Game Day Thoughts

Minnesota Vikings trivia:

When was the Vikings first winning season?
a. 1962
b. 1963
c. 1964
d. 1965
-answer can be found below

The 2014 NFL regular season comes to a close today.

It seems like only a month ago that the Minnesota Vikings were visiting the St. Louis Rams. It hasn't been a smooth season but it has been a season filled with promise for the future. That promising future rests in the hands of head coach Mike Zimmer and the quarterbacking of Teddy Bridgewater. Head coach and quarterback are the most important positions on an NFL football team. Zimmer and Bridgewater were rookies in those roles this year. The future looks very bright in Minnesota.

The Vikings host the Chicago Bears today. A win will give the Vikings a 7-9 record. It would also be the first win against a division opponent. That's very sad. A team can't expect to win their division if they can't beat their division opponents.

The Vikings are very thin at linebacker. Rookie dynamo Anthony Barr is on IR. Chad Greenway hasn't practiced all week due to knee injury and is inactive for the game. Rookie Brandon Watts is out due to a sore hamstring. Gerald Hodges, Jasper Brinkley, and Audie Cole are the last standing from the opening day roster. The great lack of standing linebackers forced the Vikings to activate Josh Kaddu from the practice squad.

One great thing about Zimmer's coaching has been his use of the entire roster. There was tremendous rotation on defense. Nearly active player on the roster saw some playing time on defense throughout the season. Receiver Charles Johnson's rise up the depth chart was the best example on offense of the Vikings refreshing and new use of the entire roster. Brad Childress and Leslie Frazier seemed very reluctant to give anyone but the starters playing time. Even late in lost seasons.

Jay Cutler returns as the Bears starting quarterback. He was quite successful in his last meeting against the Vikings just chucking the ball up to receiver Alshon Jeffery. Corner Josh Robinson gave up about six inches to Jeffery. It wasn't pretty as the Bears giant receiver took apart the Vikings itty-bitty corner.

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt should challenge for this season's MVP award. If I had a vote, and I should, it would go to Watt. He's more disruptive than any defensive player that I've seen since Lawrence Taylor. At the very least, Watt should get more than a handful of votes. Since 2000, only Ray Lewis, Brian Urlacher, Derrick Brooks, and James Harrison have received votes. None has received more than three of the 50 votes. Defensive players are at such a disadvantage for the MVP award. The fact that the award has gone to a defensive player before gives hope that it could happen again. In 1971, Vikings defensive tackle Alan Page was the first defensive player to win the award. Taylor won it in 1986.

Five of the six playoff spots in the AFC are filled. New England, Denver, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and Pittsburgh are in. San Diego has the best shot to fill the final spot. If they defeat Kansas City they are in. Baltimore needs to defeat Cleveland and hope for a San Diego loss. Kansas City and Houston need more than that to happen but there is still a chance.

The NFC playoff picture is more clear than the AFC. There's also one spot left but only two teams have a shot at it. And they are playing each other. The winner of the Carolina-Atlanta game will win the sad NFC South with a losing record. It's a play-in game. A playoff game a week before the playoffs.

Despite their records, the Falcons and Panthers are playing well at the right time. The NFC South teams get a lot of grief because of their records. Sometimes seasons just unfold in a crazy manner. And NFC South has been crazy this year.

Rumor has it that Jim Harbaugh will have a new coaching gig. Michigan. University of.

Trivia answer:
c. The Vikings finished the 1964 season with an 8-5-1 record. Tied for second in the NFL Western Conference.