The doom and gloomers were out in full force for the past 7 days. Had the Vikings been exposed as frauds? I don't know if I've ever seen more angst over a 10-2 football team. To be sure, there were some things to worry about. Injuries, potential Favre swoon, Adrian's recent lack of production, etc. I admit I was more nervous than usual about this one. And after a late night on the town Saturday, I hoped that the Vikes could help ease some of the pounding in my head (by the way, gentlemen, when you're wife/significant other asks you why you got home at 3 a.m. when the bars close at 2, there may be a few acceptable answers. I won't divulge the answer I gave. I can tell you it was both honest and not on the acceptable list. Let's just say that there are some places that do not close at 2 a.m. and leave it at that).
The Bengals have been one of the best stories in the NFL this year. They have been a sentimental favorite of mine after delivering one of the coolest locker room moments ever. Just a few days after the tragic death of his wife, defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer was given the game ball after an emotional victory over the Baltimore Ravens. (In case you haven't seen it, here's the link. The locker room scene begins about 20 seconds in. Must have been a little dusty in the old Glynn residence the first time I saw that). They are a virtual cinch to win the AFC North after sweeping through the entire division. A solid defense has somewhat made up for the fact that they are offensively challenged. What concerned me most about them was their secondary. If Favre played like he did against the Cards, the Vikings were gonna be in for a long day.
We all know how the game turned out and that many of our fears were proven ridiculous. Today felt almost identical to the 3-game homestand last month. Build a comfortable lead and basically coast through the rest of the game. Some of the positives:
- I have to give credit where it's due - the coaches made some nice adjustments following the AZ game. I really liked how they pounded Adrian between the tackles rather than using all those stretch plays.
- AD just looked fresher today. He was back to making people miss and seemed to have a "burst" that hadn't been there the past couple weeks. And to think, some idiot blogged about how he has not been the best RB in football just a couple weeks ago. Which he hasn't ;-)
- The rookies, Jasper Brinkley and Jamarca Sanford, looked pretty solid. While the Bengals offense isn't exactly the greatest show on turf, both made some noticeably positive plays. I actually think Sanford looks better than Tyrell Johnson (hey - faint praise is better than none at all).
- Antoine Winfield! Man, A-Dub just picked up right where he left off. If he stays healthy, I feel a whole lot better about the defense going into the playoffs.
- Ocho-Stinko may have scored, but he didn't exactly light it up. I have to admit, I was a little disappointed there was no celebration after the TD. He did help me come up with a nickname for my wife's handbag, which I sunk significant cash into. It shall now be referred to as Coach-O Sink-O.
- After a rough morning, the fog in my rather ample cranium began to lift around the end of the 1st quarter.
In my opinion, the key takeaways from today's game were that the Arizona game was a blip and either the Bengals aren't as good as their record, or the Vikings are just really good. I think it's probably a combination of both. I find it hard to believe the Bengals will make a serious run. They don't have any real threats in the passing game other than Stinko, and he's more of a possession guy at this stage of his career. And today's NFL is a passing league. However, 9 wins is 9 wins. By the way, the Vikings may have had a relatively easy schedule, but they've also won 3 games over teams with 9 wins (Green Bay twice and Cincinnati). I don't think New Orleans' opponents have had 9 wins COMBINED. But I digress.
The Arizona game had planted a seed of doubt. Today's game washed it away. One more win for a division championship and possibly a 1st round bye. I'm not naive enough to think this is a flawless team. A proficient passing attack could exploit some weaknesses in the secondary. But as I mentioned above, having Winfield back is HUGE, not just because he's so good, but it also means the fill-ins can go back to roles more befitting of their skill sets.
I think it was Pat Williams who said "I'm not worried about anybody. They need to be worried about us". Or something like that. The Vikings can beat anyone, anytime, anywhere. Bring it on.
