Each and every year the team and fans find out dates and time around draft time and then it’s a wait period to opening week. It’s like Christmas for me feeling like a little child who can’t wait for the present to open and in this case it’s a week 1 home match vs Atlanta.
The season was so crazy for the Vikes who take care of business in the first two home games vs Atlanta and Oakland but unfortunately the first two road games were as bad as it gets as Week 2 at Green Bay falling behind 21-0 before making a terrific comeback only to have an early season dagger to the heart when we see Kirk Cousins make a throw into double coverage to the mon of Vikings fans heard round the world. The other game was at Chicago and I happened to be in Wisconsin traveling so I did not see most of it and when I got home I watched the replay and I did not have the flu but after I felt like throwing up in disgust as both sides of the ball were destroyed.
The next four games with three vs the NFC East who in my opinion is typically a very tough division to play. The game in New York I was very nervous mainly because this was on paper a winnable game and add in rookie QB, Daniel Jones getting the start this game should be a W. The team did not let me down but then we come home to face the Philadelphia Eagles and to my surprise it was an easy win as I enjoyed watched Stefon Diggs running free through the Eagles secondary.
The Vikes go to Detroit and these games no matter what the record are a dogfight and usually low scoring but in this case the Vikes Offense put up 42 points but disappointingly the defense allowed 30. It is however a win and then back home to Thursday night football at home vs the Washington Redskins. The Vikes were picked as a huge favorite by Las Vegas I believe the spread was around 16. This makes me extremely uncomfortable as last year the Vikes were 17 point favorites at home vs Buffalo Bills and ended up losing 27-0. I feel if I know historic Las Vegas numbers don’t you think Washington reads the same info? Yes we won but did not cover the spread so I beg and plead Las Vegas to please stop making the Vikes such big favorites.
The season is half over and the Vikes are sitting at an impressive 6-2 as we were seeing big performances by Dalvin Cook and Kirk Cousins was starting to light it up.
The second half starts with a trip to Kansas City and I was feeling good only for one big reason and that was Chiefs quarterback, Patrick Mahomes was out as well as 2-3 other starters. Oh man this is such a winnable game and there I go thinking because 2nd string Chiefs quarterback looks like he had never sat on a bench and yes the Vikes fall. This loss really hurt because now you go on the road to Dallas making it two straight weeks the Vikes have to play in hostile stadiums. The loss also hurt because Adam Thielen reinjured his hamstring, I was shocked he tried to come back this soon but I also wanted to believe he would be ok to play.
It makes it worse because the Dallas game is on Sunday night football and I have to listen to the announcers praise, praise and praise Dak Prescott and Zeke Elliott. The Vikes got the last laughs and surprised even me stealing a road win on Sunday night football. I remember all the pregame show clean sweep picking the Cowboys.
It’s been a crazy two weeks on the road with the Denver Broncos coming to US Band and the Vikes should win this easily. The problem is the Denver Broncos are an NFL team as well and took it to the Vikes 20-0 at half. I will never forget the fans booing as loud as I may have ever heard after that performance. I saw fans leaving by droves at half. I never leave and never will because you never know. I know the chance was slim because Minnesota showed no signs of life.
It had to be a butt chewing of a lifetime in the locker room because as you know the Vikes scored 27 straight to win 27-0. I will never forget standing the last four plays watching the ball thrown by the Broncos QB and each time I held my breath and on 4th down I see the pass get knocked down and it was pandemonium in US Bank with the fans that were left.
The year the bye week came late and I will be selfish and say I needed the bye week more than the team watching these first 11 games. I am 54 and my heart needs to take a rest please.
The last 5 starts with Sunday night football in Seattle. It again I thought was a winnable game but Seahawks quarterback, Russell Wilson gets the job done. This particular night I did have it up to my eyeballs with Wilson being mic’d up and I felt we got to hear that way to much. Wilson is a top five Quarterback but enough is enough.
Alright playoffs are looking good for the Vikes and 3 of the last four games are home and even better it’s the Lions, Packers and Bears oh my. Detroit again is a feisty team and hard to destroy with all their injuries including Quarterback, Matthew Stafford out for the year and the Vikes win by just 13 but it’s a win.
The team travels to Los Angeles Chargers to play in a strange stadium where every game I have seen when the Chargers play you see more opposing fans than Chargers fans and once again the Vikes fans take over the stadium and make it a home game. I was once again nervous because this is a game the Vikes tend to get tripped up but this time no tripping and in fact the biggest point spread road win in I believe 27 years.
It’s time for home cooking starting with the Green Bay Packers on Monday night football. The Vikes need to be the Packers and the Bears and they are the five seed. The fans are fired up and then exactly what the Vikes and fans needed, a fumble and return to the 10. US Bank was rocking and it was loud until the Vikes settle for a Field goal. It’s in my opinion a win for the Packers and they go on to win the NFC North at US Bank. Ouch!!!!
The Bears roll in with neither team apparently caring who wins but with the Vikes Coach Zimmer opts to rest the starters and this call will be talked about for weeks to come especially if the Vikes go one and done and then the starters will be rested for a long time.
It was a season with so much up and downs along with the Vikes going 4-0 vs NFC East and 3-1 vs AFC West. The Vikes 10 wins were against teams that finished with a 53-90-1 and one of the win was vs playoff bound, Philadelphia Eagles.
It’s the playoffs and anything can happen and this fan is hoping for a little shock the world in New Orleans.
Thanks for reading
Purplestick
