Vikings Playoff Scenerio II

Assuming Vikings win 2 games:

Redskins loss + Cowboys loss = Vikings Wild Card
Bears loss against the Packers = Vikings Divisional Champ
Giants Loss + Redskins win = Vikings Wild Card
Giants loss + Redskins loss + Cowboys loss = Vikings Wild Card
Redskins win + Giants win = Vikings out
Cowboys win + Redskins win + Giants Loss = Strength of Victory between the Vikings and the Cowboys (Cowboys have us by +5 right now, not counting in Vikings vs. Ravens Game)

Any Vikings loss = No playoffs

Who to root for next week and this week:
Packers over Bears (Christmas day)
Oakland over Giants (week 17)
Eagles lose to Redskins if Oakland beats Giants, otherwise Redskins lose to Eagles if Giants beat Oakland
St. Louis over Cowboys (Vikings can still get in if Dallas wins by a very small margin)
Vikings to win big in next two games (enough to outscore Dallas)

Week 16-17, it doesnt get any better than this!

Skol Vikings

Week 16 Picks and Predictions

"When your right 51% of the time, your wrong 49% of the time" - Some Simpsons episode

Dallas at Carolina - Carolina. The panthers just seem a little too strong for the Cowboys this year, especially after such a stunning defeat against the Redskins. Besides, we need Carolina to win in order to give the Vikings a better chance at the Wild Card if that's what it comes down to.

Buffalo at Cincinnati - Cincinnati. Althought he Bengals nearly lost against the Browns, they still have to play for the first round bye. Motivation abounds as Palmer and Johnson hook up many times

Pittsburgh at Cleveland - Cleveland. Looking to play spoiler, and considering this is a big rivalry, Cleveland mounts a 4th quarter drive that is meaningless to thier season.

Jacksonville at Houston - Jacksonville. Seriously, does anyone ever pick Houstong?

San Diego at Kansas City - San Diego. With thier backs against the wall, the Chargers must win to stay alive. They may not have very much luck at Arrowhead, but if they found a way to win in Indy, they can find a way to win in KC. Besides, I need the Chiefs to lose this game because of a bet with my brother . . . I get an official Vikings jersey if the Vikes have a better record than the Chiefs.

Tennesseeeeee at Miami - Miami. I don't know why, I just have a feeling that the Dolphins might pull out a win

Detroit at New Orleans or San Antonio or New York (Saints) - Saints. Detroit jsut plain sucks and that is the end of that. GO SAINTS!!!

San Francisco at St. Louis - St. Louis. I would like to root for the 49ers this week, or any week for that matter, they seem like nice guys. But they have consisently proven that they cannot play football at the professional level. Cakewalk for the Rams

Atlanta at Tampa Bay - Tampa Bay. This may be the first time in my life that I have picked Tampa to win a game. Some of us are a little old school from the days when the Bucs just really sucked ass. But we need the Bucs to win this game in order to control our own destiny. Atlanta who has recently stumbled greatly will have to go into Tampa and try to steal a win. Tampa will be ready though.

Giants at Washington - We want the Giants, but the Skins will win. Eli Manning can't play on the road, Skins have something to prove. Giants make the NFC East a little more interesting.

Philly at Arizona - Arizona. Both teams suck this year and I have to pick the Cardinals just because no one ever picks the Cardinals . . . I think they might be lonely.

Oakland at Denver - Denver. While this may be a rivalry game and everything, Oakland just sucks and Denver is emerging as a powerhouse. This game is in Denver, Oakland will be cold, and humble at the end of the 1st half.

Chicago at Green Bay - grean bey. The words a Vikings fan should never utter . . . pekkers. But this is another good rivalry, in grean bey, and the pekkers should be able to pull out a win if they have any self repsect at all. Seriously, these guys suck ass, but Chicago does not have an offense and grean bey is not the place they will find one. pekkers win a close one.

Vikings at Baltimore - Vikings. More on this game tommorrow.

New England at Jets - New England. Not because I buy into the hype that the Pats are so great, but rather I fully buy into the idea that New York just plain sucks ass also. There are a lot of shitty teams this year and the Jets are vying to be the worst.

Inidanapolis at Seattle - Seattle. The Chargers stole the wind out of the Seahhawks sails last week by denying them a chance to defeat the unefeated, but Indy is in cruise control and will cruise to a second loss.

Skol Vikings

Vikings Playoff Scenerio

Seeing as hw the Vikings were unable to pull off the win last week, and the Bears somehow overcame the Falcons, the playoff picture is looking quite muddy right now. We still have a chance at winning the division and possibly hosting the Bears in the Dome the first week. Here is the divisional championship scenerio.

Playoffs via Divisional championship - Bears must lose to the Packers. This is quite possible considering how big of rivals these two teams are. While Favre did not show off the brilliance that Madden loves so much last week against the Ravens, be sure that he will try to bring his A game against the Bears. If for nothing else than to screw up a great season by the Bears and confuse the playoff picture even more. If the Bears lose to the Packers, the Vikings must win against the Ravens. The Ravens will also be looking to play spoiler as if they win they essentially knock the Vikings out of the playoffs, and they have nothing to play for anyways.

In Summary - Division - Vikings beat Ravens, Packers beat Bears - Vikings beat Bears on new Years day in the Dome. Vikings get Dome Field advantage for a week.

Playoffs via the Wild Card -

Carolina loses 2, Vikings win 2 = Carolina has tie breaker (head to head)

Falcons and Vikings same record = Falcons have tie breaker (head to head)

Falcons beat Tampa - Lose to Carolina, Vikings win 2 = Vikings win off of better record

Cowboys win 2, Vikings win 2 = Strength of Victories (Depends upon final score, right now the Cowboys have a strength of victory of 8.875 points, while the Vikings have 8.75 points. Cowboys total win margin in 8 games = 71, Vikings 70. Who ever outscores the opponent more gets in)

Cowboys win 1 lose 1, Vikings lose Ravens, win Bears = Vikings with a better confernce record

Cowboys win 1 lose 1, Vikings win Ravens, lose Bears = Vikings with better common opponents record

Redskins win 2, Vikings win 2 = Redskins with a better conference record

Redskins win 1, Vikings win 1 = Redskins with a better conference record

Tampa Bay wins 1 = Tampa Bay over Vikings due to head to head record

Giants lose 2, Vikings win 2 = Vikings have tie breaker if the Redskins win last two games.

Basically, we have a few more favorite teams than we normally should, but what fun would a playoff hunt be with out DRAMA!

We are rooting for the Packers (it's just one game, then we can hate them all over again) If they beat the Bears - Jan 1st Showdown in the Dome - Vikings win

We are rooting for the Panthers. They Play Atlanta and Dallas. If the Vikings win 2 and Panthers win 2, we have Atlanta and Dallas out of the way.

2 Redskin wins and 2 Giants losses = Vikings are in. Otherwise, if the Redskins have the same record as us, we lose out. If the Giants lose 2 and the Redskins win 2 = Redskins have division, Giants lose on playoffs, with 2 Carolina wins = VIKINGS WILD CARD!!!!

Vikings win 2 - then we need :

Bears lose to Packers = Division

Giants lose to Oakland and Redskins

Redskins beat Giants and Eagles

Any Redskins loss

Carolina to beat Cowboys and Falcons (at least need Falcons) Cowboys need to win by a lesser margin than the Vikings.

Tampa Bay losses 2, one to Falcons who in turn lose to Carolina, and one to the Saints.

It's Possible, and there may be more scenerio's that I have not covered but I am pretty tired right now

Skol Vikings, and Packers, and Panthers, and Eagles, and Raiders, and Saints, and Giants or Redskins depending upon whether the Redskins can win 2 games.

Vikings (8-5) vs. Steelers (8-5)

Vikings vs. Steelers 12pm CDT

This is another big game for the men in purple this week. Critics of the team have been waving the flag that Minnesota can't beat a good team, or that they haven't played a good defense since they went on thier winning streak. Bull sh*t. I don't care what the record of the Packers was, that is one of those divisional games where anything can happen, and the teams have a 50/50 shot at winning no matter what their records are. In addition, the Packers have a pretty good defense. I am not so sure of the rank, but I think it may be #5. The lions can have almost the same hing said about them, another big divisional game in best rivalry division. Then there were the Giants. Yeah they beat our offense, but our defense won the day in that contest. So for all the people that get paid to make predictions, don't listen to them, they have terrible analysis.

Yes, the Vikings face a decent defense and running game this week. But we can also look at it in another light, the Steelers face a better defense and a QB that doesn't turn the ball over. Basically this game will boil down to Johnson and Roth (Cheeseburger). The Steelers will attempt to run the ball, Pat and Kevin Williams will lead the Viking defense in shutting down the run, Cheeseburger will pass, make a few mistakes . . . big picks. The Vikings will attempt to run, get shut dowon, then rely on 5-7 passing gains as BJ drives down field. The differance, BJ will not turn the ball over and the Vikings will take this game when BJ comes through big in the clutch.

Looking at the standings right now, if the Bears lose the next 2 weeks and the Vikings lose the next 2 games, we still have a match-up on January 1st to determine the divisional winner. The factors that the bears currently hold against us right now . . . Better divisional record. But a loss to the Packers erases that. Secondly, the Bears have a better NFC record. If they lose to Atlanta and the Packers the Confernce records even out. Thus again setting up a Jan 1st game. Either way the Bears have guarenteed themselves a Jan 1st showdown no matter how well they do in the upcoming weeks. The Vikings can win both games, but still are in the same position as if they only win 1. Best Case scenerio . . . Jan 1st will be our 1st playoff game.

Anyways final score prediction Vikings 17 Steelers 13.

Skol Vikings

Indoor vs. Outdoor Stadium in Minnesota

vs.

Considering that the Vikings will most likely be moving to a new home sometime within the next ten years, it might be of value to examine the benefits of an outdoor stadium vs. indoor, in terms of how well the Vikings play. Since its birth in 1982, the numbers seem to suggest diffent things.

Average differance in score 1982 - 2005 = 1.265 for all games played, advantage Vikings
Average differance at home 1982 - 2005 = 4.934 advantage Vikings
Average advantage at home 1982 - 2005 = 3.668 in favor of the Vikings at Metrodome

Average differance in score 1961 - 1981 = 2.4613 for all games played, advantage Vikings
Average differance at home 1961 - 1981 = 3.8772 advantage Vikings
Average advantage at home 1961 -1981 = 1.4159 in favor of the Vikings at Metropolitan

Dome advantage over the Met = 2.252 points per game in favor of Dome for home games
Away advantage of playing during Met years over the Dome years = 1.196 in favor of the Met.

The Dome seems to have a great advantage over an outdoor staduim in terms of playing at home, but it seems to create a disadvantage when playing on the road.

The Dome makes sure that one can have a comfortable experince when seeing a Vikings game, the Met was most likely cold as hell.

Any comments? Feel free to discuss the idea of another Dome, or an open field staduim. Note that a retractable roof is essentially a dome.

Skol Vikings

Vikings 27 (8-5) - Rams 13 (5-8)

"SKOL VIKINGS - Let's Win the Game! - SKOL VIKINGS - Honor Your Name - V - I -K- I- N- G - S - Go Vikings - SKOL!!!!"

Remember this song because you will be hearing it in early Febuary, I had a dream. 6 in a row baby!!! A team already written off at the end of October, with off field crap, an injured quarterback, a swiss cheese defense, no running game, and recievers that were too slow . . . what? I'm sorry, you need to finish eating your crow before you speak again. Vikings Review made a daring prediction after the Panthers loss that Minnesota would go 10-6 this season and win the NFC North. Vikings Review may have been wrong, 11-5 appears to be much more plausable. Resurected from the depths of 2-5, the Vikings defense has come to haunt offenses around the league. More after my victory nap . . .

Skol Vikings

Vikings 21 (7-5) - Lions 16 (4-8)

Vikings 21 - Lions 16

Vikings make it 5 in a row as Brad Johnson comes out chucking the big bombs. Koren Robinson is player of the game, and by far the coolest looking player in the NFL with the amber face shield. SKOL VIKINGS. Full game analysis to be added by 6pm PST.

Vikings (6-5) at Lions (4-7)

Vikings at Lions, 12 pm Central

I could basically take last week's preview and apply it to this game. The Vikings need a win, they are playing a weak team, and they might not take the seriousness of this game in its entirety. The Lions are a team in the worst type of dissarray right now as they take the field with a new coach at the helm on an interim basis. They know they are essentially out of any playoff pictures, and the Lions never seem to play big when they are only playing for pride. This is all the more reason to fear the Lions.

The Bears still hold a 2 game lead on us right now, and a loss would not help our causes in the least. First of all it would give us a second mark in the loss colum (sp?) for our divisional games. If we are going to have a final showdown in Decemeber against the Bears, we need to have at least the same divisional record as them, if not better. We are definelty looking for a Packer win this week as much as I hate to say it. That right there would put the divisional records the same, and bring us within a game of the Bears. Thus setting up the final showdown in the Dome. In reality we are not 2 games back, we are really 1 game back so long as the Bears lose a divisional game and the Vikings beat the Lions. If the case is such, week 17 will be the first of a few playoff games for the Vikings.

Keys to the game - run the damn ball. I still shudder when I think of a passing game based upon the arm of Johnson. If we can establish the running game then mix in the pass, well we might have a winner. We cannot rely entirly upon the defense and special teams to win games for us.

Defense. Keep an eye on Mosely. This guy entirely flew under my radar last week and played a brilliant game, worthy of a nod for player of the game. Pat Williams as always needs to bring the intensity. Sharper should be looking to be the gravitational center of the Garcia's universe. Pat Williams will be the wrecking ball that destroy's his dreams. As long as the Vikings can contain the run, they should be alright. They have been amazing as of late and it is actually exciting to watch them play. 3 and outs would be just fine.

Final Score Prediction - Vikings 27, Lions 17.

Skol Vikings