Game Day Thoughts

The New York Jets visit the Minnesota Vikings for only the tenth meeting between the two teams. Somehow, the Jets have a ridiculous 1-8 edge in the all-time series. How is that even possible? The Jets have struggled more often they haven't in the last 44 years. Unless the two teams meet in a bunch of Super Bowls, it would probably take more than a quarter century for the Vikings to even the series. Incredible.

The Vikings are 5-7. The Jets are 2-10. Half of the Jets losses have been by a single score. So have their two wins. The Jets have been considered a mess, even a joke, recently but they have actually been a fairly competitive team most of the season. All of the drama behind the scenes has done more to create that mess than what's taken place on the field. 

Jets quarterback Geno Smith completed 7 of 13 passes for 65 yards against the Miami Dolphins last Monday. You don't often see passing numbers like that these days. The Jets ran the ball 49 times for 277 yards. You don't often see running numbers like that these days. Chris Johnson even looked look like a younger version of himself on a few runs. Everybody ran the ball for the Jets. Receivers carried the ball nine times. It's no stretch to say that the Vikings have to stop the Jets running game. It helps that Smith and the Jets passing game don't pose a great threat. It makes them one-dimensional. But, you never know. The NFL is very much a week-to-week league. 

This will be the second time that Percy Harvin has played against the Minnesota Vikings. He faced his former team last season as a member of the Seattle Seahawks. It was the only regular season in which he played last season. He didn't play much but he made an impact. He can score in a variety of ways from anywhere on the field. He hasn't really gotten loose with the Jets but he's a very dangerous player. He seems to gain some pep when he faces the Vikings but the sample size is a very small one. 

The Vikings defense has been terrific over the past few weeks. The line has been playing well most of the season. The secondary, a very weak link for far too long, has been close to terrific recently. That has been the difference in the all-around improved play. 2nd-year corner Xavier Rhodes has been among the best in the league over the past month. The defense will be without rookie linebacker Anthony Barr. He had been playing at a "defensive rookie of the year" level until a recent knee injury. He played through the injury but it will keep him out today. Gerald Hodges is the "next man up." He played well in place of Chad Greenway for three games earlier in the season. Hodges doesn't have the dynamic playmaking ability of Barr but he should be fine.

Yesterday, the Vikings placed running back Jerick McKinnon on injured reserve ending his rookie season. Perhaps, this allows for the return of Adrian Peterson to the roster this week. Maybe. Who knows? We'll see. 

The Vikings have the Jets today, at Lions, at Dolphins, at Bears ahead of them. They can win these games. 9-7 is very possible. The odds that 9-7 gets the Vikings to the playoffs are apparently less than 1%. That means that there is still a chance. Yep! It sure does!

The rest of the Sunday schedule:

Morning games:

Tampa Bay at Detroit

St. Louis at Washington

Baltimore at Miami

Carolina at New Orleans

Pittsburgh at Cincinnati

New York Giants at Tennessee 

Indianapolis at Cleveland

Houston at Jacksonville

Afternoon games:

Kansas City at Arizona

Buffalo at Denver

Seattle at Philadelphia

San Francisco at Oakland

Tonight:

New England at San Diego

Steelers-Bengals and Colts-Browns highlight the morning games. Those are the games involving teams with legitimate playoff dreams. The Chiefs and Cardinals are both looking to stop some sliding. Seahawks-Eagles could be terrific. The Seahawks are starting to wake up and the Eagles think that they are great. Patriots-Chargers is a fantastic way to cap another fun Sunday of football.

Maybe, I'll find time to check out the four college teams that still have a shot at the national title. Three choices should be easy. Alabama, Oregon, and Florida St. I say that the fourth should be Ohio St. The selecion committee has already mucked things up by ranking TCU ahead of a Baylor team that has beaten them for so long. The weekly rankings were worthless and now troublesome.