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Monthly archive: December, 2012
Lessons Learned: In Football, The Football Itself Is The Great Equalizer
Super Bowl champions of years past all have one thing in common: They won more consecutive games in the postseason than each of their opponents.
Winning consecutive games requires consistency, production in all phases, discipline and passion. It also seems to require the ball bounces in their favor on a number of occasions.
When the best of the best engage in the January tournament, sometimes the difference in talent from team to team is so miniscule that the way the ball decides to bounce is all that separates the winners from the losers.
Before we commence with a week’s worth of speculation as to whether or not the Minnesota Vikings possess all of the qualities of a championship team I want to point out one thing that jumped out to me more than anything else on Sunday: After years of suffering, the ball finally bounced in our favor.
I am not intending to discount any of the accomplishments of any of our players or coaches here at all, and I am not trying to be negative in the slightest. Instead, I am simply relieved to see that, after years of it feeling like an uphill battle to win a football game, things actually can go our way.
A reception being called on the field and going unchallenged even though the ball clearly hit the ball. A batted pass that pops into the air and not only avoids being intercepted, but is caught by a Vikings player. A running back’s knee hitting the turf just a split second before the unsecured football slips from his grasp.
These are just a couple examples of what went right for the Vikings as they beat the Packers on Sunday, a game that most thought they had no business winning, but very easily could have been the difference between playoffs and no playoffs.
I sincerely hope that the solid play and the good fortune continue into January or maybe even September. But remember this: Do not let anyone tell you that the Vikings can’t go into Lambeau and get a victory next Saturday evening.
After all, sometimes all it takes is David Tyree’s helmet being in the right place at the right time to get you a very shiny trophy to hold up.
SKOL!
Playoff Game #1: Open Thread
Well, Brett and I are still trying to figure things out with our live chat problems (something other than, you know, parting with money), so we’re going to bank on having a playoff game to live chat during and provide you with an open thread for this “playoff” game.
Enjoy the game everyone. Stay calm, don’t overreact, don’t cuss, don’t throw things, don’t call for people to lose their jobs, and don’t hurt your back jumping up and down.
Oh, and do as I say, not as I do.
Week 17 Inactives
Well, this is it. The Vikings need to win to secure a ticket to the postseason, and here is who will not be on the field today:
VIKINGS: QB Bethel-Thompson, WR Burton, CB Burton, S Blanton, LB Cole, OL Kropog, and DE Reed.
This means that the Vikings will have both Brian Robison and Antoine Winfield at their disposal. Meanwhile, the Packers have put receiver Randall Cobb on the inactives list which is considerable news since he has been such a productive member of their offense this season.
Early Games Open Thread
Good afternoon, Vikings fans!
Unfortunately we have an extra long wait before we get to know the fate of our 2012 Vikings, but these early games give us plenty to cheer for.
Here is a new thread for the discussion that is sure to happen.
Links Of The Week: One Game Left, But It’s a Big One
Win and in. Do or Die. Bliss or Miss.
However you want to put it, this upcoming game against Green Bay is the most important of the 2012 season and the Vikings know it. There are plenty of storylines to follow here and what better way to get you 100% up to speed than with our weekly links segment.
Here goes:
- A win on Sunday would simply mean so many things.
- Even pessimists can’t help but notice progress when it comes to this rebuilding team.
- Christian Ponder’s biggest game is coming up soon, and it could be the one that shapes his future.
- Despite injuries, The Vikings are certain to have Adrian Peterson and Antoine Winfield on Sunday, while also hoping to get Brian Robison back.
- A complex rating system placed Everson Griffen as the second best defensive end in the NFL last week.
- It seems that it is only a matter of time before Leslie Frazier gets his contract extension.
- Even Green Bay players can’t help but cheer for Adrian Peterson just a little.
- Rumors of the Vikings going into the future with “retro” uniforms are sure to make plenty of fans a little happier.
- A little ditty for the upcoming matchup.
- Reactions from the four Pro Bowl honorees on this team.
- In love with this year’s team? Here’s your chance
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- John Sullivan not only got screwed out of a Pro Bowl nod, he lost half a million because of it.
- Chad Greenway, Matt Kalil, and John Sullivan are Pro Bowl alternates.
- Josh Robinson is one of many reasons the Vikings have exceeded expectations this season, and a reason to be excited about the future.
- Imagine all of the horrible things that might have happened if Peterson hadn’t agreed to a contract extension prior to his knee injury.
- Leslie Frazier isn’t going to pay attention to any games on Sunday other than the one being played in the Metrodome.
- Peterson seems confident that he will be the NFL’s MVP.
Four Will Represent Minnesota In Hawaii
Well, the increasingly irrelevant Pro Bowl voting process has concluded and the Vikings will be sending four players to this year’s “contest” in Hawaii.
Running back Adrian Peterson, fullback Jerome Felton, defensive end Jared Allen, and kick Blair Walsh have all been selected. Peterson was an obvious choice, it is nice to see Felton and Walsh get the recognition they deserve, and Allen isn’t necessarily undeserving this year but was certainly aided by his name value.
An absolute abomination is that recently benched center Jeff Saturday received the honor over Vikings center John Sullivan. In fact, the Vikings offensive line being snubbed all together despite Adrian Peterson’s historic season is kind of, well, wrong.
It could also be argued that Antoine Winfield and Chad Greenway’s absence just further proves how underrated they are in today’s NFL that undervalues the importance of plain, simple, sound tackling.
Congrats to our four guys, and we’ll keep you updated on who might drop out and who might be filling in as alternates. All of that, of course, assumes the Vikings aren’t playing in the Super Bowl which is not totally 100% impossible.
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