Jared Allen had a couple of opportunities to show off his calf-roping technique to the Metrodome audience Sunday. This came after he forced a fumble with a second-quarter sack and then had another sack with 92 seconds remaining to take away Houston's last gasp.
Allen was asked after the Vikings' 28-21 victory if his postsack pantomime of roping a calf has received NFL approval.
"Nah ... this is America," he said. "What kind of a country would this be if you can't tie up a calf?"
The acquisition and signing of Allen before the April draft had triggered a degree of optimism for the Vikings that had been missing for several seasons.
They had Adrian Peterson to lead the league's best rushing game, and they had Allen, the league's best pass rusher, to further invigorate the defense. This brought the giddiness back to Mankato this summer when the Vikings assembled for training camp.
And then came the regular season: two months of uninspired play that left the Vikings at 3-4. It was so disappointing that, for a few hours last week, it looked as though the Twin Cities' primary football focus could be shifting to the Gophers.
And then came the weekend: On Saturday, the Gophers looked at opportunity and flinched, as had been the case so often with their predecessors.
Sunday, the Vikings messed around long enough in the third quarter to put Houston back in the game, and then they turned loose the superstars -- Allen and Peterson -- and the customers were in a fine mood as they left the Dome.