Week 17: Eyes in front edition

Personally, I would have liked to see a blowout over the Packers, but 16-0 works just fine as a Christmas present.  It got us a win, and unless Philadelphia gets its mojo back in the playoffs, the Vikes possibly won't play outdoors again this season. 

But that of course means the Vikings need to win today.  I'm putting down today as a must-win, even though there's a chance Atlanta beats Carolina to accomplish the same thing.  Today's Cavalcade is going to be a short one, because there are not 86 different scenarios to visit.  Instead, we have just one: win and claim a bye.

There might be some scoreboard-watching today, but if the Vikings win, none of it will matter because they would get an extra week of rest and be prepared for the divisional round of the playoffs. 

I will share my thoughts on why this team has me believing again next week, whether they end up slipping to Wild Card Weekend, or they come through and get the bye.  Either way, as division champs, they'll play at home.  You just need to beat the Bears, and this defense has given up 7 points since losing to Carolina.  I've got to think we'll be fine.

It's a nice feeling to be going to the playoffs no matter what happens this week.  Beats the crap out of the alternative (2016, anyone?).  Skol!

Week 14: Eight straight feels great, but how great?

I am oddly comfortable right now.  Christmas 2017 is shaping up to be a great affair with a first place operation within the division and (as of this writing; Saturday night) a team ranking first place in the entire NFC.  Now, things could easily change, but that Vikings-Packers tilt on Christmas Night (not Christmas Eve) should be very enjoyable if the Vikes have locked up a quality playoff spot. 

The big question is, when do we have that moment where dissention within the ranks starts to show cracks in the armor?  The Vikings struggled a bit on offense against the Falcons, but were able to grind out an eighth consecutive victory; something that only the greatest of Vikings teams have done historically.  There wasn’t much dissent to be had.  We all remember the Sunday night game (oddly enough, against Carolina) where Brad Childress and Brett Favre got into it; a game which ended up being an ugly 26-7 loss.

How about the Monday night game against Chicago that same year where the Vikings fell down 23-6, rallied to tie the game, but lost in overtime?  In seemingly every big time Vikings season, there exists a moment where the “football gods,” if you believe such a thing exists, seem to slap the fandom in its collective face and taunt us just like a Packer fan about having no rings.  This has happened consistently ever since the team first started winning playoff games back in the late 60s.

Am I foolish for bracing in anticipation of such a moment on a week-to-week basis?  Or, should I just give myself up entirely to this team and enjoy the ride with a squad that very well could be good enough to finally get that elusive first Super Bowl trophy?  It is a question I will continue to ponder as the season rolls on.  Are you guarding your heart, Vikings fans?  Or have you given in to the hype train?