PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (9-6-1)	ROUND 1 (FIGHT!)	MINNESOTA VIKINGS (10-6)
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Well, this is it, folks. . .the moment that we've been waiting for since 2005 (or 2001, if you're talking strictly about home playoff games).  The Beloved Purple will be taking the field in January for the first time in the Daily Norseman era to take on the Philadelphia Eagles, who many experts have already pegged to move on to next week's divisional playoffs.

Surprisingly, on a personal level, I'm way, WAY less nervous about the Vikings this weekend than I was last weekend.  That doesn't mean that I'm expecting them to go out and just roll the Eagles this afternoon (though I am picking them, naturally), but I'm much more optimistic now that they're in the post-season than I was when their January fate was still in doubt.

That said, I expect today's game to be quite a nail-biter.  The Eagles are a good, if fairly inconsistent, football team.  I don't think they're as good as they looked in their 44-6 pasting of the Cowboys last weekend, but I don't think they're as bad as they looked in their 10-3 loss at Washington the previous week, either.  They fall somewhere in between. . .much like the Vikings do.

The Vikings have two very obvious keys in this game, one on offense and one on defense.  Offensively, Adrian Peterson needs to hold on to the damn football, and Tarvaris Jackson has to not make costly decisions in the face of the blitzes he's going to be seeing from Philly this afternoon.  If the Vikings can go through this game with no more than one turnover, they should be able to win.  The Eagles thrive on turnovers and pressure, and the Vikings really need to consider throwing in some screens and swing passes early in the proceedings in order to negate that a bit.

The defensive key is even more simple. . .contain Brian Westbrook.  The Eagles' receivers are, for the most part, not particularly scary, but Westbrook's versatility makes him a real monster and the one guy that the Vikings really need to key on.  Note how the key is not stopping Westbrook, because it's very rare for him to be completely stopped, but containing him and/or slowing him down is something that this Vikings' defense is capable of doing, in my opinion.

We're about 3 1/2 hours away from game time, ladies and gentlemen.  Sit back, relax, grab your beverage of choice, check out the early game, and discuss all the playoff action right here.

SKOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL VIKINGS!!!!

NEW YORK GIANTS (12-3)	GAME #16	MINNESOTA VIKINGS (9-6)
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Well, as I suspected, sleep was minimal last night.  This game has, obviously, moved to the forefront on the list of biggest games of the Brad Childress era, largely because we still don't know what the Giants are going to do in this one.  The more I think about it, the more I think that Tom Coughlin is going to rest a lot of his guys, which would play to Minnesota's advantage.

Really, there's not a hell of a lot that can said about this game that hasn't already been said repeatedly all week long.  The Vikings need to win this football game.  My score prediction may be crazy, homeristic hope more than anything else, but I'm hoping that it happens.  The Vikings CAN win this football game. . .the Giants have certainly not been stellar against the run recently, which is obviously Minnesota's strength.  The Vikings need to continue doing their best against the run, regardless of how many of the heads of the Giants' three-headed running back monster see action today, and they need to take advantage of New York's banged-up offensive line to get pressure on Eli Manning, David Carr, or whoever the Giants trot out there at quarterback this afternoon.

Offensively, it's a matter of ball security for the Vikings.  Adrian Peterson needs to hold on to the damn football, and Tarvaris Jackson needs to continue making the solid decisions that he's made with the football over the last 2 1/2 games since taking over for Gus Frerotte.

We'll also be doing some scoreboard watching this afternoon, primarily the following games:

Chicago at Houston - Obviously, because the Vikings can clinch the NFC North if the Texans should win this one.
Detroit at Green Bay - Because it would be hilarious as hell if the Lions were to get their first win this year at the Packers' expense.
Oakland at Tampa Bay - Tampa could potentially be a first-round playoff opponent for the Vikings. . .as could Dallas, Chicago, or Philadelphia.

Let's get it done, ladies and gentlemen. . .and keep your eyes out for links to new game threads, since we'll be breaking this one up this week, given the number of comments we got in the last one and the lag that it caused.

SKOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL VIKINGS!!!!

ATLANTA FALCONS (9-5)	GAME #15	MINNESOTA VIKINGS (9-5)
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Well, folks, after waiting what seems like forever, we're just a few hours away from game time at the Metrodome.

The keys to this game are fairly obvious.  These two teams have two of the better rushing attacks in the National Football League, as the Falcons are tied with the Giants for most rushing yards per game, and the Vikings are only a yard behind those two teams in the #3 spot.  Both of these teams also feature dynamic 1-2 running back combos, with the best running back in the National Football League and Chester Taylor toting the rock for the Beloved Purple, and Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood doing the running for Atlanta.

The difference between the two is that the Vikings are also one of the best in the NFL at stopping the run.  After their performance against Arizona last week, they're back to being #1 in the NFL against the run.  Yes, the Vikings will be without big Pat Williams this week and next, but I wouldn't expect them to automatically turn to crap against the run due to the absence of one player.  The Falcons, on the other hand, currently rank 21st in rushing yards allowed, and are tied for the worst yards/carry allowed in the NFL.  Atlanta, on average, gives up 4.9 yards every time their opponents run the football.  As Ted Sundquist puts it in his Vikings/Falcons preview at ProFootball Talk:

Despite the Falcons ability to run the ball themselves, they have yet to figure out how to stop their opponents from doing the same. Atlanta gives up a 120 yards per game and is dead last in run defense efficiency (47% of 4+). The Falcons are also suspect to the “big play” scampers of 10+ (48 & ranked 26^th) & 20+ (13 & ranked tied 24^th). Opposing teams are finding almost 5 yards per carry on first downs and keeping 3^rd downs relatively manageable. Peterson loves the open field and thrives on the perimeter where Atlanta has struggled defensively to bottle up their opponents.

So, in short, the Falcons aren't very good at stopping the run, and they give up a lot of big runs.  This should add up to a big game for the Peterson/Taylor combination for the Vikings.  The Falcons also give up a lot of big plays in the passing game, as they've allowed 41 passes of 20 or more yards this season.  Hopefully the Vikings will see a lot of the former from the running game, so that Tarvaris Jackson, Bernard Berrian, Visanthe Shiancoe and the boys can get some of the latter off of play-action passes.

The other key is going to be the Vikings' ability to handle Atlanta super rookie Matt Ryan.  Ryan, who has had Offensive Rookie of the Year honors locked up this season almost as long as Adrian Peterson had them locked up in 2007, has had an outstanding season, posting a QB rating of 90 through his first 14 games.  However, he has been a significantly better QB at home in the Georgia Dome than he's been on the road.  His QB rating in Atlanta is a robust 100.3, he completes 66.5% of his passes, and he has a 5/3 TD/INT ratio.  On the road, he's posted a slightly more pedestrian 82.2 QB rating, his completion percentage drops to 59%, and his TD/INT ratio is 9/6.  If the Pat Williams-less Vikings' defense can step up and stuff the run the way they have all year thus far, it could turn into a long afternoon for the young signal caller, as he'll be running for his life from Jared Allen, Kevin Williams, and the rest of the Vikings' pass rush.

This is a big game, folks. . .if the Vikings get this one, they will lock up their first playoff berth since 2004, and their first division title since they played in something called the NFC Central in 2000.  But the Vikings have been playing nothing but big games for the last 7-8 weeks, they're a better team at home than they are on the road (5-1 at the Metrodome to this point, with that one loss being in the home opener over three months ago). . .and I think today they get the job done and put themselves in position to play for a first-round bye in Week 17.

Strap yourselves in, ladies and gentlemen. . .we're in for a good one this afternoon.

SKOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL VIKINGS!!!!

MINNESOTA VIKINGS (8-5)	GAME #14	ARIZONA CARDINALS (8-5)
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As I've mentioned previously, the "magic number" for the Vikings to clinch their first division championship since the division was still called the NFC Central is 2.  Any combination of Vikings' victories and Bears' losses that add up to 2 (i.e. 2 Minnesota wins, 1 Minnesota win and 1 Chicago loss, or 2 Chicago losses) will wrap up a division title for the Beloved Purple.

Even after the Bears' victory over New Orleans this past Thursday, the Vikings are still in control of their own destiny.  If the Beloved Purple can win their next two games, the division title is theirs and we won't have to worry about whether or not the New York Giants will be playing people or resting people or anything else.

Common wisdom says that the Vikings shouldn't be able to win this game.  We all know of the prolific nature of the Cardinals' passing attack, Minnesota is generally pretty bad on the road, and Arizona is 5-1 at home this year.  However, that one home loss for the Cards game in Week 12 against the New York Giants, and a big reason for that was that the Giants put pressure on Kurt Warner all afternoon.  Yes, the stats for that game only show one sack for the Giants, but Warner also fumbled twice and threw an interception because of the Giants' pass rush.

The Vikings' pass rush is nothing to sneeze at, and their ability to get pressure on Warner is going to be key this afternoon.  Warner has looked pretty bad in the last two games he's had to play against good defenses (the aforementioned game against the Giants and a 3-INT performance in a loss to the Eagles on Thanksgiving).  If Minnesota can get pressure on Warner, it will force him into making some bad decisions.  He's played at a high level for most of the year, but he can still be rattled by a good pass rush.

The other key is for the Vikings to be sure tacklers when Arizona's receivers do catch the football.  Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald, and Steve Breaston aren't going to drop many passes, so it's imperative on Cedric Griffin, Antoine Winfield, Darren Sharper, Madieu Williams, and Benny Sapp to get them to the ground after they make the catch.  They'll have plenty of opportunities to do so, as a) the Vikings have what may be the best run defense in the NFL, and b) Arizona's rush offense is rated 32nd in the league.

On offense, the Vikings need to do two things to be successful.  They need to not be afraid to give Tarvaris Jackson the entire playbook.  In his two starts to begin the season, the Vikings' offensive game plan was incredibly conservative, and that led to Tarvaris Jackson overthinking a lot of things rather than using his impressive athletic ability and strong arm to get the job done on offense.  Jackson has said this past week that the time as a backup has allowed him to relax and not put so much pressure on himself.  That's essential for an NFL quarterback.  Playing mistake-free is important, yes, but not to the point where you don't allow yourself to use your abilities to move the ball downfield.  Jackson's presence should also allow us to use more rollouts and move the pocket more frequently than we've been able to do with Gus Frerotte.  The Arizona pass defense isn't totally awful or anything (though they have allowed more TD passes than any team in the league), but they've started playing better as of late.

The other thing the Vikings need to do is what they do best. . .pound away with Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor, shorten the game, and limit the number of times the Arizona offense gets to have the football.  Warner, Boldin, and Fitzgerald can't score points if the best running tandem in the league is toting the rock. . .provided Peterson can hold on to the damn thing this week.  Then again, since he's not facing the Detroit Lions, maybe ball security won't be an issue. . .of Peterson's six fumbles this season, four of them have come against the Motor City Kitties.

The Cardinals have an 8-5 record, but part of that can be attributed to playing in what might be the worst division in football.  The Cards are 5-0 against their NFC West rivals to this point, which leaves them at 3-5 against the rest of the league.  They also haven't beaten a team with a record of .500 or better since Week 6, when they beat the Cowboys in overtime.  If the Vikings can pressure Kurt Warner and pound away with their rushing attack, it's quite possible for those trends to continue and for Minnesota to get one step closer to making reservations for January.

Two hours to kickoff, ladies and gentlemen. . .let's give Joe Buck something to legitimately cry about this afternoon.

SKOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL VIKINGS!!!!

MINNESOTA VIKINGS (7-5)	GAME #13	DETROIT LIONS (0-12)
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Yes, folks, this game falls under the heading of the classic "trap game."  A team that's hot and should win, looking at a game next week on the road against a quality opponent heading out on the road to take on a team that nobody likes and that just got slaughtered in their own building on Thanksgiving Day. . .a game in which they appeared to basically just give up.

Pacifist Viking said it very well the other day in his post looking forward to this afternoon's matchup.  According to the good folks at Football Outsiders, the Lions are currently fielding what might be the worst defense in NFL history.  Their DVOA is the worst of any team since they started tracking that statistic (and to read what that entails, go check out their site).  They currently rank 32nd in points allowed, 31st in points allowed, 32nd in net pass yards allowed, 32nd in rush yards allowed, 32nd in TD runs allowed, and 32nd in yards/carry allowed.  They have all of two interceptions on the season (one of which, yes, did come against Minnesota), and they allow their opponents to complete passes at a 66.3% clip.

Yes, their defense turned it up a notch at the earlier game at the Metrodome this year.  Since then, the Lions haven't allowed fewer than 25 points, and didn't allow less than 27 in a game during the entire month of November (27 to Chicago, 38 to Jacksonville, 31 to Carolina, 38 to Tampa Bay, and 47 to Tennessee).  While their defense was giving up 36.2 points/game last month, their offense was scoring at a clip of 17.8 points/game.

Meanwhile, the Vikings' offense has sort of found itself over the past few weeks.  Did you know that since the last time the Vikings played the Lions, Minnesota has only scored fewer than 28 points once in the subsequent six games (their 19-13 loss to Tampa Bay)?  Since the Vikings squeaked by at the Metrodome, the offense has been scoring at a rate of 29 points/game while allowing 23.5 points/game.  And, yes, both of those numbers would be lower if you take out the shootout in Chicago back in Week 7 (which came just before the bye week). . .they'd fall to 26.6 and 18.6, respectively.  Minnesota has also won 7 of its last 10 games after starting out 0-2.

Do you think the Lions can hold Minnesota to 12 points again?  I don't.

Think that Adrian Peterson is going to fumble twice in the red zone again?  I don't.

Think that the Lions' rush defense is going to stop. . .or even slow down. . .Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor this afternoon?  I don't.

Think that Daunte Culpepper, who has been getting sacked at a rate of once per 8.3 dropbacks, is going to be able to put together the kind of game he'll need for Detroit to win today with Jared Allen's foot up his ass all afternoon?  I don't.

A lot of "experts" are saying that this is Detroit's last chance for a victory in 2008 to avoid going 0-16.  I think that a lot of the "experts" are going to be disappointed once the final gun sounds.  The Lions aren't winning this one, either.  Maybe the "experts" should circle Detroit's Week 17 game to find their best chance at a victory this season.

Alright, I'm confident.  Let's hope the Beloved Purple get out there this afternoon and do what they should do.

SKOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL VIKINGS!!!!

CHICAGO BEARS (6-5)	GAME #12	MINNESOTA VIKINGS (6-5)
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Not a lot to be said here, ladies and gentlemen.  We can't let Orton get comfortable back there like he did against us the first time.  He's not 100% back from his ankle injury, and the Williams brothers and Jared Allen need to spend some time getting reacquainted with their pal Kyle.

With the Packers urinating one down their collective legs this afternoon against Carolina (to officially go 0-4 against the NFC South, for what that's worth), the winner of this one should, in theory, have the smoothest sailing to the NFC North crown.  Our guys need to go out and get this job done.

We're 407 miles from Chicago, we've got a full bottle of Mountain Dew, half a roasted chicken, it's dark. . .and we're playing indoors.  Hit it!

SKOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL VIKINGS!!!!

MINNESOTA VIKINGS (5-5)	GAME #11	JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (4-6)
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This game presents some interesting challenges for the Beloved Purple, but it appears that they're challenges that can be overcome and can lead to a Vikings' victory.

For starters, while the Jaguars have arguably the second-best 1-2 running back combo in the National Football League in Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew. . .come on, we all know who's #1 in that department. . .they're rush offense is "only" #11 in the NFL thus far.  Part of this has to do with the fact that their offensive line has been a mess this season, as they've had to put a bunch of linemen on IR  The other part of it has to do with the fact that Jaguars' quarterback David Garrard hasn't had nearly the type of year in 2008 that he had in 2007.

As Jacksonville's starting QB in 2007, Garrard had a TD-to-INT ratio of 18/3 in 12 starts.  While his interceptions haven't increased dramatically (he's thrown 6 this year), he only has 8 touchdown throws.  He's also averaging a full year less per attempt than he did in 2007, and the Jaguars' receiving corps is relatively suspect.  However, like we saw with Jeff Garcia last week, Garrard is exactly the kind of quarterback that the Vikings tend to have trouble with, given his mobility and his accuracy.  So, just like last week, the Vikings will have to get a handle on #9 in teal and gold if they hope to win today.  It will (or should) be significantly tougher to stop Jacksonville's running game than it was stopping Tampa's, but with the Williams boys still in the middle, they should be able to get it done.

This game also matches up two teams with interesting dilemmas.  We know that the Vikings have their troubles on the road, having posted a 1-4 record away from the Metrodome this season.  However, the Jaguars' struggles have been on their home turf this year, as they're 1-4 at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium and 3-2 on the road.  So, the Vikings don't win on the road, and the Jaguars don't win at home.  To borrow a phrase, something has to give this afternoon.

One other interesting tidbit I grabbed from USA Today.  Last week, the Jaguars had a 14-3 halftime lead against the undefeated Tennessee Titans before falling 24-14.  Tennessee's opponents are 2-7 this season the week after they play Tennessee.  One of the two exceptions to that?  Yes, your Minnesota Vikings, who played New Orleans the week after they played the Titans and managed to win a wild one in the Big Easy.  Will the Jaguars be experiencing a letdown after playing the Titans so close, only to see the game. . .and, likely, their playoff hopes. . .disappear?  We'll have to find out.

I don't know how many more games we're going to have the Williams Wall for. . .if there's any justice, we'll have them for all of them. . .but if this ends up being their last real hurrah for the year, I think the Vikings have what it takes today to send them off with a close, hard-fought victory.

Game kicks off in two hours, folks. . .hope to see you all here then!

SKOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL VIKINGS!!!!

MINNESOTA VIKINGS (5-4)	GAME #10	TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (6-3)
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As mentioned earlier this week, the Vikings travel today to a place where they haven't won since 1997, facing a team with an outstanding defense and fighting to maintain at least a share of first place in the NFC North.  We'll also be keeping an eye on the other big divisional matchup today as the Packers host the Bears.  By the end of the day, there could be another three-way tie for the NFC North lead.  But, let's take a look at a couple of keys for the Beloved Purple this afternoon.

One thing that the Vikings will need to be able to do in order to be successful today is throw the ball effectively on first down.  The Bucs have an outstanding run defense, and we can't simply pound the ball into the line on every 1st and 10, as Brad Childress is wont to do.  The Vikings have to make an effort to keep the Bucs off-balance and not allow them to load up to stop the run.  Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor can be effective against this Tampa Bay defense, but not if the Bucs are allowed to pile 8 and 9 men in the box on a regular basis.  This goes hand-in-hand with taking care of the football.  Gus Frerotte has thrown 11 interceptions in his 7 starts this year, but 8 of those 11 have come in the last 3 games (4 @ Chicago, 1 vs. Houston, and 3 vs. Green Bay).  That really, really has to come to an end, and that's a tough road to hoe against this Buccaneer defense.

The Vikings also have to contain Buccaneers' quarterback Jeff Garcia.  Garcia is just the kind of quarterback that the Vikings famously have trouble with. . .he doesn't necessarily have the strongest arm in the league, but he is very accurate, and has a great deal of mobility.  Keeping the Tampa rushing offense bottled up doesn't terribly concern me, particularly with the injuries that all of their running backs are battling at this point.  So, with the rush offense being held down, the Vikings need to keep Tampa's passing game in check.  Are they capable of doing that?  Certainly.  Will they do that?  That remains to be seen.

Oh, and it would also be nice if the Vikings' special teams could maybe NOT suck out loud today.  For a little perspective on the Vikings' special teams. . .we're 9 games into the 2008 season, and the Beloved Purple have already tied the NFL record for most return TDs allowed in a season with 6.  That there. . .that's pretty pathetic.  It's not even the kick coverage so much. . .they've gotten markedly better since the Saints' game last month. . .but the punt coverage unit is beyond awful, and the Bucs have a good young return man in rooke Dexter Jackson, the Bucs second-round pick out of Appalachian State.

Kickoff is two short hours away.  By the end of the day, the Beloved Purple will either have a three-game winning streak and some serious momentum working in their favor. . .or they'll be back to being a .500 team.  I'm hoping for the former, but I can't pick it in good conscience.  I would love nothing more than to be wrong this week.

See you all in the comments section!

SKOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL VIKINGS!!!!

GREEN BAY PACKERS (4-4)	GAME #9	MINNESOTA VIKINGS (4-4)
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Not a lot of analysis to be had here.  Get pressure on Aaron Rodgers, get Adrian Peterson going (and tell me he's not due for an absolutely monster game), and for the love of God, beat these jagoffs.  If ol' Chili can't beat the Packers this time, there's a very good chance he won't get another opportunity.

Let's get it done, people.

SKOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL VIKINGS!!!!

HOUSTON TEXANS (3-4)	GAME #8	MINNESOTA VIKINGS (3-4)
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I'm not going to lie to you, folks. . .this game didn't particularly worry me when the schedules first came out last year.  But with what's gone on this past week and what the future could potentially hold, this is a MUST-win football game this afternoon.

On paper, this is a game that Minnesota should win.  Yes, I know that the Texans have won three consecutive games and all that jazz.  But, with all due respect to Gary Kubiak's squad, the three teams that they've beaten in those three games have a combined total of three victories. . .and all three of them belong to the Miami Dolphins, as the Texans have had the privilege of playing both of the NFL's remaining winless teams over the past two weeks in victories over Detroit and Cincinnati.

The main threat that the Vikings are going to have to keep an eye on today is WR Andre Johnson.  Johnson has posted four consecutive games with at least 130 receiving yards, and will be looking to make it five today.  I'd like to think that we'd see Antoine Winfield on him all afternoon, but we know that the Vikings don't make adjustments like that, so look for Johnson to be lighting Cedric Griffin up like a Christmas tree.  Hopefully the debut of Madieu Williams can help to counteract that a bit.

The Williams Wall has not been suspended as of right now, so I wouldn't expect rookie Steve Slaton to do a heck of a lot this afternoon.  That means that the Texans are going to have to take to the air to move the ball.  Hopefully Jared Allen, Kevin Williams, and the rest of the Vikings' defense can take advantage of the opportunities they'll be given today.

The Texans' defense isn't terribly special.  They're 26th in the league in points allowed, so they can be scored on.  Their pass defense is 16th in terms of yardage allowed, and their rush defense is 16th.  Regardless, I'd expect Adrian Peterson to continue being Adrian Peterson, and hopefully Gus can discern the difference between the white jerseys that the Texans will be wearing and the purple ones that belong to his teammates.  It's going to be imperative that Bryant McKinnie keep DE Mario Edwards as far away from Frerotte as possible.

This is going to be a much closer game, I think, than many of us believed it would be a few months ago.  However, with the need for momentum going into next week, I think that the Beloved Purple can pull this one out and get themselves back to the even-water mark.

Here's hoping that everyone will be here to watch, comiserate, and celebrate as appropriate this afternoon.  See you in two hours!

SKOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL VIKINGS!!