The adrenaline percolating through Winter Park was obvious Wednesday. It's the final week of the season, and the Vikings face a win-and-get-in home showdown against Green Bay this weekend. It's a game holding huge significance for a young team filled with players not used to being on this stage. Said fullback Jerome Felton: "In terms of importance and what's at stake, this game is No. 1 in my career. It's not even close. This one is so far No. 1, I don't even know what No. 2 is." Wait, there's more. Here's a trio of other things you should know:
1. If Sunday's showdown becomes a placekicking battle, the Vikings seem to hold a decisive advantage.
Rookie Blair Walsh has been so reliable all season that teammates admit they're occasionally forgetting to fully appreciate his leg strength. After all, Walsh has made 32 of 35 attempts this season, including all nine from 50 yards or longer.
Said quarterback Christian Ponder: "It's crazy. It's almost like at this point we're kind of taking it for granted. You're almost like, 'Ah, he'll make it.' And you go and sit down."
Sure, Vikings fans are well aware that a full season of kicking brilliance doesn't guarantee success in the biggest game of the season. (Insert your Gary Anderson trauma here.) But certainly the Vikings would rather have Walsh's confidence at full rather than have him dealing with a mental funk similar to the one Green Bay's Mason Crosby is in.
Crosby has missed a dozen kicks this season and is just 1-for-8 from beyond 50 yards. He has missed at least one field goal in nine of the Packers' past 11 games, and his ongoing struggles could easily become a trap door for a Super Bowl-caliber team.
Still, the Packers have opted for patience over panic. Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy said he weighs Crosby's slump with a full view of the kicker's talent, commitment level and performance over the long term.
"At the end of the day, we feel he's our best option," McCarthy said. "We believe in him. ... It's like anything. It's a mental approach. It's him staying confident in his swing mechanics."