Who to Root for - Packers or 49ers?

[Dmizzle0]

I agree I think the vikes go 10-6 with losses to Seattle , LAC, and split with bears/pack.

And I agree that should get them the 6 seed

How great would it be to see a repeat of 2005(?) when they went into Lambeau and crushed the pack. The Moss Moon was fantastic although Joe Buck’s total meltdown was difficult to listen to!

We're gonna lose to the Chargers?!

[VikingPaul73]

I think so, but who knows?
I think the Chargers are better than their record and it's always a challenge travelling to the West Coast.

[Dames]

I agree I think the vikes go 10-6 with losses to Seattle , LAC, and split with bears/pack.

And I agree that should get them the 6 seed

How great would it be to see a repeat of 2005(?) when they went into Lambeau and crushed the pack. The Moss Moon was fantastic although Joe Buck’s total meltdown was difficult to listen to!

That's way too pessimistic for me. I can see a loss to Seattle, but if we go 2-3 for the remaining 5 games, it's going to be a massive disappointment. We are playing really well lately, so I think that would be a big surprise to lose 3 of the last 5. Worst case is we go 3-2, but I honestly think we will go 4-1.

Seattle is good and is our greatest challenge. It's not an impossible win, but it would be an upset IMO.

The Lions are pathetic. Enough said. If we lose to them, then I think it derails our entire season.

The Chargers are really awful. I know travelling to the West Coast won't be easy, but if we drop this game it's because we played really poorly. Again, that is not how we've been playing lately.

We will be VERY ready for GB coming into Minnesota. We play them tough here, and we are a better team this year. Period. It won't be easy, but I'll bet we will be favored.

Chicago is a mess. They are not the same team we played in week 4, and neither are the Vikings. I know they've had our number lately, but things are different this time around.

So, call me crazy, but the're no reason lately to feel so pessimistic about our chances. I'm not guaranteeing anything, but honestly, if we play like we have been since week 4, we could win them all. So, sure, we could suddenly start playing poorly, but there's no reason to think it's going to start happening now... other than you are conditioned to expect the worst. Viking's fan disease.

[CanUDiggsIt?]

It was great to see the Pukers get utterly manhandled last night! This goes to show how much of a "middle-of-the-road" football team that they are, true pretenders!! A point differential of +16 through 11 games, which is literally a one game difference. A "much improved" Pukers defense that gives up the 5th most yards per game and an offense that ranks 21st behind a QB like Rodgers! I am glad that they got what was coming to them. As always, SKOL

[VikingLord]

Looks like it doesn't matter who we root for. Niners are clubbing the Pukers.

Where has that Aaron Rodgers been all year? That dude was uber-skittish all night. I'm sure the coverage downfield was decent, but I've watched Rodgers long enough to know the guy is willing to fling it. He was triple and quadruple clutching, seeming to not trust his eyes or his instincts. Yeah, the 49er pass rush was good and Bulaga was out, but Rodgers looked downright terrified. Kind of shocking to watch, and if it continues that way, the Packers are about to drop like a rock regardless of how "easy" their remaining schedule looks.

I was also shocked by how slow the Packers moved late in the game. They were huddling on every snap and taking the play clock down to past zero as they normally do, throwing a bunch of short passes, and taking their sweet time. And then the 49ers got the ball back for their 2nd drive of the 3rd quarter and scored in 2 plays.

It was shocking to see how poorly the Packers played. Yes, the 49ers are good this year, but the Packers showed no urgency or purpose. How that team is 8-3 is beyond me. I don't watch them very often, and the times I have seen them, including against the Vikings earlier this year, I wasn't overly impressed, but watching them last night I thought they were one of the worst teams I've seen this year.

Maybe the 49ers are that good. If so, the Vikes better hope fate intervenes and helps them get HFA throughout the playoffs. But if the Packers end up winning the North, based on what I saw last night and their overall statistical rankings this year, that will be one of the biggest travesties I've seen in a long time. They're just not that good.

[Dames]

I think so, but who knows?
I think the Chargers are better than their record and it's always a challenge travelling to the West Coast.

They are really not good. They lose a lot of close ones, and the GB win gives them too much credit I think. But, they are below avg on D and awful on Special teams. Their O is probably a bit above avg, but it's in line with Philly, Detroit and Atlanta. Those Offenses don't exactly strike fear.

[VikingLord]

That assumes the Vikings lose to Seattle, which I am 90% certain they will.

You won't be the only one who expects the Vikings to lose to Seattle. I'm sure they will be underdogs, and maybe even heavy underdogs, for that game.

But the Seattle game is the sort of game that gives the Vikings a great chance to show their mettle. It's a road game against a good team with serious playoff implications. The Vikes should be healthy and coming off their bye. They should be fresh and ready to go.

I think there are two keys to beating Seattle. The first is running the ball when on offense. Have to be able to get Cook and Mattison going. The Seahawks are an aggressive defense, so mixing in screens and misdirection plays will be key to that as well. Mix in some hurry up as well. Keep the Seahawks off balance on defense.

On defense, the Vikings have to do 2 things - stop the run and then limit Wilson's ability to extend plays. They have to be disciplined up front to do both. Wilson is really good at escaping pressure and then making big plays down field, so the DBs also have to keep coverage. They cannot allow the Seahawk receivers to get loose deep and then, if Wilson does heave it (and he will), they have to make plays on the ball.

I think it will be a tight game. I think the Vikings can compete with anyone this year, and think everyone on the team sees the opportunity this game provides. The Seahawks are a good team, but not markedly better than the Vikings if they are better at all. It's a game that should go to the team that executes better.

[Dames]

I was also shocked by how slow the Packers moved late in the game. They were huddling on every snap and taking the play clock down to past zero as they normally do, throwing a bunch of short passes, and taking their sweet time. And then the 49ers got the ball back for their 2nd drive of the 3rd quarter and scored in 2 plays.

It was shocking to see how poorly the Packers played. Yes, the 49ers are good this year, but the Packers showed no urgency or purpose. How that team is 8-3 is beyond me. I don't watch them very often, and the times I have seen them, including against the Vikings earlier this year, I wasn't overly impressed, but watching them last night I thought they were one of the worst teams I've seen this year.

Maybe the 49ers are that good. If so, the Vikes better hope fate intervenes and helps them get HFA throughout the playoffs. But if the Packers end up winning the North, based on what I saw last night and their overall statistical rankings this year, that will be one of the biggest travesties I've seen in a long time. They're just not that good.

I noticed that too, It was really odd wasn't it? I expected them to go into hurry up mode and put up a fight, but it almost looked like they had given up already very early in the 3rd. For an 8-2 team, it was not what I expected to see. They certainly didn't look like a team that had any fight in them.

The Packers are overrated, and they've had some help getting to that record. They are not a bad team, but they do not match their record that's for sure. Sadly though, we could still end up losing the division pretty easily. Travesty is the right word. If we do not win the division, I almost hope we play them in round 1. I'd be a little scared of some home cooking though.

[CanUDiggsIt?]

That assumes the Vikings lose to Seattle, which I am 90% certain they will.

You won't be the only one who expects the Vikings to lose to Seattle. I'm sure they will be underdogs, and maybe even heavy underdogs, for that game.

But the Seattle game is the sort of game that gives the Vikings a great chance to show their mettle. It's a road game against a good team with serious playoff implications. The Vikes should be healthy and coming off their bye. They should be fresh and ready to go.

I think there are two keys to beating Seattle. The first is running the ball when on offense. Have to be able to get Cook and Mattison going. The Seahawks are an aggressive defense, so mixing in screens and misdirection plays will be key to that as well. Mix in some hurry up as well. Keep the Seahawks off balance on defense.

On defense, the Vikings have to do 2 things - stop the run and then limit Wilson's ability to extend plays. They have to be disciplined up front to do both. Wilson is really good at escaping pressure and then making big plays down field, so the DBs also have to keep coverage. They cannot allow the Seahawk receivers to get loose deep and then, if Wilson does heave it (and he will), they have to make plays on the ball.

I think it will be a tight game. I think the Vikings can compete with anyone this year, and think everyone on the team sees the opportunity this game provides. The Seahawks are a good team, but not markedly better than the Vikings if they are better at all. It's a game that should go to the team that executes better.

According to ESPN, the Matchup Predictor is giving the Vikings a 53.1% chance of victory, but Vegas favors Seattle by 3.

[StumpHunter]

I think so, but who knows?
I think the Chargers are better than their record and it's always a challenge travelling to the West Coast.

They are really not good. They lose a lot of close ones, and the GB win gives them too much credit I think. But, they are below avg on D and awful on Special teams. Their O is probably a bit above avg, but it's in line with Philly, Detroit and Atlanta. Those Offenses don't exactly strike fear.

Rivers looks like he is done. He should hang up his cleats and focus on raising his 15 kids.

[Dames]

Rivers looks like he is done. He should hang up his cleats and focus on raising his 15 kids.

That's funny. And only a very mild exaggeration.

[VikingPaul73]

Ravens look to be the best team in the NFL right now. Man, Jackson is unstoppable.

this bodes well for the Vikings' playoff hopes. This will send the Rams to 6-5 and they still have to play the Seahawks and @ Cowboys and @ 9ers. They will end 8-8.

We could have a rematch of 2012......Ravens vs. 49ers

[Dames]

Ravens look to be the best team in the NFL right now. Man, Jackson is unstoppable.

Wow. They are really good. Jackson is quite the weapon.

[CharVike]

Ravens look to be the best team in the NFL right now. Man, Jackson is unstoppable.

this bodes well for the Vikings' playoff hopes. This will send the Rams to 6-5 and they still have to play the Seahawks and @ Cowboys and @ 9ers. They will end 8-8.

We could have a rematch of 2012......Ravens vs. 49ers

Jackson is unstoppable. Give it time. Not wishing bad luck on any player but when your running around the field like a RB it's just a matter of time. Plus he's not a shy runner he cuts and jukes looking for more yardage. Eventually a D coordinator will set him up. Not to hurt him but show him it's not the best idea to be running around. Knock his block off. We need to win out. That takes care of everything.

[VikingLord]

Jackson is unstoppable. Give it time. Not wishing bad luck on any player but when your running around the field like a RB it's just a matter of time. Plus he's not a shy runner he cuts and jukes looking for more yardage. Eventually a D coordinator will set him up. Not to hurt him but show him it's not the best idea to be running around. Knock his block off.

I don't know if a coordinator and/or defenders will set him up, but I do know that the NFL has seen plenty of running QBs in the past. They take the league by storm at first due to their multidimensional abilities, but inevitably defenses figure them out and, as you point out, they tend to get injured.

Jackson is a little more unique because he's a really good passer in addition to being a dynamic runner. Most of the running QBs like Michael Vick were decent passers, but not great, which was a chink in their armor that DCs were eventually able to exploit. Jackson is a guy who could still do a lot of damage even if he can't run at all.

It will be interesting to see how his career develops and whether defensive coordinators can find ways to limit his running, as well as whether he can avoid injury. But as long as he plays the way he's been playing this year, I don't see a defense that can keep the Ravens bottled up, including the Patriots. We'll see how the 49ers do against him this Sunday. If the Ravens roll over them as I think they might, they'd have to be considered Superbowl favorites at that point.