Week 1 in the NFL has a way of proving the point that things are never quite as good or bad as the media says it is when everybody is 0-0.
In 2 hours, 49 minutes Monday night, the 49ers went from decimated to dominant. The Vikings went from darlings to doormats. Norv, Teddy and Adrian went from Big Three to Larry, Curly and Moe.
Or so it will be told until the NFL shakes its snow globe again to see where its 32 teams will settle a week from now.
Fortunately for the Vikings, history tells us that Week 1 doesn't always serve as a lasting harbinger in a league that's neither marathon, nor sprint, but rather 16 days of Duck, Duck, Goose.
In 2001, St. Paul native, Heisman Trophy winner and then-rookie quarterback Chris Weinke led the Panthers to a big 24-13 upset of the Vikings at the Metrodome.
"I felt more nerves before a lot of college games than I did this one," Weinke said that day.
Weinke and the Panthers finished the year 1-15.
The best Week 1 mirage, perhaps in NFL history, came in 2003 when the Patriots lost to the Bills 31-0. This was a delightful experience for former Pats and then-current Bills Drew Bledsoe and Lawyer Milloy. Especially Milloy, who had been released by Bill Belichick days before the regular season.