A quick look at the schedule tells me that the Vikings will go 12-4 this season and win the North division.
But as is always the case with the Vikings, it's not that simple.
|
Advertisement |
Road games against the Browns and Detroit Lions, before returning home to the Metrodome to host the San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers, should give the Vikings a leg up on the rest of the North Division.
The Vikings are traditionally very good at home, but can be unpredictable on the road, especially in games outdoors.
So, don't look for that Browns game to be a lock.
But let's assume that Minnesota can win those first four games.
Their next four games include three road games, including trips to St. Louis, Pittsburgh and Green Bay, with a home game against Baltimore in the mix.
The Vikings should have no problem against St. Louis, but could have a problem with the next three games.
Baltimore has a solid defense that could give the Vikings some problems.
But it is a home game, so I'll give that one to Minnesota.
However, the Vikings will not beat the Steelers in Pittsburgh.
The defending Super Bowl champions are too good and too tough at home.
I'm also going to give the Packers a win when they get the Vikings in a return match up in Lambeau Field.
I don't give Green Bay the win because I think the Packers are the better team.
I just don't like getting phone calls from Packers fans, so let's just say that they'll split their season series.
So, that makes the Vikings 6-2 going into their bye week on November 8.
In the second half of the season, Minnesota starts with three home games against Detroit, Seattle and Chicago.
Looks like the Vikings improve to 9-2 after those three wins.
Then the Vikings go to Arizona to take on the Cardinals, who are the defending Nation Football Conference champions and Super Bowl runner ups.
This one could be a toss up.
The Cardinals have given the Vikings fits in Arizona during their history.
I'll give the edge to the Vikings in this one because by that point in the season, the Cardinals will have come back down to earth after their improbable championship run from last year.
After a win at home the following week to Cincinnati, the Vikings will be the talk of the league with an 11-2 record.
Vikings fans will be sending in their applications for playoff tickets and will be thinking that this time when they host the NFC championship game, the team will not take a knee at the end of regulation time, and they will not miss a field goal wide to the left.
It is that overconfidence that will end the Vikings' winning streak the next week when they travel to Carolina for a game with the Panthers.
In that game, the Vikings will get burned by the passing game of the Panthers and Vikings fans will be throwing things at their televisions again.
In the last two games of the season, a road trip to Chicago and a home game against the New York Giants, the Vikings will split.
I'm going to give Chicago a win at home for the same reason I gave the Packers a win at home earlier in this column.
I don't want to hear from all the Bears fans out there, so we'll let Chicago win this one.
Then, the Vikings win their regular season finale at home against the Giants and get ready for the playoffs with a 12-4 record and a first round bye.
Warning, the preceding column was a complete work of fiction.
It should not be taken seriously.
Because as any Vikings fan knows, you cannot look at the schedule at the beginning of the season and know with any certainty how this team will play.
But the Vikings should make it interesting.
Kevin Watson wrote on Sep 11, 2009 9:31 AM:
Kevin "