Momentum

All football teams strive to gain momentum. Sometimes momentum goes back and forth during the course of a game. The team that gains momentum and maintains it usually wins the game. Gaining momentum isn't always limited to one game. It can be carried through a stretch of games or even through an entire season. Sometimes one thing triggers it. Maybe a team just clicks in training camp, carries it through the preseason and then really hits a stride when the games count. If it starts at the beginning of the season, the team needs to sustain it for a long time. Sixteen regular season games, at least two playoff games and finally the Super Bowl. That's a long time. A lot of things can trip up momentum. An opponent can derail things, injuries or even a dome roof collapsing. In 1998, nearly everything worked for the Minnesota Vikings. Rookie receiver Randy Moss provided a spark and the team ignited. They rolled over everybody. They lost their starting quarterback early in the season and Randall Cunningham came in and played even better. A hiccup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the middle of the season didn't slow their momentum. Against the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship game, for some reason, they eased off the gas. Instead of going after the Falcons they played not to lose. They changed their game and lost their momentum. It was sad to see.

Sometimes one game, even one play, can kick start momentum and set a team on a path of success. In 2009, the Vikings with Brett Favre started the season 2-0 despite sloppy play. They continued that level of play against the San Francisco 49ers in game three. When a loss looked like a given Favre threw a miracle touchdown to Greg Lewis to save a game and start some momentum. The Vikings were a different team after that and stormed to the NFC Championship game again. Unfortunately, the 2009 season ended like the 1998 season. One game too soon.

One of the more incredible seasons of momentum was the 2006 New Orleans Saints. Hurricane Katrina had torn the city apart. The emotion of the city and the responding team created something magical. It carried the Saints all the way to the NFC Championship. It ended there but there was recovery in New Orleans and the Saints played a part. The Saints were clearly building a talented team. Winning the Super Bowl three years later proved that. The 2006 team wasn't nearly as talented as their level of play would indicate. There was a lot of momentum behind that team and they rode it.

The Green Bay Packers have gone nearly a full calender year without a loss. Its fun to see a team playing football at a very high level, at least offensively for the Packers. Its even more fun when its your team. When a team gains momentum its best to sit back and enjoy it. In the case of the Vikings it only seems to happen every eleven years. You gotta enjoy it while you can.