matt weighs in

The Minnesota Vikings moved to 4-0 in gunslingin’ fashion. Many in the media are comparing Brett Favre’s performance on Monday Night Football to that of a surgeon, slicing the Green Bay Packers defense with the precision of a very delicate surgery. I would argue that he was more of a butcher, leaving the Packers pass defense a chopped and bloodied carcass on the Metrodome Mall of America Field turf.

I thought the Vikings would win by around 10 points, which was close to the 30-23 final score, and I think I’m comfortable with how the last five minutes played out, when the Packers cut the lead from 16 points down to 7. However, it seemed like the Vikings outplayed the Packers by more than what the final score indicated. And I’ll take that, since it means they’re 4-0, leading the Bears by one game in the division and two games up on the Packers. The win also moved the Vikings to 3-0 in the NFC, which could come into play when deciding home-field advantage in the playoffs.

My Vikings’ MVPs for the game are:
* Favre ->Not a surprise, considering the game he had. But it was surprising how well he played against his former team, based on the Vikings’ passing game previously this season. Maybe the end of the 49ers game last week, when he threw the TD with :02 left, gave Favre and the receivers confidence to trust each other and be more on the same page than they’ve been so far. Whatever happened in practice last week, we’ll take it.
* Packers offensive line ->What a mess that unit was. They knew they were going to have to be perfect throughout, and they weren’t even mediocre for any stretch of the game: 8 sacks given up (4.5 to Jared Allen), multiple hits on Aaron Rodgers, no consistent holes for the running game, and no push at all when they were at the one-yard line going for an important TD in the 2nd half. They need to work stuff out in the coming weeks, or the Packers will be out of the playoff picture before the midway point of the season.
* Jared Allen, Ben Leber, Sydney Rice (tie) ->Allen was a beast. Besides the 4.5 sacks, he had multiple hits on Rodgers and had him on the run a few other times. The Packers coaches rarely gave the left tackle help, and Allen took advantage. Leber continues to make plays when they’re needed. He single-handedly kept nine points off the board in the 2nd half. Seven when he made a tackle at the one-yard line on the goal line stand, and another two when he tipped the two-point conversion pass, keeping the score 30-20 in the 4th quarter. He came up big. Rice, like Leber, continues to make plays and is growing as a 3rd year wide receiver. He’s caught a touchdown pass two straight weeks and made the two huge recoveries on the onside kicks to end the game (side note: those were spectacular onside kicks by Crosby of the Packers. Drove the ball into the ground where it bounced hiiiiiigh up in the air. The Vikings did a great job of fending off the rushing Packers, so Rice had time to jump and get the ball). With Bernard Berrian showing signs of being over his hamstring injury, having Rice on the other side as a bona-fide weapon makes the Viking offense quite scary.

Overall, a great night at MOA Field for the Vikings, their fans, and for Brett Favre against his former team. He downplayed the game all week, but we know, based on his reactions on the TD passes, that it meant a little bit more than any other game.

………………..

The Minnesota Twins, too, play a huge game at the Metrodome (I think it’s still called the Metrodome for them). Anyway, the Detroit Tigers caught a break by having a day off before today’s deciding baseball game. The Tigers limped into game 163, having lost 4 of 7 games the previous week to blow the American League Central Division, a division they led since May.

Scott Baker is pitching for the Twins, and I really think he is going to earn his nickname “Big Spot Scott.” He’s going on plenty of rest and should pitch superbly, if he’s able to control his nerves. The Tigers counter with a 20-year old rookie in Porcello, who should end up with the AL Rookie of the Year. I think this spot will be too big for him, and the Twins’ hot bats will continue to stay on fire.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the Twins get to Porcello early, with 55,000 screaming fans panting for more Metrodome magic after last night’s football game. Joe Nathan will close out the game, and I predict Minnesota wins by 2-3 runs.

Bring on the Yankees!