Bears vs. Vikings: The Throwbacks Come Out at Night

by Gonzo on Nov 25, 2008 5:12 PM CST in Vikings Comment 20 comments

Props to VikesFaninNC from the Purple Pride forums for tipping everyone off to the following:

Yes, believe me. . .I realize that we're 0-1 wearing these jerseys, and that the last time the Vikings wore them, some guy set some touchdown record on our home field. But there's something great about seeing these jerseys again, too.

(Doesn't look like the image pasted in there the way I had hoped, either. Ah, well, the general idea is still there.)

Yes, thanks to the Packers getting themselves kicked from one side of the Superdome to the other last night, this Sunday night's matchup is a battle for sole possession of first place in the NFC North. The winner of this one should have an inside track to the NFC North crown.

Hang on a second. . .yes, NFL.com is reporting that the Saints have, indeed, just scored again.

But, let's take a look at how Sunday night's game will affect the NFC North standings. Now, if Chicago wins, the Vikings are in BIG trouble, as not only would Chicago have a one-game lead over the Beloved Purple, but they also will have swept the season series from the Vikings as well, meaning any tie between the two teams would go to Chicago. That would be a huge advantage for Da Bears, and would put a significant dent into any hopes that the Vikings would have of winning the NFC North. And, since this division sure as heck isn't getting any wild card teams, that would mean the Vikings would be sitting at home this January.

However, assuming a Green Bay loss to Carolina. . .and I think that's a pretty safe assumption to make at the moment. . .a Vikings' win on Sunday night would leave us with the following:

	Overall W-L	Division W-L	Conference W-L	Remaining Games
Minnesota	7-5	3-2	5-3	@ Det, @ Ari, Atl, NYG
Chicago	6-6	3-2	5-5	Jac, NO, GB, @ Hou
Green Bay	5-7	3-1	4-6	Hou, @ Jac, @ Chi, Det

The NFC South has actually been quite helpful to the Vikings thus far. This season, the Vikings are 2-1 against one of the best divisions in football (beating Carolina and New Orleans while falling to Tampa Bay), while the Bears, Packers, and Lions have combined to go 0-9 against that division (and, likely, 0-10 after Green Bay's loss this Sunday).

If the Vikings can pull off a victory this Sunday night against Chicago and avoid giving what should be an 0-12 Lions team their first victory of the season (a la 2001), it would put them at 8-5 (with a 4-2 division record and a 6-3 conference mark) and give them some serious momentum going into a brutal three-game stretch to end the season. A loss to the Bears would be pretty devestating. . .which means we should probably stop talking (or even thinking) about it.

It's Bears week, people. . .it's for first place in the division, and it's for the chance to take one step closer to getting the Vikings' first NFC North title (to go along with more NFC Central titles than anybody else). A victory on Sunday night needs to happen for this team. We'll be here talking about it all week. Why not start right here and right now?

0 recs | Comment 20 comments |

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Another must win

They’re all must wins now aren’t they?

Having the Bears at home with the division possibly in the balance is the biggest one yet though. These guys have got to get up to play and have a solid gameplan to put the Bears away. I realize the latter is really pushing it but hey, I’m a dreamer!

I find myself in the conundrum of rooting for Childress to lose but for the Vikings to win. Needless to say that ain’t happening, but dammit, he’s got to go no matter how many more games he lucks up and wins. Look at some of our wins and tell me we deserved them all or lucked into them:

-The Panthers played their worst game of the season to let us inch away with a win.

-New Orleans tried their best to give the game to us and we took it…barely.

-the Lions’ dopey QB and a terrible pass interference call allowed us to beat the worst team in the league…barely.

-Houston and Green Bay, same kind of thing. Let them stick around and hope they make a mistake, which they did. That won’t always happen, and you damned sure shouldn’t use it as part of your gameplan.

The Bears are extremely beatable, it’s just up to the players to ignore their coaches and make plays I guess.

by Bodysuit Man on Nov 25, 2008 5:45 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

BTW...

For those who love stats (and I hope nobody else has pointed this out so I’m not stealing ideas) our average margin of victory this season is 6.8. Our average margin of defeat is…6.8.

by Bodysuit Man on Nov 25, 2008 5:54 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Win despite coaching

I think it is probably fair to say that we lost games to shaddy calls also. Case in point, the 4th down play to what is considered one of the best teams in the NFL. That call goes the right way, we very well make them a none story this year. That game also points out what we are really doing 6 out of 11 times this year. The players are winning despite the coaching decisions. While the game was likely over anyway, punt the ball so they can take a knee and end it? What makes that worse is that he didn’t understand the mistake and even after watching the tape said he thought the defense could get the ball back.

This team wins despite the head coach. By the way, did any of you go to sleep last night and have dreams of Drew Brees as the Vikings QB?

by VikesSince85 on Nov 25, 2008 6:12 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

YES

In AP I trust

by FarvaForTheVikings on Nov 25, 2008 10:42 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

the vikes

the Vikes should of never changed uni’s in the first place. After 3 years, I still hate the new jerseys

Should be a great game Sunday

by DedicatedFollowerOfFashion on Nov 25, 2008 6:41 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Same here...

I’m glad I’m not the only one who hates the new jerseys…The throwback jerseys are the REAL Vikings. The ones of the winning tradition and long list of hall of famers who made the franchise. It’s time the team did the right thing and brought them back. Remember those putrid uniforms that the Jets went to? They went back to the traditional ones and they look like the Jets again. The Vikes should do the same.

by purplegrey on Nov 26, 2008 5:45 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I love the jerseys… cant witto see them…perfect timing too. right when we take the division. this cannot be no close one either chicagHO sucks lined up on us and they were only in the game last time because of poor ball control. i mean come on you can not give up points on special teams. And if we win we can probably start telling peter king that he was wrong again

purple is the color of royalty

by da2213viking on Nov 25, 2008 8:44 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Pumped for Sunday.

Trivia note: November 30th marks the day that Cris Carter caught his 1,000th career reception (via Daunte Culpepper).

Boy, we could really use another Cris Carter right about now, especially against Chicago.

Of course, a different QB is also in order. But it also might help if our offensive line wasn’t allowing him to get sacked like potatoes… Let’s take a look at the stats:

The most Gus has been sacked, in an entire season, is 28 (back in 1999, playing for Detroit). Fast forward nine years, and Gus has already been sacked 26 times, while playing/starting in all of NINE games.

Let me reiterate:

1999: 28 sacks, playing for Detroit – 9 games throughout the season.
2005: 26 sacks, playing for Miami – 16 games (15 starts).
2008: 26 sacks, playing for Minnesota – 9 games (9 starts).

Gus just doesn’t have the body to handle this abuse, and the wheels that might allow him to escape, period.

Also, FYI, Drew Brees has only been sacked 9 times this season. Which probably accounts for much of his outstanding passing yardage. He’s not playing in terror, and running scared all the time.

by AustinVike on Nov 25, 2008 8:48 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Also...

I happen to belong to the “Give TJack a Break” club.

From the standpoint of comparison, Aaron Rodgers never did well in his first few years as QB at Green Bay. But he also wasn’t getting rag-dolled around in the backfield like Gus Frerotte currently is.

Which is pretty much the same situation as Tarvaris Jackson in 2007. 12 games, 19 sacks, as a second year starting QB.

Rodgers NEVER had that much pressure put on him. Hell, Cutler didn’t either (and had alot more to work with – receiver-wise – so he could put up big numbers in 2007).

I think TJack has more than enough potential – we just need to put him in a situation where he isn’t forced to make mistakes because he’s trying to avoid injury.

by AustinVike on Nov 25, 2008 8:58 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

20% of his 2008 attempts were "poor throws"

…according to STATS, Inc.

Brees had 9% poor throws (and a lower% of balls tipped at the line despite his lack of height). Favre had slightly less (that was surprising). Anyone other starting QB worth having had no more than 12% poor throws.

The Vikes don’t have time to develop TJ unless 5 of their 2009 picks is a 5-year starter right out of the box. Cedric Griffin is really a safety/linebacker/nickel who needs to be replaced with a quality CB. Darren Sharper, Pat Williams, Kevin Williams, and Antoine Winfield can’t be counted on to produce like this next year or especially the following year. The Vikings are one of the 10 worst teams in terms of sacks allowed in 2008, so obviously the team needs at least one upgrade on the OL. The very best RBs tend to wear down and/or get hurt too often after 4-5 years. 2008 may be the Vikings’ best chance to be competitive, and they may have blown it already by not signing Chad Pennington or some other QB better than Frerotte and Jackson. Had the Vikings signed someone else to start ahead of TJ, then he may have gotten some playing time by now (or the team would be running away with the division) rather than a non-solution to an old problem which doesn’t offer any more hope for the future.

by KC Viking on Nov 26, 2008 3:14 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Give TJ a Break?

If the Vikes lose this weekend, sure, might as well start TJ for the rest of the season, let him get some practice in and give Gus a break. TJ’s been given a break already though. He’s been given years of breaks, years of assumption that he’s the franchise QB we’ve all been waiting for. While TJ shows flashes of brilliance, he mars it by doing things that are just rank stupidity. He’s got a cannon-arm that you gotta love, but it’s accuracy is seriously lagging.

When TJ played, every time he took a snap, I found myself holding my breath, dreading what was about to come next.

Gus is the one who’s brought us to the dance; a tie for 1st place in the Division. He’s earned the right to press on as long as he can keep getting the job done.

by DCPurple on Nov 28, 2008 10:47 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Already have a Classic AP Jersey

From Last Year……the game at home vs the Packers.

by Tony_O on Nov 25, 2008 9:35 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Practice Makes Perfect

He’ll pay his dues and make it. Another guy his size has managed it. The original Atlanta Falcon version of Brett Favre looked far worse that T-Jack ever has. T-Jack needs to find the open man quicker and make a habit of setting his feet properly. (Of course, Favre does things technique-wise that Pop Warner coaches should ban their players from ever seeing done, but he has managed to make them work for himself anyway.)

by Elgar on Nov 25, 2008 10:53 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

These jerseys are bomb

….. along with the old school grey facemasks….. those look BA. I think that as long as the Williams wall is in the middle and the dome is loud as frick (ha, like that is actually conditional), the defense will win us this game. GO VIKES!

By the way, how is chicago’s o line?

by skiumah06 on Nov 26, 2008 12:23 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Well they definitely shoved St. Louis around, but that’s St. Louis. The Pack trounced them the game before though. If the Pack’s D can hold them to 3 points, we should be able to.

by Frost on Nov 26, 2008 9:00 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

5-2...

The mighty purple have won five of the last seven games. That’s not too shabby, although some of the wins have been ugly (I’d rather be an ugly winner than a pretty loser!).

With this streak, why does it feel like the Vikes are on the brink of disaster? Oh, that’s right, b/c I’m a Viking fan – bred to be disappointed!

I think we can beat the Bears despite Chilli, and the division is ours for the taking. Hopefully the veterans on the team (b/c Chilli is inept) will remember the lesson from last year, when we controlled our own destiny and blew it, and won’t let that happen again this year.

GO VIKES!!!!!!!

by JasonAve6413 on Nov 26, 2008 9:29 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Let's also not forget Sunday night...

Legendary Vikings All-Pro, John Randle will be getting his name included in the Vikings Ring of Honor during halftime. He was also recently named as a semi-finalist for the 2009 Hall of Fame. Here’s hoping he makes the cut as a finalist come January.

by VIKES311BOY on Nov 26, 2008 10:46 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Sorry Queen Fans

You’re playoff run ends Sunday. No, seriously, there isn’t a game remaining on the schedule that I’m more afraid of for my Bears. This is truly anyone’s game. May the Best team (Da Bears) win and may both teams remain healthy.

Go Bears!!

by NittyGritty34 on Nov 26, 2008 2:23 PM CST reply actions 0 recs