Division Leading 3 - 0? Big Deal, So What!

by LoveHate on Sep 28, 2009 5:34 PM CDT

Apart from the excessively exagerated Brett Favre drama and subsequent locker room "Schismgate," the national sports media basically excluded the Minnesota Vikings from all championship discussions. Several warned the fan base to temper its excitement for the season and many were picking last years NFC North champs to finish as low as third in the division. That is despite having drafted a playermaker many were simultaneously admitting could easily win the Offensive ROY; and signing a 3-time League MVP and future HOFer (and arguably the best quarterback ever) to play quarterback, addressing the one universally diagnosed weakness.

Not much has changed in the opening weeks of the 2009 NFL season. Analysts, prognosticators and sportwriters alike have shown no love for our Purple Plunderers. Several Norseman have recently taken offense at the slighting by various publications' Power Rankings. The narrative has gone: The Vikings gained victories over considerably lesser opponents in less than inspiring performances. Meanwhile, our Northern bretheren's records and performances seemingly don't affect their respective rankings.

Most Viking supporters would openly admit that the bar is set much higher than a couple of wins over the leagues perennial basement dwellers. However, we don't do the scheduling and this isn't the BCS. Still, many Norsemen were excited at the opportunity of the week 3 match-up versus a worthy (2-0) San Franscisco team, hoping it would be a real test of the Vikings metal. A chance for the leagues back to back to back top run stoppers to return to form against an dangerous rushing offense.

Well...WTF? Holy Shit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, having recovered from the shocking finish of Sunday's win, I am able to better assess the teams performance. Frankly, they shouldn't have been in the position they were in late. Run blocking was left wanting this week and the offense needs to convert on third down more consistently. As much as the Spc. teams unit has improved, they continue to have costly lapses (Thankfully yesterday the unit made up for a huge mistake and possible game changing play with one of their own). The defense continues to give yardage up in avoidable chunks. Despite the perfect record early, the Vikings are far from perfect.

With that said, the Vikings are 3-0 and tops in the division. We could expect some positive acknowledgemet from the national media right? Wrong! Before the various power rankings are released or the coming weeks games picked, the Vikings narrative ~~has begun~~ has continued: The Vikings have beaten the Browns, the Lions and the Frank Gore-less 49ers. Oh, and Favre cannot possibly stay healthy, with all of the hits he's taken and mindless downfield blocking.

Without counting chickens, I can see it now..."the Browns, Lions, 49ers and an underachieving Packer team."

This FanPost was created by a registered user of The Daily Norseman, and does not necessarily reflect the views of the staff of the site. However, since this is a community, that view is no less important.

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Not really

Apart from the excessively exagerated Brett Favre drama and subsequent locker room “Schismgate,” the national sports media basically excluded the Minnesota Vikings from all championship discussions.

These guys have the Vikes going to the NFC divisional round and winning a wild card game (Pre-Favre).

This guy thinks the Vikes win the division and make a Super Bowl run as long as Favre stays healthy.

This site has the Vikes going 10-6 and winning a wild card game.

And these clowns made the Vikings the consensus pre-season pick to win the division.

Sorry, I just don’t see it. Everyone had the same script about the Vikings…championship-caliber defense, great running game, questionable quarterback play. If Favre can play well, the Vikes would be on the short list of serious NFL contenders.

I hate to be a defender of the big media guys, but I didn’t think their assessment was off target, other than maybe under-rating the receiving corps.

So I write a blog, like everyone else on the Internet: www.purplebuckeye.blogspot.com

by Ted Glover on Sep 28, 2009 6:09 PM CDT reply actions

Really not Really!

What If Sports? Big media?

The Bleacher Report? Big media?

King at SI has them finish second in the division!

ESPN is split with 8 of 14 picking them first; three of them have the Vikes finishing 3rd.

by LoveHate on Sep 28, 2009 8:13 PM CDT up reply actions

It is what it is

Not much you can do about our schedule. Good teams should win their home games.
Pulling one out of the fire at home probably won’t go very far with the critics. If you didn’t know the score and you just looked at the stats you would have said that the Vikes won this game going away. NFL games come down to plays & playmakers. That blocked kick just before the half was the biggest play of the game and we didn’t make it. Instead of having a 16-7 cushen with a chance to break the game open in the 2nd half. So now we are trailing at the half after controling the 1st half. S.Fran is now playing with house money. The drive at the end will go down in Vikings lore but the only reason it happened is because the 9ers got conservative on their last drive.
If they would have went for the kill (one 1st down and we are done) instead of running it up the gut 3 plays and punt we would all be on here crying about how we lost. This game opened my eyes. Our special teams has to improve, that block was a 10 point swing which we were very lucky to overcome.

by iowaron on Sep 28, 2009 6:27 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs

Vikes have not surpassed expectations.

Before Farve came over almost everyone had the Vikes picked to start the season 3-0 against these three teams. We have not Blown the doors off anyone yet. Defense is as good as advertised but not Great. Special Teams are good but not Great ( some say suspect). Offense is not exciting. This team looks eerily like the Giants of 2008 prior to their playoff run to the Superbowl.

Right now ,looking at three games you have to like the Saints,Giants, Baltimore, and San Diego as The best performers so far this year. But personally I will let them think what they want while we build a winning team for the playoffs.
GO VIKES

by lifelongvike on Sep 28, 2009 6:38 PM CDT reply actions

3-0 doesn't mean Jack!

Obviously it beats any other record we could have at this point, but I remember starting 7-0 with Tice and ending up 8-8. 3-0 is a great start, but a good record in September does not mean a successful post-season. Last year we played our best ball at the end and rode those successes into the playoffs. If we can continue to improve so that our best efforts again come at season’s end, we’ll be riding home field advantage into the Super Bowl!

by Jshore on Sep 28, 2009 9:19 PM CDT reply actions

The writers were right about 2-0

The Vikings DID play 2 sorry opponents that didn’t mean much. Then they played the Gore-less 9ers, as you’d said, and trailed at halftime for the 3rd week in a row. The passing game looked good against a top-10 pass defense this week.

Since the Packers’ defense and QB are highly rated, the Vikings will surely earn some respect if they can run and pass at will and stop Aaron Rodgers from being efficient and out of the end zone. It would take a lot of Packer injuries to add up to the excuses that you are afraid of, and it would really help if the Vikings commanded the lead through most of the game for once.

by KC Viking on Sep 28, 2009 10:34 PM CDT reply actions

3-0

What more can you ask for. Realistically in the NFL the difference between the good teams and bad is not that much. Many years the difference is only a few big plays, and this year we are getting them. To down play what we have down so far is weak IMHO, we have won every game. GO VIKS!

I believe all Viking fans must be masochistic!!

by BSUvikFAN on Sep 29, 2009 1:01 AM CDT reply actions

W's

WIns at this point in the season are very good. They help build the team. Good teams find that way to win close games. Chi town had a pretty good team a number of years ago but lost like 10 games by 3 points or less. I do not care if the team is hot right now, the team that is hot in mid November is the one that will have the long playoff run. If we were on fire now, teams would be figuring out a way to beat that team, the team thats in sync. In the mean time we can keep getting better and getting W’s the power team will come!

it is better to be thought of as dumb then to open your mouth and remove all doubt.
Ben Franklin

by montana vikes fan on Sep 29, 2009 8:36 AM CDT reply actions