Monday Open Thread: December 4, 2017

Merry post-win Monday, everyone!

10 and 2, I like the sound of that. The Vikings went on the road and beat a very good Falcons team yesterday.

If you were waiting for verification that this team has an elite defense, I think they provided it yesterday. They dominated a very powerful Atlanta offense. Normally, when your offense scores 14 against the Falcons, you won’t win the game. This defense is something special, what Zimmer has done with that unit in a fairly short period of time is amazing.

There isn’t a lot more I can say about the defense. Xavier Rhodes is the best cornerback in the NFL right now, he neutralized one of the league’s best wide receivers, as he held Julio Jones to 2 receptions for 24 yards. Waynes, Alexander, and Newman all had good games, as did Smith and Sendejo (DID YOU SEE THAT PASS BREAKUP?!?!). The linebackers were everywhere, and the front four was rock solid.

Offensively..........hey, we did enough to win. Keenum had a bit of a rocky first half, missing some throws and taking a couple of sacks he shouldn’t have (it happens to every QB, I’m not complaining, just pointing it out), BUT, he came out in the second half, settled in, and put together a solid game. The Murray/McKinnon machine churned out 100 rushing yards, and helped the Vikings dominate the ball control battle. Stefon Diggs and of course, Adam Thielen, both came up big when they were needed, and Rudolph is proving to be a lethal red zone target. Atlanta applied the pressure, but the O line dealt with it, and Shurmur did a nice job of backing them off with some well-designed screens.

I give this team a legit shot to beat any team out there right now. They’re playing smart football, staying disciplined, and doing their jobs individually. The sky is the limit, this season is gonna be fun. Hang on & enjoy the ride, folks.

Around the DN since our last open thread:

From Chris, ESPN predicted who the Vikings’ QB will be in 2018.

Saxyprince posted Climbing the Pocket: Episode 53 [Magic City?].

Chris has your post-game wrap-up.

The scenario for the Vikings to clinch the division (Ya’ hear that, five?!) is as simple as it gets, per Chris.

Wludford has a wrap-up and analysis of yesterday's game.

Chris shared a cool clip of Adam Thielen being interviewed by the one and only Randy Moss.

Vikings news from other sources:

ESPN has yesterday’s game stats and highlights.

Over at Vikings.com, watch Coach Zimmer’s post-game locker room speech, and watch the Coach’s media address following the win, see a clip of all the game’s highlights, and there’s lots more you can browse through in the media vault.

After the Eagles’ loss last night, the Vikings possess the #1 seed in the NFC.

News from around the rest of the NFL:

Giants QB Geno Smith had some less-than-flattering remarks about Rex Ryan, per NFL.com. The comment stemmed from a comment made by Ryan last week, Ryan was Smith’s coach in Buffalo. Doesn’t sound like they’re going to be Facebook friends.

Get all the latest scores and highlights from all the games, from NFL.com.

We come to today’s media selection.

You know what we do the day after a victory. Fire up the band, boys & girls!

Again, we all know the rules, but in case someone is new:

-No discussion of politics or religion
-No feeding of the trolls
-This isn't a male version of The View, so leave the gender hatred at the door
-Keep the bad language to a minimum (using the spoiler tags, if you must)
-Speaking of which, if discussing a newer show or movie, please use spoiler tags
-No pictures that could get someone fired or in serious trouble with their employer
-If you can't disagree in a civil manner, feel free to go away

-While navigating the open thread, just assume it's sarcasm

With that, the beer light is on and the bar is open. Belly up & tie one on. Don't forget to tip your waitress, & try the tiger meat.