Upon further review

No, no, it’s not about the stupid officials, that’s been beaten to near Olympic levels of dead horsemanship.  Green Bay got screwed, but everyone is still going to watch football this week regardless.  In fact, it may even lead to more people watching football, just to see what happens.  Besides, as a friend of mine said to me yesterday, what did your dad used to say when you came away from a bad loss complaining about the refs?  He’d say, “next time, make another play, don’t put the game in their hands and give them the chance to blow it”. 

Sure, things are pretty comical at this point, but I thought it was worse watching teams get extra downs and challenges, or penalties marked wrong than blown calls on the field.  Stuff that happens at full speed like what occurred on Monday night is really less egregious, at least it had to be judged in a split second.  Isn’t it a lot worse when they come back from a TV timeout and don’t know what down it is?  Put another way, any umpire can make a bad strike call, but nobody ever gets a 4^th out.

Besides, there’s no time to dwell on that negativity.  Continuing the tone of the hockey lockout post of last week, screaming to high heaven on Tuesday just so you can hunker down for games on Sunday only points out how powerless you are.  Like many dysfunctional relationships, why not take the tried and true path of simply ignoring the problem?  Bury that sucker in the back of your mind, and instead HOW BOUT THEM VIKINGS?!?!?!?

Now sure, I know what you’re going to say, aren’t I the guy who spent last week blasting everything about this team?  The coach with one good win to his credit?  The front office who’d assembled a talentless roster?  The QB who’d look better with a clipboard and ballcap?  Guilty as charged.  I thought we were watching a historically inept Vikings team here, turns out it may only be partially useless.  Anyway, I’m not here to talk about the past, I’m here to look toward the future!

Everything pointed to the Vikings losing by double digits to San Francisco last Sunday.  Instead they put together a fantastic game featuring brilliant quarterback play, overcame referee incompetence and pulled out the most memorable win of the last two-plus seasons. 

Do I think this was likely just a case of San Francisco getting caught in a trap game after playing brilliantly in prime time the first two weeks?  Yes. 

Am I going to let that stop me from extrapolating this one result into delusional statements like “looking around the league and considering the schedule, it’s not insane to think about this team challenging for a playoff spot” and “if Christian Ponder turns into a legit NFL QB, this will be performance that started it all”?  Of course not!

(Humor me here people, I’m a man in the midst of a four-sport, 718-day playoff drought, with a last place baseball team, a locked-out hockey team and a gimpy point guard.  I need this.)

The great Bill Simmons used a takeoff on a Seinfeld episode a few years ago, referring to the Green Bay Packers as “The Onion-Eating Dime Spotter” in reference to their unpredictable play.  Much like George Costanza’s inconsistent sight (he mistakes an onion for an apple, yet can spot a dime from across the room), you just didn’t know what you were going to get out of this team from week to week.  Obviously, you could say this about a lot of teams after a crazy first three weeks, but could Minnesota be this season’s Onion-Eating Dime Spotter?

I originally had them pegged for 5 wins: JAX, @WAS, ARI, CHI, @STL.  With the exception of the Arizona game, none of those opponents have really done anything to make the games look tougher during the first three weeks, and a few other opponents look more vulnerable.  So if we swap the Niners game for Arizona to leave the total at 5, is it possible to find 3 or 4 more wins and get the team into playoff striking distance?  Sure we can!

Week 4 (@DET) – Matthew Stafford is gimpy, the Lions gave up 44 points last week, no reason we can’t win this one.  Other than the 4 TDs Calvin Johnson is going to catch. (2-2)

Week 5 (TEN) – These guys are terrible, can’t believe I thought they were going 9-7, easy win. (3-2)

Week 6 (@WAS) – Ditto.  Plus we always beat the Redskins, must be because of their racist nickname. (4-2)

Week 7 (ARI) – Every time I hear the phrase “the 3-0 Cardinals”, my face involuntarily screws up in the same fashion as when someone say “this tastes terrible, taste this”. (4-3)        

Week 8 (TB) – Hmmm, tough one, time to give hope a chance. (5-3)

Week 9 (@SEA) – Seattle is where hope goes to die. (5-4)

Week 10 (DET) – Big home win to stay in the hunt. (6-4)

Week 11 (Bye)

Week 12 (@CHI) – Bye or no, the Vikings never win in Chicago. (6-5)

Week 13 (@GB) – Where’s Golden Tate when you need him? (6-6)

Week 14 (CHI) – Aging defense and a couple more injuries to the O-line?  Cutler being Bad Cutler?  Okay, I’m reaching, still chalking up a ‘W’. (7-6)

Week 15 (@STL) – WE’RE COMIN!!! (8-6)

Week 16 (@HOU) – We’re going, going… (8-7)

Week 17 (GB) – Gone.  Lose at home to your biggest rival in the final week of the season to miss the playoffs.  That my friends, is a fitting season for any Vikings team. (8-8)

The playoff push that falls heartbreakingly short, this passes for optimism around here, dare to dream!