If all you watched of last night’s game was the second half, you’d think the Vikings were unstoppable. Unfortunately, there was the first half and then the overtime period which showed Minnesota in their more traditional guise (for the last few games anyway). The first half was the worst 30 minutes of football the team has played all season. In overtime, Adrian Peterson’s fumbling issues came back with a vengeance.
At the end of the first half, the Bears were up by 16 points, and the Vikings were lucky the margin wasn’t worse. The offensive line was again unable to open lanes for the running game and Brett Favre was under steady pressure, throwing for only 36 yards up to halftime.
Minnesota’s special teams looked like a throwback to last year’s line-up, giving up two long returns, setting up Chicago with a short field. A bad hold on an extra point allowed Chicago to deflect the ball away from the uprights. That point might have been useful at the end of the game. Chicago felt comfortable enough with their kick coverage team to allow Percy Harvin a chance to receive the kickoffs. None of Harvin’s six returns were as long as his season average (his best was 27 yards, but his season average was over 28). Even Harvin can’t run where there are no running lanes.
The beat writers at the Minneapolis Star Tribune both picked Chicago to win this game. Here’s Judd Zulgad:
I know a few of you thought Chip and I were crazy for picking the Chicago Bears to beat the Vikings on Monday night. My reasoning for the pick was based on the fact that not only had the Vikings put on awful performances in their recent prime-time losses at Arizona and Carolina but this also seemed to me to be a team that had lost its confidence.
Even as the Vikings rallied from a 17-point deficit against the Bears on Monday to force overtime — they eventually lost 36-30 — I never had the definite feeling that the Vikings were going to pull this one out. That, of course, should have been the feeling. The Vikings appeared to be a superior team to the Bears on Nov. 29 when they crushed them 36-10 at the Metrodome and considering Chicago was 5-9 entering Monday it appeared the Bears had little reason for which to play.
The Vikings (11-4) had every reason to play hard and try to put away the Bears early based on the fact that Minnesota was still alive in the race for the top seed in the NFC — the Saints have now clinched that spot — and are fighting for at least the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the playoffs. But the Vikings came out flat and as a result right now the Eagles own the second seed because they have the tie-breaker over the Vikings.
And here’s Mark Craig:
One more thought: In trying to decide who is better, the A, Vikings or B, Saints, I’ve decided my answer is:
C, The Eagles.
