Brett Favre is Brett Favre. (Just kidding.)

Now mix all this up and what do you get? I’m not sure.

I’m having trouble selecting a winner in this game because I can’t figure out which team’s strengths and weaknesses tip the scales in favor of either the Vikings or the Packers.

For example, we know the Vikings have a good pass rush and Rodgers has been running for his life behind a bad offensive line. That should make life difficult for Rodgers – advantage Vikings. But who is confident the Vikings often pass protection challenged offensive line will do any better keeping the pocket clean for Favre against Dom Capers' blitz-heavy 3-4 scheme – one that’s sacked opposing quarterbacks seven times (one less than the Vikes defence has registered) AND has created nine turnovers?

For those that worry about Favre’s interception and Peterson’s fumbling tendencies, this game is scary. The best-case scenario for the Vikings is Peterson runs wild and Favre throws 25 times, max. Checkdowns by Favre when he’s passing will be preferable to risky throws – unless the Vikings get behind by a bunch.

I think this is a game where the Vikings need big contributions from Percy Harvin and Visanthe Shiancoe. At some point the Vikes offence will need to complete a few passes to move the ball and Bernard Berrian and Sidney Rice could have trouble getting open while being covered by Green Bay corners Charles Woodson and Al Harris. Favre will need someone else to throw to besides Chester Taylor.

Defensively, the Packers offence will test the Vikings in ways its previous three opponents couldn’t. Packers head coach Mike McCarthy does a good job mixing up formations and giving opponents different looks. Greg Jennings has emerged into a dangerous deep threat, Donald Driver is still effective and Ryan Grant has played well against the Vikings in the past, giving the Pack a running game. The Packers aren’t one-dimensional. It’s a tough assignment for the Vikings D.

One overlooked area in this game could be the return game. The Vikings lead the NFL in starting field position at the 35.5 yard line, but the Packers are ranked sixth (27.7 yard line.) A large reason for the Vikings vastly improved return game is Percy Harvin, who is leading the NFL in kickoff return average, and Darius Reynaud, who is second overall in punt return average.

The Vikings got nothing from their return men last year. This year they are getting lots. It’s giving their offence a shorter field to work with and requiring they convert fewer first downs to get into scoring position. This helps. Unfortunately, Reynaud probably won’t play. That hurts. And as I mentioned, the Packers return game is good, too. Expect some long returns in this one.

Anyway, my nerves would appreciate it if the Vikings blew out the Packers Monday night. I doubt that happens. This one will be close – they almost always are between these two teams. But my hunch is the Vikings defence will plays its best game so far, forcing a couple of key turnovers while Adrian Peterson and the rest of the offence does enough – to score enough – to win this one.

Vikings 30 Packers 20

Uniforms
Throwback uniforms – Yipeee!

Since the Vikings re-designed their uniforms in 2006 I’ve more tolerated them than liked them. At least they didn’t fuck with the logo on the helmet.

I’d wager if you polled Viking fans, the vast majority would say they want the Vikings to wear the throwbacks all the time. But why do I and other Viking fans like the throwbacks so much? Is it because they are so superior in design and look to the new ones? (As Marv Albert would say, “Yesssssssss!)

Or is it because seeing the Vikings wear them takes us back to a time when the Vikings were a perennial NFL powerhouse: a team to be feared, a team that made regular Super Bowl and NFC Championship game appearances? Does watching the Vikings play in throwbacks stir strong emotions in Viking fans about the good old days – even if we didn’t watch any of it and only read about it?

It’s probably a combination of those two.

Stadium talk
Zygi Wilf better hope the Vikings go 16-0 and win the Super Bowl if he wants to get this done.