New England Patriots vs. New York Giants
University of Phoenix Stadium
Glendale, Arizona

Well, folks, the last football game of the year is upon us. . .and before anyone asks, no, the Pro Bowl doesn't count.

Let's get all the bad sports movie cliches out of the way. . .this is Rocky vs. Drago.  This is Hickory High vs. South Bend Central.  This is Chico's Bail Bonds vs. the Yankees.

In one corner, you have the New York Football Giants.  I'll tell you. . .they sure as heck don't look like the same team that the Vikings mopped the floor with in late November.  Eli Manning has gone from being unable to remember which color uniforms his teammates are wearing to, as Denny Green used to say about his quarterbacks, "driving the car."  The last turnover the Giants committed came in their regular season finale against the Patriots.  They've played 194 plays this post-season without turning the ball over. . .which, considering that they've played three road games, including visits to the top 2 seeds in the NFC Playoffs, is mighty damn impressive.  Their secondary, which has been ravaged by injuries, held up remarkably well against the Cowboys and the Packers, and now it's time to see if they can go to the well once more.  They showed in Week 17 of the regular season that they can go toe-to-toe with the vaunted Patriots, and would love nothing better than to alter the history books.

In the other corner, you have the New England Patriots.  They've been a machine for the better part of the 2007 season.  They set a new NFL record for the most points scored in one season, eclipsing the mark that had been held by the 1998 Vikings.  They have the first QB to ever throw 50 TD passes in a season.  They have an insanely deep receiving corps and a running back that's finally starting to get the hang of the whole NFL thing.  Oh, and their defense isn't too shabby, either.  They struggled a bit in the AFC Championship game against San Diego, but they've had a full two weeks to game plan for this one.  Say what you will about the Patriots. . .and, with some of the stories that have come out recently, there's no doubt that there will be people that do. . .but when it comes to getting his team ready for big games, there are very few coaches that prepare their charges better than Bill Belichick.

The thing that's interesting to me about this game is that it would appear that all the pressure is on New England.  If the Giants go out and lose this game, certainly their fans will be a bit disappointed. . .but they can also look at themselves and say, "Well, our team played above their heads, they weren't supposed to be this far, and nobody thought we were going to be here when the season started."  The Patriots, on the other hand?  Not so much.  Right now, they're the 1990-91 University of Nevada-Las Vegas Runnin' Rebels.  Does anyone remember that the Runnin' Rebels that season won their first 34 games?  No. . .but they sure as heck remember them losing to Duke in the Final Four.  That's the sort of thing the Patriots are looking to avoid.  If the Giants finish their season 13-7, which they would with a loss tonight, then nobody's going to bad mouth them.  If the Patriots finish 18-1, it will be viewed as nothing short of a disaster.  There's no "good season" for New England if they should lose this game.

So, what is tonight's outcome going to be?  Right now, the line is showing New England as a 12-point favorite.  If I were one of the approximately eleventy billion people that had money down on this one. . .and I'm not. . .I think that the Giants will keep it closer than 12 points.  But, I think we're going to see perfection achieved this evening in Glendale.

Gonzo's Final Score Prediction:  Patriots 38, Giants 34

There you have it, folks. . .enjoy the game, enjoy Tom Petty, enjoy the commercials, and remember. . .after tonight, there's no meaningful football until August.  I know, it kills me to say it, too.

If you want to discuss the game, feel free to leave comments.

Minnesota Vikings at Denver Broncos
Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium
Denver, Colorado

Well, here we have it, ladies and gentlemen. . .barring a minor miracle, this will be the last game of a roller coaster 2007 Vikings' season.

I say "barring a minor miracle" because there IS one other game we're watching this afternoon, that being the game between the Washington Redskins and what's likely going to amount to the Dallas Cowboys' second-stringers.  If Washington wins, they're the #6 seed in the NFC Playoffs and Minnesota's season is officially over.  If, for some reason, Washington does lose to Dallas' backups and the Vikings can pull out a win in Denver, then Minnesota would be the ones making the road trip to Seattle next weekend instead of the Redskins.  But, if I can be totally honest here, I don't have a lot of faith in that happening.  Yes, stranger things have happened in the course of NFL history, but really. . .when was the last time something good happened for the Vikings when they NEEDED it to happen?  If you want to count the Vikings making the '04 playoffs because another team. . .I believe it was Carolina. . .lost their final game of the year, that's fine.  I, personally, do not.  But the Vikings had their shot and they blew it in a big way, and now they have to, as Blanche Dubois so often did, "rely on the kindness of strangers."

As you can see by the stats above, Denver's run defense suck-diddily-ucks.  The only worse teams against the run have been Miami and Oakland. . .two teams that have won fewer games combined than either team that will take the field in Denver today has won by themselves.  But based on what we've seen the last couple of weeks, the Broncos will probably put 8 men in the box. . .again. . .and make Tarvaris Jackson try to beat them.  Where this presents a problem for Minnesota is the fact that Denver's defensive secondary is VERY good, with the ageless John Lynch at safety and the best CB duo in the NFL in Champ Bailey and Dre Bly.  If the Vikings continue to try to slam Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor into those 8-man fronts until it's too late. . .like they did last week against Washington. . .then it could be a very long afternoon for the Beloved Purple.

When possession changes and Denver has the ball, the Vikings absolutely, positively MUST hit Jay Cutler.  Cutler has a lot of physical ability and potential, but he can be rattled if you bang him around a bit.  It's up to the D-line, and specifically Kenechi Udeze and Brian Robison to get pressure on the Broncos' QB, if not start racking up the sacks.  If Cutler has all day to throw, he'll shred the Vikings' defense, particularly if we're without Antoine Winfield, who appears to be a game-time decision.

Gotta keep the faith, ladies and gentlemen.  Here's hoping that the Vikings can give us something to talk about going into the 2008 season. . .and, possibly, into this next weekend as well.

Gonzo's Final Score Prediction:  Vikings 23, Broncos 20

Go Cowboys, and SKOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL VIKINGS!!!!

Washington Redskins at Minnesota Vikings
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
Minneapolis, Minnesota

As I type this, the Eagles have taken a quick 7-0 lead over the Saints on a crazy play that involved Donovan McNabb running about 40 yards, getting stripped, and seeing Kevin Curtis fall on the ball as it bounced around in the end zone.  Take 'em any way you can get 'em, folks.  Good start for the Vikings, in any event.

Eagles/Saints is on DirecTV channel 706, and the other game we need to keep an eye on between the Giants and the Bills is on DirecTV channel 704.  The "Prev" button on my remote is going to get quite a workout over the next couple of hours.

And there's a deep pass from Brees to Devery Henderson for a huge gain, and the Saints are inside the Philly 10.  The Bills have also just taken a 7-0 lead over the Giants.  Damn, it's like I'm live-blogging already.

Anyway, about tonight's game. . .this is the most nervous I've been for a Vikings' game since this blog started almost a year and a half ago.  I wasn't super-confident going into last week or anything, but I thought we had a very good chance of coming out on top.  This game makes me even more nervous, despite the fact that the Redskins are starting a bad quarterback and have several key injuries on defense, including putting their second-leading tackler (LB Rocky McIntosh) on IR this past week.

(Saints have just tied the game at 7. . .and the Eagles have just turned it over in Saints' territory on a Westbrook fumble.  Crap.  Ah, well, I should know better than to think that things would work out the way the Vikings need them to.)

This is looking more and more like a must-win for the Vikings.  Adrian Peterson has been bottled up for two full games now, by his standards, and you have to wonder how much longer that can last.  The Vikings will pound the ball at Washington's defense, and I think the Redskins will stack the box to try to prevent that. . .not that its done any good for any other team this season, but they'll try it anyway.  I have a gut feeling that we're going to see more of the Tarvaris Jackson that we saw in the weeks leading up to the Bears' game, as opposed to the Jackson we saw last week.  He'll take much better care of the ball and won't kill the Beloved Purple with turnovers.  On defense, it's going to be all about getting to backup QB Todd Collins, who had a terrible performance last week in what was his first start in 10+ years.  I fully expect the Redskins' running game to be a non-factor, as most teams' running games are against Minnesota, and the long yardage situations will lead to the Vikings teeing off on a sub-par quarterback.

It might not be pretty all the time, but I think the Vikings are going to get it done tonight and get themselves one step closer to the post-season.

Gonzo's Final Score Prediction:  Vikings 24, Redskins 17

Go Eagles, go Bills, and SKOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL VIKINGS!!!!

Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Note to my fellow co-workers. . .if a commander's call starts at 1500, the commander gives us his talk and stuff like that, and he then opens the floor to questions. . .feel free to stop asking dumb-ass questions that don't apply to 98% of the people in the room BEFORE 1730!!

Argh.

Anyway, here we are at the Vikings' latest "biggest game of the season."  A win tonight for Minnesota would go a LONG way in solidifying their playoff chances.  A win tonight for the Beloved Purple would knock Arizona, Carolina, Detroit, and Philadelphia ALL out of playoff consideration, essentially making the wild-card chase a four-team affair between Minnesota, New Orleans, Washington (who the Vikings play next week in their next "biggest game of the season,") and the suddenly in big trouble New York Football Giants.

The Bears, to put it mildly, have been a disappointment this season.  Thought by many to be the best in the NFC after their trip to the Super Bowl last season, a loss for them tonight gives them a very good chance of finishing in last place in the NFC North.  As you can see from the stats, their vaunted defense really hasn't played very well at all this season. . .some of that due to injury, some of it due to other factors. . .and their offense is starting their third different QB of the season, and a guy that hasn't started a game since the 2005 season finale.

The Vikings, on the other hand, are coming into this game on a serious roll, as we all know.  The last time these two teams got together, Adrian Peterson gashed the Bears for 224 yards (on only 20 carries) and 3 TDs, as well as getting the kickoff return that set up Ryan Longwell's game-winning field goal as time expired.

Logic says that the Vikings should win this game easily.  But, as we all know, with NFC North divisional matchups, you can usually throw logic right out the window.  I think the Vikings are going to win tonight. . .but if you're betting on them to cover the spread (which was Minnesota -10 the last time I checked), you might be in for a disappointment.

Gonzo's Final Score Prediction:  Vikings 24, Bears 17

Let's get this thing done, people.

SKOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL VIKINGS!!!!

Minnesota Vikings at San Francisco 49ers
Monster Park
San Francisco, California

Not going to spend a lot of time on this for the moment. . .I'm heading back over to the Medical Center here to be with my wife.  They took her out of the ICU yesterday and moved her into an actual room in the hospital, and she's talking and eating and everything else.  She's relatively weak, which is to be expected when you've been under sedation for the better part of a week, but as I said, she's eating and talking and all that other good stuff.  So, I'm going to get this up, head over to the Medical Center to be with her, come back home long enough to watch the game, and then head back over there.

I want to thank everyone again for all their well wishes and prayers.  They really, truly are appreciated by myself and the rest of the family.

As far as the game itself, as you can see from the stats above, this looks like it SHOULD be a mismatch.  The Vikings' offensive strength plays to the Niners' defensive weakness, and it doesn't look like the Niners have the passing game to exploit the Vikings' defensive weakness (although that "weakness" has been much stronger lately).  The Niners are also tied for second-worst in the league in sacks allowed with 43 (tied with Kansas City. . .only Detroit has given up more), and if Leslie Frazier continues dialing up the kind of pressure that he has been the last couple of weeks, it should be a very long day for Niners quarterback Trent Dilfer.

I said at the beginning of the week that this has all the makings of a trap game, and is the sort of game that the Vikings historically lose.  I'm usually loathe to predict Vikings' blowouts for just that reason.  However, for the first time since after the Seattle game last season, I've got some real, honest-to-God confidence in this team, and I think they're going to make the trip out to the West Coast this afternoon and take care of business the way a team that's making a run at the post-season should.

And hey, if it comes back to bite me in the ass later on. . .meh, no big deal.  After all, if this week has taught me one big, important thing, it's that this is just football.

Gonzo's Final Score Prediction:  Vikings 31, Niners 10

That's all for now, folks. . .oh, and remember to cheer for Jacksonville, Seattle, Dallas, and. . .well, who you feel like cheering for in the New York/Philadelphia game.  Either outcome in that one benefits us, I think.

SKOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL VIKINGS!!!!

Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Yes, I know it's only Saturday morning.  Unfortunately, as soon as this post goes up, I'm headed back to the Keesler Medical Center to be with Mrs. Gonzo, who is currently suffering from a pretty nasty viral pneumonia that's she's battled all week and was finally admitted to the hospital for last night.  Once the antibiotics kick in, she'll be fine. . .they tried treating it as an outpatient thing with antibiotics at first, but she had a follow-up appointment yesterday and it was determined that that wasn't working, so now they're treating her inpatient style.

So, there's a very good chance I won't be seeing the game on Sunday, depending on her condition, and there's a very good chance that my presence around here this weekend is going to be kind of scarce.  I just came home overnight to organize a few things and to get a little bit of sleep, since I wasn't going to get any at the hospital.  Hence, the Open Thread goes up now.

So, the quickie analysis:  The Vikings are playing better than they were the first time these two teams met, and the Lions are playing worse.   The Vikings are a pretty decent team at home, while the Lions are relatively terrible on the road.   Adrian Peterson is back for Minnesota.  The Vikings have won 3 of their last 4, while Detroit comes to the Dome looking for their fourth straight loss.  I think they're going to find what they're searching for.

Gonzo's Final Score Prediction:  Vikings 27, Lions 20

Have a pleasant weekend, folks, and I'll have any status updates here as they become pertinent.

SKOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL VIKINGS!!!!

Well, after almost two full days of being at the Medical Center full-time, the doctors and nurses there have pretty much told me to go away for a while and do something to de-stress before my head explodes. I don't even know if "de-stress" is a word, but I know what they're saying. My wife is making pretty good progress, and she's in very good hands.

So, there's a pretty good chance I'll be here tomorrow after all. Because, hey, if there's one thing that can decrease my level of stress, it's Vikings football. I hope.

Minnesota Vikings at New York Giants
Giants Stadium
East Rutherford, New Jersey

A Minneapolis-area sports columnist wrote over the course of this past week that today just might be the most important game of the Brad Childress era in Minnesota, and there's a good chance that he's probably right on that front.  The Beloved Purple sit at 4-6 and currently reside near the bottom of the NFC Playoff race.  Today they face a Giants team with a record at 7-3 and is currently one of the best teams in the conference, but they're also a team that's having some injury problems.  The Giants will be without their top 2 tailbacks for today's game, as both Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward will be sidelined with injuries.  They also lost Mathias Kiwanuka last week, a loss that our Giants blogger over at Big Blue View sees as a "HUGE" one.

This game could be the springboard that the Vikings need to make a sort of mini-run at a post-season spot if they can pull off the upset.  And make no mistake. . .it would be an upset if it were to happen.  The Giants are very good against the run defensively, but at this point the Vikings have shown that they can pretty much run against anybody (the spineless, gutless, cheap shot-taking scum from Wisconsin not withstanding).  Adrian Peterson is still listed as questionable, but I really doubt that we'll see him on the field today, so we can expect a pretty big dose of Chester Taylor this afternoon. . .and we're going to need him if the Minnesota passing attack is going to generate anything.  Even with the loss of Kiwanuka, New York's pass rush is very good, and if the Vikings end up in a lot of second or third and long situations, it's going to be a long day.

Surprisingly, the Giants have been a more effective running offense this season than a passing offense, as the above numbers show.  Kind of strange for an offense that has Eli Manning, Plaxico Burress, Jeremy Shockey, and Amani Toomer in the passing game and a group of running backs that are, by and large, unknown.  But, once again, the key to this one is going to be whether or not the Vikings can get enough pressure on Eli Manning to disrupt the Giants' passing game.

The last time these two teams got together, the Vikings had their own "Miracle at the Meadowlands" as they won 24-21, courtesy of an interception return for a touchdown (Darren Sharper), a punt return for a touchdown (Mewelde Moore), and a kickoff return for a touchdown (former Viking and current drunken loser Koren Robinson).  I don't think that's going to be necessary for the Vikings to win this afternoon.  However. . .and you can pull my homer credentials for this if you wish. . .I just don't think we're going to be able to pull this one off.  The Giants are a quality football team, and I can't pick the Beloved Purple to win a big game on the road until I actually see it happen.  I think it's going to be close, but I can't see the upset happening.

Gonzo's Final Score Prediction:  Giants 20, Vikings 17

Incidentally. . .why is it "Giants Stadium" when it's a Giants' game and "The Meadowlands" when the Jets are hosting a game?  I've always wondered about that.  Seems a bit weird to me.

Hour and a half until game time, folks. . .the inactives should be getting put out there any time now.

SKOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL VIKINGS!!!!

Oakland Raiders at Minnesota Vikings
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
Minneapolis, Minnesota

After last week's pilgrimage to the land of pond scum and vermin, this week the Beloved Purple return to the friendly confines of the Metrodome to take on the Oakland Raiders.

(Seriously, I'd rather spend one year at the Black Hole wearing my Vikings colors and holding a sign that says "RAIDERS SUCK!!" than spend one hour at Corrugated Tin Shack Field.  Wouldn't you?  Wouldn't anybody?)

As you can see, when the Raiders have the football, their strength pretty much plays into our strength, as Lamont Jordan, Dominic Rhodes, and Justin Fargas have given the silver and black a very formidable rushing game thus far.  Their weakness also matches up very nicely with our weakness. . .their pass offense is not so good, and our pass defense is beyond atrocious.  I'd love to have confidence in the pass defense against this Oakland offense, but I'm not going to underestimate the "Daunte Culpepper revenge" factor that's going to be at play here.  That and the fact that our pass defense has made some pretty garbage quarterbacks look like world-beaters (Damon Huard, Brian Griese, Brett Favre, etc.)  That's going to present the most interesting matchup of the afternoon, to be sure.

When the ball comes to our side, the Raiders' weak rush defense is something that the Adrian Peterson-less Vikings will still be looking to take advantage of.  Few teams are as bad against the run as the Raiders are, and if Chester Taylor and Mewelde Moore can get going early, it should help Tarvaris Jackson (who's starting. . .again) in the passing game.  As much as Tarvaris Jackson and/or this passing game can be helped, anyway.  I'm not sure if it can be saved at this point.  I'm sure the Raiders will be loading up to stop the run, so Jackson and company are going to have to try to take advantage somehow.

This game's probably going to be pretty ugly, folks, I won't lie to you.  I'm going to pick the Vikings to win this one, but I'm not terribly confident in it.  The main reason I'm picking Minnesota basically falls under the logic of "Hey. . .if they can't win this one, when CAN they win from here on out?"

Gonzo's Final Score Prediction:  Vikings 17, Raiders 16

One last thing I've failed to address. . .this goes out to all the lovely e-mailers and whining message board morons from Green Bay that waste their time whining and crying about my site being "biased."  Is this site "biased?"  It certainly is.  If you don't like it, then you can leave. . .and if you'd be so kind, take the rest of the front-running bandwagon jumpers that comprise 95% of your fan base with you.  "Classiest fans in sports," my ass.  "Most overrated?"  Now that I can believe.  It would be only fitting for the most overrated franchise in professional sports history.

Sorry about that, folks, but a man can only hear so much whining and crying.  That's all I've got to say about that.

SKOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL VIKINGS!!!!

Good vs. Evil
Corrugated Tin Shack Field
Dante's Eighth Circle of Hell

My analysis from the previous meeting between these two teams still holds. . .screw these guys.

Gonzo's Final Score Prediction:  Good 20, Evil 17

SKOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL VIKINGS!!

San Diego Chargers at Minnesota Vikings
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Well, if there isn't a Chargers' site on SBNation for me to take the team colors off of, we WILL use the powder blue, damn it!

Don't let the Chargers' statistical numbers fool you. . .they've been playing significantly better over the past month of the season, having rebounded from a 1-3 start to put up three very convincing victories over Denver (41-3), Oakland (28-14), and Houston (35-10).  The Chargers look now like the kind of team that everyone expected them to be from the beginning of the season.

The Chargers are very talented on offense, and even more so after the bye-week acquisition of WR Chris Chambers from the Miami Dolphins.  Paired with youngster Vincent Jackson, the Chargers now have a big, talented receiving duo. . .bad news for a Vikings secondary that might not have the services of Antoine Winfield this afternoon.  Of course, you can't forget about Antonio Gates, who is the best tight end in the National Football League by a significant margin (in my opinion).  Oh, and they can run the football too.  They have this running back. . .name escapes me at the moment. . .Thompson. . .Timlinson. . .Tomlinson!  That's it. . .LaDanian Tomlinson.  You've probably heard of him. . .set the single-season TD record in 2006, probably the best running back in the league today, on his way to being one of the all-time greats.  Yeah, that guy.

San Diego is also very dangerous defensively.  Their secondary is a bit suspect, but their front seven is extremely talented, led by LB/DE/Roid Monster Shawne Merriman and huge DT Jamal Williams.  Even if the San Diego secondary is suspect, with the Vikings' complete ineptitude in the passing game, I'm not really sure that it will make much difference.

I'm hesitant to predict a Chargers' blowout, if only because the Vikings don't get blown out very often, but don't be terribly surprised if today's final score is a little worse than what I'm predicting.

Gonzo's Final Score Prediction:  Chargers 23, Vikings 13

My picks for this week will be in the comments section.  Hopefully we can at least get a competitive game out of today's contest.  I hate being on the wrong end of an ass kicking.

SKOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL VIKINGS!!!!