/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/60617703/usa-today-8034729.0.0.0.jpg)
MINNESOTA VIKINGS (8-4) | WEEK 14 | ARIZONA CARDINALS (10-2) |
![]() | @ | ![]() |
Date: | 10 December 2015 | Location: | Glendale, AZ |
Time: | 7:25 PM Central | Stadium: | University of Phoenix Stadium |
TV: | NFL Network WCCO-4 (Twin Cities) | Radio: | Vikings Radio Network XM Ch 225 Sirius Ch 83 |
TV Announcers: | Jim Nantz Phil Simms | Know Thy Foe: | Revenge of the Birds |
Weather: | 63 degrees, wins from SE at 5 MPH, 0% chance of rain | ||
Line: | Arizona -10, Over/Under 46 (Thanks to the SB Nation Odds page) | ||
Chris' Prediction: | Cardinals 41, Vikings 10 | ||
Final Score: | Cardinals 23, Vikings 20 |
Here are the ground rules for the Game Threads:
-Thou shalt not link illegal feeds of today's game, or I shall kick thy arse to the curb until the game is over. Do not promote then, do not mention them, do not even hint at them. Thou hast been warned.
-Thou shalt make an attempt to keep the swearing to a minimum. Understandable that it will slip occasionally, but do try to limit it. If you really feel the need to curse, use the spoiler tags to keep it covered up. We'll get the sentiment.
-Thou shalt not feed the trolls. Rather, thou shall simply point them out, and they shall be banished to the fires of Mordor. Or Wisconsin. Whichever we feel is more harsh at the time.
-Thou shalt not engage in racist, sexist, or other such insulting rhetoric. Somebody disagreeing with you does not make them racist or sexist. It means they disagree with you. Talk it out like adults.
-Thou shalt not bait the fans of other teams into trolling.
-Basically, thou shalt not be a jackwagon in the game thread.
Well, ladies and gentlemen, the day of reckoning is officially here. Fresh off of a beatdown at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks, the Minnesota Vikings now find themselves facing another top-level opponent in the NFC West-leading Arizona Cardinals. As you can see by the betting line, it doesn't appear as though a lot of people. . .yours truly included. . .think our team has much of a chance in this one. The Vikings are down their three best defensive players, and the Cardinals boast the highest-scoring offense in the NFL. It's shaping up to be a bit of an ugly one, it would appear.
So, how can the Vikings pull off the upset?
1) Get back to tackling - With the offensive weapons that the Cardinals have, it's imperative that the Vikings get back to the good, solid tackling that they have shown for most of the season. They most certainly have to tackle better than they did on Sunday against Seattle. On the bright side, I don't think it would be possible for them to tackle any worse than they did against Seattle, so they've got that going for them. . .which is nice.
2) Bring the heat on Carson Palmer - The Vikings are down some bodies in the secondary, and will likely be starting two safeties that they added to the 53-man roster on Tuesday. That means that they absolutely have to get pressure on Arizona quarterback Carson Palmer, who is on the short list of MVP candidates at this point in the season. Palmer isn't the most mobile quarterback, but he has been making a ton of plays this year. With a short-handed back seven, players like Everson Griffen and Sharrif Floyd are going to have to come up big.
3) Be less predictable on offense - We've talked a lot this week about the limitations of certain facets of the Minnesota offense. Yes, Adrian Peterson is football's best running back, and yes, Teddy Bridgewater has shown flashes. But if the Vikings are going to continue to exhibit Tecmo Bowl levels of predictability on offense, this team is going to struggle. The Arizona defense is very good, and the Vikings will have to do whatever they can to keep them off balance.
We're a little less than sixty minutes away from kickoff, ladies and gentlemen. I know that this one's going to be ugly, but at least it should be over quickly. We'll get through this together. . .okay?
SKOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL VIKINGS!!!!