Week 12: Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy some hot, fresh...Lion? Okay.

Winning…I had almost forgotten what that felt like.

The Vikings finally took care of a team for the first time in over a month on Sunday.  However, in true Vikings fashion, they almost choked the game away.  In fact, the late game had an eerily similar feel to the 2003 game (the Paul Allen “NOOOOOOOO” game, in case you need a reminder).

Only this time, the Vikings closed the deal with defense; something which the 2003 team was awful at doing starting with the seventh game of that season.  Losing a game or two is a natural occurrence during the typical NFL season.  Losing four in a row is a sign of a team that perhaps wasn’t as great as everyone made it out to be.

So indeed, as soon as the Vikings got hyped to Mars and back, they started losing. 

However, the losing streak is now in the past.  Hopefully, the Vikings can replace it with a winning streak and take back the division lead.

The opponent: the Detroit Lions.  Loss #3 on the year and the correct answer to a trivia question; indeed they were the first team to hand the Vikings a loss at shiny new USBank Stadium.  The Lions got into this position simply by winning football games.  The Bears stumbled out of the gate and fell on their faces, and the Packers are surprisingly fading at the moment after a 4-2 start.

Which leaves the Vikings and Lions to fight over the division today.  The first game was ugly, and I’m not sure what to expect out of the second game.  I think Vikings fans are simply relieved that this game means something, as a loss last week may have been the death knell of a strange season.

This is the first time the Vikings have played on Thanksgiving since the less famous Thanksgiving showdown with the Dallas Cowboys in 2000.  The Vikes have played Detroit thrice on Thanksgiving and stand at 2-1; a 27-0 win in 1969, a 23-0 win in 1988 and a 44-38 loss in 1995.

So, how will this one go?

Happy Thanksgiving.  Lion is on the menu this year, and I’m starving for the division lead. Skol!

Week 11: There's still time to fix this...right?

You know, after losing Teddy Bridgewater the way the Vikings did before the season even began, it was foolish to assume this season would come free of drama and anguish.

The same exact story played out again last week; the Vikings blew another game.  Because of this, the Detroit Lions are now in first place in the NFC North via tiebreaker.  Frankly, the only good thing about the past few weeks for Vikings fans is that the Packers are also going through their dumpster fire phase.

The question is, when do the Vikings snap out of it?  The great bounty hunter Spike Spiegel once said "I'm just watching a bad dream I never wake up from."  The past month of Vikings football has felt just like that; a continuous nightmare as the team falls from grace faster than Ken Bone after the internet found out his thoughts on the Trayvon Martin situation.  

The NFC North is now a three team race, but two of those teams look like hot garbage.  There is still hope, though.  If the Vikings can sneak out a pair of wins in the next two games, it would serve as a nice little bandage to stop the bleeding.  

7-4 is still a realistic possibility, and it would put the Vikings back into first place no matter what Detroit does in week 11.  

Aside from hoping for the future, I really have no answers for the last month.  I don't think any of us do.  These next two games are must-wins if this team hopes to make any noise in December. 

If the Vikings can slow David Johnson in any way, there's a chance they take back their momentum with a win. 

Otherwise, the only celebrations on tap for USBank Stadium in 2016 will be had by the 7 high school champions to be crowned when the Prep Bowl concludes next weekend.

Skol Vikings!

Week 10: Make the Vikings Great Again!

Well, the Vikings beat the Redskins in 2014, so today should be a breeze, right?

Uh...

There really isn't a lot to say about the last three weeks.  Oh, there is, but this blog would get a little PG-13 if I really did that.  

Let's just move on from the last three weeks.  The Vikings have a chance to get right against the Redskins.  There is still time this season to make the Vikings great again.  Here's a chance to get things back on track.

This is a must-win for the division chances of the purple.  Detroit has caught up, and there's no telling what they might be able to do over the final 7 weeks.  The Packers are the Packers and will probably get right before the Christmas Eve game, so there's always that to worry about.  Chicago is in the rear view mirror for now, but that can always change.

It's a road game, which was how this whole mess started, on the road against the Eagles.  

Anyway, I'm sick of talking about losing.  Let's talk about how 6-3 would help.

-It would hold off everyone for another week

-It would put everyone's minds at ease after blowing a 5-0 start

-It would possibly help the Vikings extend the division lead if Green Bay loses again.  Titans are not a cakewalk.

Minnesota really has no other choice; they MUST become great again, or face the consequences.  

It's time to get back on track.  #Skol