Tag: Minnesota Vikings (Page 52 of 61)

      Bears (somehow) keep playoff hopes alive

      December 23, 2008 /

      Kyle OrtonI don’t know whether to laud the Chicago Bears for their incredible come-from-behind victory over the Green Bay Packers Monday night or write how they have a four-leaf clover shoved directly up their ass.

      Somehow the Bears are still alive in the NFC North despite Kyle Orton’s two interceptions, the Packers out-gaining them by 115 total yards, and controlling the ball for almost eight minutes more.

      Green Bay outplayed Chicago for nearly 57 minutes on Monday night. And even when the Bears tied the game at 17-17 with a Matt Forte 3-yard touchdown run with less than three minutes remaining, Chicago still tried to give the game away when Adrian Peterson committed a stupid penalty on the kickoff to give the Packers prime field position.

      But it didn’t matter. In the closing minute of the game the Bears blocked a field goal, won the overtime coin toss when the coin hit off Brian Urlacher’s head (seriously), and won the game on a 38-yard Robbie Gould field goal. Chicago has more magic on Monday Night Football than David Copperfield has on a stage in Vegas. (Just ask Denny Green if the Bears are who we thought they were.)

      So now Bear fans get to ride this roller coaster for another week. If Chicago can beat the Texans next Sunday in Houston and the Vikings lose to the Giants at the Metrodome, Da Bears are NFC North Champions. And if the 2000 NFC Championship Game is any indication of how the Vikings will play on Sunday, the NFC North title is Chicago’s to lose.

      With the way both teams played in Week 16, neither the Vikings nor the Bears look like division champs. And depending on which Wild Card teams make it, there’s a strong case to be made that whichever team wins the North will be bounced in the first round. That said, you have to apperciate that two divisions (the North and South) won’t be won until the final week of the season. That’s what parity does for the game of football and I for one, am glad to have it (parity) around.

      NFL

      The Falcons are the best story in ‘08

      December 21, 2008 /

      Mike SmithIf you can’t appreciate the 2008 Atlanta Falcons season, than you probably won’t appreciate most sports stories.

      Following a year in which they went 4-12, lost the face of their franchise to federal prison for dog fighting and their head coach to the University of Arkansas in the middle of the night, the Falcons are heading back to the playoffs for the first time since 2004 thanks to a 24-17 win over the Vikings on Sunday.

      For everyone who said Arthur Blank was too involved as an owner for the Falcons to succeed, how do you feel now? Instead of throwing his hands up in the air and bailing like that gutless wonder Bobby Petrino did, Blank hung tough and got back to work this offseason. He hired general manager Thomas Dimitroff, who then hired Mike Smith, drafted Matt Ryan and signed free agent Michael Turner. Blank didn’t give up on his franchise and now he’s being rewarded for it.

      The Falcons were very fortunate Sunday in Minnesota. The Vikings turned the ball over four times and when Atlanta tried to return the favor with a fumble of their own, they recovered it for a touchdown. Yes, Atlanta could have lost very easily. But so what? It’s about time the ball bounced the way of the Falcons and after a year of suffering one blow after another, they deserved what happened this season.

      Who knows whether or not this great story will have a fairytale ending? And actually, it doesn’t matter because the Falcons have already won by showing up this season. They have a great young offensive core in Turner, Ryan and Roddy White, an improving defense, a general manager who gets how to build a winner and a solid football coach to keep everything running smoothly. More importantly, they have an owner that is willing to do anything to succeed.

      Thanks in large part to Blank, the Falcons are the best story in the NFL this season and somehow, someway, are heading to the playoffs.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Vikings cough up chance to clinch NFC North

      December 21, 2008 /

      Tarvaris JacksonThere are several times throughout a season when a team can look back at and say, “Damn, that’s a game we should have had.”

      Minnesota’s 24-17 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday was one of those games.

      For all intents and purposes, the Vikings should have beaten the Falcons at the Metrodome. But they fumbled four times – thrice in Atlanta territory – and failed to beat a team they essentially dominated for four quarters.

      Okay, so dominant might be a bit strong. The Falcons still ran the ball well and Matt Ryan played mistake-free despite not doing anything exceptional the entire game. But for Minnesota to do whatever it wanted to offensively and still suffer a home loss has to be demoralizing.

      The Falcons held Adrian Peterson to under 100 yards (76 to be exact), but it helped that AP couldn’t hang onto the ball. He fumbled twice in Atlanta territory and once more late in the fourth quarter, but was fortunate that his teammate hopped onto the loose ball and saved another disastrous situation. And despite having another nice day passing, Tarvaris Jackson (22 of 36 for 233 yards, 2 TDs) fumbled once and had a bad snap whiz by his helmet in the second half, which forced the Vikings to punt deep in their own territory.

      Minnesota essentially shot itself in the foot all day and never recovered, although they did have a shot to at least tie the game in the end by their final drive ended on downs. The Falcons are a nice ball club and they’ll certainly take a win in a tough environment, but the Vikings have to feel like they had a golden opportunity slip through their hands (literally).

      Now the Bears have hope. A win over the Packers on Monday night would put them in a tie with Minnesota for the division, although the Vikings would still own the tiebreaker. That means Chicago has to win its next two games and have Minnesota lose to the Giants next week. The Bears still have to take care of their own business, but the Falcons just gave them life.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      NFL Week 16 Primer Late Games

      December 19, 2008 /

      Here’s a quick Week 16 preview for all of the late games with playoff implications in the NFL this week:

      Tarvaris JacksonFalcons at Vikings, 4:15PM ET
      Who would have thought this game would have so much meaning when the season started? Minnesota needs just one more victory to win the NFC North and put the Chicago Bears out of their misery. They’ll start Tarvaris Jackson again at quarterback this week as Gus Frerotte continues to recovery from a back injury. With a lot of help from Adrian Peterson and the running game, Jackson has been absolutely outstanding since subbing for Frerotte two weeks ago and has thrown five touchdown passes in the last six quarters. The Vikings’ defense took a hit this week when it was discovered that run-stuffer Pat Williams would miss the next 2-6 weeks due to injury. That should help Michael Turner and the Falcons’ dynamic running game stay on track, although they’ll still need a huge contribution from rookie quarterback Matt Ryan, who struggled last week against Tampa. Atlanta needs to win out and hope Dallas or Tampa lose one of their two remaining games. And considering they host the Rams next week, their playoff hopes may reside in beating the Vikings. Can the Falcons’ defense contain Peterson and force Jackson to beat them through the air? Or will the Vikings continue to build momentum as they make a playoff push?

      Jets at Seahawks, 4:05PM ET CBS
      The Jets are clinging to a slim lead in the AFC East as they currently hold tie-breakers over the Dolphins and Patriots in the division. However, they’re 0-3 on the West Coast this year and a trip to Seattle is never fun for any team come December. This game will also mark Mike Holmgren’s final home game, so you can expect the Seahawks to be ready to play. Still, this is a team the Jets should beat, especially if they consider themselves a legit playoff squad. Seattle’s defense has been brutal this year and as long as Brett Favre can keep from turning the ball over, NY should come up with a big road win.

      Bills at Broncos, 4:05PM ET CBS
      All the Broncos have to do is win and they clinch the AFC West crown. They won’t have the fortune of facing J.P. Losman, though, as Trent Edwards will resume his starting quarterback duties after missing the past couple weeks due to injury. Denver has been consistently inconsistent this season, especially at home where they currently post a 4-3 record. Buffalo is a disaster, but they did give the Jets a game last week at the Meadowlands and Edwards might (emphasis on might) give the offense a boost. But as long as Denver’s run defense can contain Marshawn Lynch, they should (emphasis on should) be fine.

      Eagles at Redskins, 4:15PM ET FOX
      The Redskins were officially eliminated from playoff contention last week after an embarrassing loss to the Bengals but you’re crazy if you don’t think they would love to play spoiler. Led by quarterback Donovan McNabb and a stingy defense, the Eagles have played inspired football over the past month and proved two weeks ago in New York that they could win a huge road game. Philly needs to win their final two games to have a shot at a postseason berth and it won’t come easy. After playing in Washington this Sunday, they host the Cowboys next week, who will also be fighting for their playoff lives. If Jim Zorn continues to play things tight to the vest with his play calling, Philly defensive coordinator Jim Johnson might have a field day calling blitzes and confusing quarterback Jason Campbell. But first and foremost, the Eagles have to stop the run or else the passing game will open up and it might allow Zorn to get more creative than he has been of late. Washington’s defense has been solid all year but can anyone slow down McNabb and Brian Westbrook? As long as the Redskins are motivated to ruin the Eagles’ postseason dreams, this should be a great game.

      Panthers at Giants, 8:15PM NBC
      The battle for the No. 1 seed in the NFC is on the line this week in East Rutherford as the G-Men host the suddenly Super Bowl-caliber Panthers. These are two teams heading in opposite directions as the Giants have lost two straight while Carolina is winners of two in a row. The Panthers have been dominating opponents with their running game over the past two weeks, but they’ll get a huge test this Sunday against a stingy New York front seven. Still, the Giants’ offense has struggled without Plaxico Burress and a healthy Brandon Jacobs, so losing three in a row isn’t out of the question. They need to do a better job of protecting Eli Manning or else the road to the Super Bowl in the NFC will run through Carolina this year. Jacobs is expected to play so that should help, but it remains to be seen how effective he’ll be. And can anyone stop the Panthers’ Steve Smith?

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Vikings lose part of Williams Wall

      December 16, 2008 /

      The Minnesota Vikings will have to play their final two games (and possibly all of the postseason) without half of their “Williams wall” after it was determined that Pat Williams will miss 2-6 weeks with a broken right scapula in his shoulder.

      The word on Pat Williams is not good for the Vikings.

      The Pro Bowl nose tackle has a broken right scapula. Coach Brad Childress said that means Williams will be out from two to six weeks.

      The scapula connects the arm bone (humerus) with the collarbone (clavicle), according to extensive internet research.

      Williams suffered the injury in the third quarter of yesterday’s win at Arizona. He was playing under a court order that delayed the NFL’s four-game suspension, but now it appears he will at least miss the final two games of the regular season.

      Considering Michael Turner the Falcons are coming to town, this isn’t good news for the Vikings. But with the way Jared Allen, Adrian Peterson and Tarvaris Jackson are playing, it might not matter much. Plus, Fred Evans has proved to be a solid backup and the Vikings started getting him more game-time reps when they thought both Williamses would be suspended.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

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