Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings
Vikings 30
Packers 23
The Twin Cities sports scene has been buzzing since Friday night. Thanks to the fall of the Detroit Tigers and the never-say-never Minnesota Twins, a final push for extended October baseball in the Metrodome is more than possible - it's here, in the form a 163rd game tonight. Toss in a border battle at the new TCF Bank Stadium on Saturday between the Gophers and Badgers for Paul Bunyan's Axe (which ended as a heart breaker for the Gophers) and the return of regular season Wild hockey and you've got a nice sports vibe going on here. Somewhere in between all that action though, was a little game on Monday Night Football - ok, so one billed as a game for the ages. As large a number as Brett Favre's age is about to hit this Saturday, this game lived up to its large billing.
Vintage Favre
On a night when the Packers did all they could to stop Adrian Peterson (and stop him they did), Brett Favre picked them apart for three touchdowns. Since his surgery, Favre says his arm feels great, and from what we saw last night, I don't think anyone can doubt that now. His passes had the same zip he's been known for during his MVP years and his accuracy was spot on. The touchdown pass his tossed to Berrian was classic, freezing Harris with the quick pump followed by a perfect arcing pass for the score. This may be Adrian's team, but defenses will be forced to pay attention to number 4 behind center and his bevy of play making receivers. Kudos to the Offensive Line, they protected Favre incredibly well as be basically went untouched in this game. If he continues to get protection like that, he could be poised for another MVP-like season, amazing for a 40 year-old.
About, Face!
Time to give credit where credit is due. Over the first few games, I've ripped Berrian, the pass protection, and the team in general for penalties. All three of these areas were damn near perfect in this game. Berrian stepped it up and made all the catches this time. He and Favre might finally be building some chemistry after a slow start due to Berrian's injury during training camp. Can't say enough about the pass protection. This was something that needed to change or there would be no way that Favre makes it through an entire season. The offensive line was amazing and gave Favre all the time in the world to survey the field and pick Packers D apart. On the penalty side of things, the team only had two for 10 yards, a huge improvement. Nice to see the discipline there and know that the coaching staff is taking the right steps to improve as the season moves on.
The Beast
What more can be said about Jarred Allen that hasn't been said already? The guy has an amazing motor from start to finish. Sure the Packers O-line is in complete disarray, but you still need the stamina and poise to make the endless plays that Allen did Monday Night. It's guys like him that rub off and inspire an entire team, reminds me of the way John Randle used to play. One of the best off season pickups for the Vikings, ever.
Jump Ball Expert
There just isn't enough game balls to go around in a game like this. While Sidney Rice did have a solid game as a receiver, it's the two plays during the on sides kicks that will go un-noticed in the stat sheets. Mason Crosby had two on sides kicks that were picture perfect (all kickers should learn from him), but Sidney Rice skied high and snatched the ball out of the air both times. If Kevin Garnett happened to be watching this game, I'm sure he'd be proud of the way Rice wanted the ball more than anyone on the field during those critical kicks.
Rodgers is the Real Deal
Much like I did for Favre when he was a Packer, I'm starting to respect Aaron Rodger's game. I honestly didn't think he would cut it or turn out to be as good as he appears to be right now. The game he had, the numbers he put up, with the second worst offensive line in the NFL (ahem, St. Louis - Allen is licking his chops already) - is nothing short of amazing. He's got a quick release and throws on the run with the best of the QB's in this league. The Green Bay Packers made the right decision to move on without Brett, but they are doing a poor job of protecting their new franchise quarterback. It would be scary to see what Rodgers could do with a good offensive line and solid running game, down right scary.
What's On Tap
I don't want to get into calling Sunday's game against the Rams in St. Louis a trap game because they are just plain bad. But, the Vikings need to stay focused and not over look this one. That's something that could easily happen when you take a look at the three games after this one - Ravens at home, Steelers in Pittsburgh, and Packers in Green Bay. That's a daunting stretch of games before the Bye and a stretch that will let us all know exactly where this team stands. So with those games just around the corner, it's important to first focus on the Rams, take care of business, and then prepare to protect our house against Ray Lewis and the Ravens.
Till Sunday,
SKOL VIKINGS!
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