matt weighs in

I am pretty excited, just like others, for the NBA Finals, which begin tonight. I watched the Celtics or the Lakers play in and win just about every Finals throughout the 1980s, before turning the keys to the championship parade over to a certain team from Chicago in the 1990s. Multiple Hall of Famers playing basketball, the game I like the most, at the highest level possible? Sign me up for a seven-game series, please.

My quick take is that the Celtics should win the NBA Championship over the Lakers in six or seven games. The Lakers are very good at home, so will win at least two games in Staple Center, but I think the Celtics steal either game one or two in LA, eventually clinching it at home in game six or somehow winning game seven on the road.

I know it isn’t a popular prediction, that the Celtics can win game seven on the road, with Kobe Bryant trying to cement his legacy as a top-10 player of all-time, but either Ray Allen or Paul Pierce will have just enough to get it done. Kevin Garnett will match up just fine with Lamar Odom or Pau Gasol in the post, and the Celtics need just enough solid defense from Perkins to make it difficult for the Lakers big men to get comfortable in the block.

I do think that the Lakers length can give the Celtics fits, especially when Rajon Rondo attempts to get to the basket or when they close out on Allen. However, Rondo has become a master at the floater in the lane or going up-and-under after getting the defender in the air. And Allen…well, you don’t become one of the top-five pure shooters in NBA history without knowing how to get your shot off. No matter the angle, he’s always squared up to shoot.

Game one will be a nice gauge to see if the Celtics old legs are fresh for a killer series. Rondo will have to be on top of his game to handle the multiple defenders Phil Jackson will throw at him throughout the game. I think Kobe gets his points, 26-32, but the Celtics defense should bother the other guys just enough to stay in it.

In the end, the Celtics certain Hall of Famers, Garnett and Allen, along with the probable HOFer Pierce, should raise their second NBA Championship banner in three years, defeating the Lakers certain HOFers, Kobe and Coach Jackson. And I will enjoy every trip down memory lane to those 1980’s series that ABC will throw at us over the next couple weeks.

I do love this game.

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One paragraph on the blown call by umpire Jim Joyce at the end of the Tigers-Indians game Wednesday night, denying Armando Galarraga the 21st perfect game in MLB history:
I absolutely hate that this happened. Hate it for Galarraga, for Joyce, for the Tigers team and fans, and for baseball. It was a great story, turned sour. However, I don’t think Joyce should be suspended. He made the mistake, he’s owned up to it, shows he’s tearing himself up for it, and Galarraga has handled it with a class we do not often see from professional players. I’ll add my vote to expanding instant replay and will try to have more on this soon.

The Minnesota Twins open their new ballpark, Target Field, today for an exhibition game versus the St. Louis Cardinals. Over the past month, I have probably read and looked at 40-50 stories, reviews, Flickr photo streams or videos of the building, and I am insanely excited to make my first visit with the family. I estimate that the stories I’ve read represent one-fifth of the total I’ve come across, especially coming through my Twitter feed. There is a nice buzz about the Twins, which is well-deserved right now.

Here are just a few facts I have learned about Target Field:

* First Twins home game outdoors since September 30, 1981
* Target Field has a capacity of 39,504
* The infield is made up of 93% sand, allowing for quick drainage when it rains (up to an inch per hour) and is heated at or near 58 degrees Fahrenheit. Translation: the Twins will play through a lot of rain
* Main scoreboard (as of today) is the fourth largest in Major League Baseball

Two other construction notes that I find interesting are that the wood-backed seats located in select sections are the first wood seats to be added in a new ballpark since before World War II. Also, the Budweiser Roof Deck in left field is the only deck inside a MLB stadium – think Chicago & Baltimore, where decks are on top of buildings across the street.

I just can not get enough of the new field. When I was having trouble getting tickets online to a couple games when single-game tickets went on sale March 13th, I was more than happy to drive to the box office. I didn’t look around as much as I wanted to, as we had plans, but I look forward to a couple afternoon games in May.

As great as the ballpark is, the 2010 Twins team should be nearly as impressive. The front office has built a lineup to win now, and the offense should have no problem scoring runs. If they were still playing in Metrodome, I don’t think the team signs free agents Orlando Hudson or Jim Thome, and they might not have given lengthy contracts to OF Denard Span (5 years) and SP Nick Blackburn (4 years). Joe Mauer was always going to get his money.

The estimated payroll of $96 million (50% higher than opening day 2009) is a direct result of the expected revenue the team hopes to pull in from the new Target Field. That, and the owners are some of the richest people in Minnesota, so, yeah, they can spend some money in the coming years.

One of the Twins items I came across on Twitter within the last week was a Twins fan and blogger looking for 2010 Minnesota Twins predictions. I thought, “Hey, I can do that!” Without further delay, here are my Twins predictions for 2010:

Twins-Specific Predictions
- Twins MVP: Joe Mauer (best in the A.L. has to be best on the team, right?)
- Twins Top Pitcher: Scott Baker (expect big things from Big Spot Scott)
- Twins Best Rookie: Danny Valencia (when he makes it to Minneapolis)
- Twins Most Improved Player: Francisco Liriano (could average 12+ Ks per 9 innings)
- Bold Predictions (think of several if you’d like): Mauer, Justin Morneau, Jason Kubel, Jim Thome, Delmon Young and Michael Cuddyer finish with 15+ homeruns (I would say 20+, but not sure Thome gets enough at bats. Also, whoever becomes the closer will finish with 30+ saves.
- A.L. Central Prediction (Standings): Twins, White Sox, Tigers, Indians, Royals
- Three Keys to Success for the Twins: 1) someone emerging as primary closer 2) M & M boys’ health holds up through October 3) one starter getting 20 victories.

Rest of the League Predictions
- A.L. MVP: Mauer or Mark Teixeira
- N.L. MVP: Hanley Ramirez (the only one to supplant Pujols here)
- A.L. Cy Young: Felix Hernandez (his talent & team allow him to explode)
- N.L. Cy Young: Roy Halladay (move to NL will be very good
- A.L. Rookie of the Year: Michael Brantley
- N.L. Rookie of the Year: Jason Heyward (this guy will be good for a long time)
- A.L. Breakout Player of the Year: Denard Span (nice lineup behind him & he will produce)
- N.L. Breakout Player of the Year: Stephen Strasburg (awesome pitching prospect)
- A.L. Comeback Player of the Year: Francisco Liriano
- N.L. Comeback Player of the Year: Chris Carpenter
- A.L. Playoff Predictions: Twins, Yankees, Rays & Mariners
- N.L. Playoff Predictions: Phillies, Cardinals, Braves & Dodgers
- World Series Prediction: Yankees beat Phillies (these teams might meet in W.S. for next five years)

I really want to pick the Twins to win the World Series, but not having the number one starter like other teams and losing Joe Nathan as their closer costs them in the post-season once again. Nathan would have been better this October than last year. The Twins will score runs, challenging the Yankees for the MLB lead this year, but will just miss the World Series.

It will be a very successful year for the Minnesota Twins, and fans should enjoy the season. We have our Twins gear, thanks to a long trip to Target the other day, and we’re ready to watch outdoor baseball at Target Field for the first time in downtown Minneapolis.

The Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints play in Super Bowl XLIV (44) on Sunday and vie for the best team in the NFL for the 2009-2010 season. I think I am sufficiently over the Saints beating the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship game, so I believe I am seeing the final game clearly enough to be confident in picking the winner.

The Saints will win the Super Bowl and be NFL champions. I have held the belief since November that the winner of the NFC would be the Super Bowl winner.

The Saints and Vikings were the class of the NFC and playing really good football, combining to post a record of 21-1 at one point. The Packers and Cowboys played better football over the last month, showing that they might have enough to compete in the playoffs, but they both flamed out eventually.

The Saints survived an epic game against the Vikings, and I think they have the players on both sides of the ball and on special teams to take down the Colts. Led by Drew Brees, the high scoring Saints will be able to put plenty of points on the board, as the Colts have not played an explosive offense like this in well over a month.

The Colts finished the season on cruise control, resting their starters for most of the last two games when they had the #1 seed wrapped up. They then played the Ravens and Jets in their first two playoff games, two teams who like to grind it out and take their shots downfield if the chance presents itself.

The Saints will go downfield first and look to dump it off as a last resort. And they have Reggie Bush, who plays up and down, but is still explosive, as their dump off back. He just needs a small hole to make a big play.

I do not expect the Saints offense to struggle this game, like they did against the Vikings. With two weeks to prepare, they should move the ball. We saw what they did against the Cardinals with two weeks off. Oh, and the Colts defense will have a gimpy Dwight Freeney on the line, which gives Brees a nice advantage.

If the Colts are going to win, though, it falls on the right shoulder of a pretty great quarterback. Peyton Manning has cemented himself as one of the best quarterbacks of this generation, and some are arguing whether another Super Bowl victory pushes him into the discussion of Greatest if All Time (G.O.A.T.).

I think that discussion is for a few years down the road, but a Colts victory lies squarely with Manning. He is a master at the line of scrimmage reading where the defense will line up, getting his guys in position, and throwing a quick strike to move the ball downfield. He doesn’t have much of a running game to support him, and the Colts don’t change their scheme much, so he needs to be precise in his reads for it all to click.

Despite their 14-2 regular season record and methodical wins in their two playoff games (Manning was a surgeon in the last three quarters against the Jets), I can’t help but think that the Colts were good enough to win a weaker AFC, but have yet to play a team as good as the Saints (or Vikings, if they had made it). The Saints will get after Manning just enough to rattle him early.

With Manning trying to figure out the Saints defense, their offense will jump out to a lead, maybe by 10-14 points in the first half. The Colts, since they have Manning, will pull within one score in the second half, and perhaps hold a slim lead, but the Saints will finish strong, building a ten-point lead as tje clock winds down.

The Colts will score late to make it close, but the Saints will hold on for a 34-31 victory, winning their first Super Bowl title in their first try. It will be great for the players and the state of Louisiana.

I won’t go as far as some and say that New Orleans deserves the Super Bowl, but with their high-powered offense and opportunistic defense, the Saints will have definitely earned it. They have played the best this year and will prove it by holding up the Lombardi Trophy.

This Vikings-Saints matchup in the NFC Championship game should absolutely be a thriller. I stated in my previous post, where I predicted a 37-27 Vikings victory, that I wasn’t as confident they could win as I was back in 1998 versus Atlanta. This hasn’t changed, but I’ve shaped my thoughts on what needs to happen for them to steal one in the Superdome.

A Vikings victory comes down to two factors. First, as I said before, their offensive line has to play as well as they have the last 2.5 games. Favre and the Vikings offense has put up ridiculous numbers (yards and points) since after halftime against the Bears.

That is great, but the line needs to open a few holes for Adrian Peterson to break through. He might not break off a 70-yarder, but he needs at least three 10+ yard runs. AP needs to be a real threat, not a perceived threat.

The noise in that building will be so loud, that with the running game going, it will give Favre, the receivers, and the line an extra half second to set up their pass plays. The running game won’t allow the Saints defensive line and linebackers to pin their ears back and feast on Favre.

The second factor will be hitting the Saints, and their fans, in the mouth early, or responding quickly if the Saints land the first punch. The Vikings absolutely cannot give up points early, then either go three-and-out or turn it over, and give the Saints and that crowd an opportunity to go up by two touchdowns.

The Vikings need to score early by a long drive or special teams play. Something that deflates the crowd a little bit and makes them nervous and less vocal. The fans won’t totally back off, nor will the Saints quit, but Favre just needs a little bit of momentum to turn a little lead into a ten point margin.

I have every confidence in the Vikings that they won’t get blown out like the Cardinals were last weekend. I think they are too talented on both sides of the ball to let it get out if hand. They’ve shown they can march down the field in four plays or eleven. They just need to sustain drives, and when they get in the red zone, they need touchdowns, not field goals.

Losing to the Saints would be hard for the Vikings fan base to take, and Favre haters think they would have ammunition to bash him and Childress with an “I told you so,” theme. This isn’t the case. The Saints are different than the Falcons of 1998 and the Giants of 2000. They are good, explosive, opportunistic, and have been on a Super Bowl course the whole season. I don’t think we should be as devastated with a loss as we have been in the past. There would be no shame in losing to New Orleans, unless, of course, it’s another 0-41 shocker.

That will not happen this year, though. The Vikings are ready to make the jump to the Super Bowl for the first time in 33 years. Brad Childress brought in Favre to win this game, the NFC Championship.

Skol Vikings! Beat the Saints, paint the Big Easy purple, and let’s march to the Super Bowl in Miami. It is going to be a great day.

[post-script: One thing I wanted to mention, but failed to do so when I originally published, is this. Whoever wins the Vikings-Saints NFC Championship game will be the Super Bowl Champion for the 2009-2010 NFL season. The Colts and Jets are fine teams, but if they are not as complete as either the Vikings or Saints. If the Colts or Jets win the Super Bowl, it would be an upset on par with Patriots over Rams.]

The unthinkable is about to happen for Minnesota Vikings fans. We’ve been waiting nine years for another chance to reach the Super Bowl, and here we are, just a few short days away from the most anticipated Vikings’ game since an ill-fated Sunday to end the 1998 season. But this 2009 team has Brett Favre leading them, which might give them an even better chance at winning than that great 1998 team, which were 10 point favorites over the Atlanta Falcons.

First, let me backtrack and retell my feelings over the last couple years, as the Vikings flirted with bringing Favre in to be their quarterback. You will recall that the summer of 2008 was the first time rumors flew that he might become a Vikings player. Here is what I said in a post from July 8, 2008:

Right now, I don’t believe I could root for [Favre] as a Viking. Favre in a purple uniform? If it happens, and the Vikings go to the Super Bowl with him at QB, I would cheer for Favre throwing three interceptions and fumbling twice, but hope for the Minnesota defense to score three TDs and the team win 21-17…or something like that.

I said this over and over the last two summers to whomever would listen. I just could not wrap my head around him wearing a purple uniform, gunslingin’ all over the field. Fast-forward 13 months. This is what I wrote after many long, slow, deep breaths to catch my composure when he signed with the Vikings on August 18, 2009:

I still don’t know if I’ll be able to root for Favre in a Vikings uniform, but I do know that I’ll be rooting for the idea of him leading this team to championship glory. I just hope the season doesn’t fade into nothing…If nothing else, it will be one heck of a trip. Mission: Miami!

You see what I did there? I started to talk myself into it. This was after the first pre-season game, when Sage Rosenfels played very well against Colts’ practice squad guys. I was ready to roll with Sage into the season and see where it led. Deep down, I think I knew the Vikings would be better with Favre, but then Head Coach Brad Childress made one last call to Favre, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Finally, in my NFL Preview post from September 11, 2009, I laid out all the ingredients for a Super Bowl team, concluding that the Vikings definitely had what it took: good-to-great defense (ended #6 overall), strong quarterback play (you know Favre’s numbers: 33 TDs & 7 INTs), great running game (Adrian Peterson had 1400 yards and 18 TDs), and they had to overcome coaching (Childress only had one or two blips on the season). Overall, not bad. I said:

The Minnesota Vikings should reach the Super Bowl. I’m being biased? Perhaps, having lived in the great state for 30 years. However, what team in the NFC doesn’t have more question marks than the Vikings? Bottom-line: I really like their chances…they’ll win a minimum 11 games and have a 1st round bye. Despite Brad Childress as Head Coach, they have enough experience in almost every offensive and defensive unit to overcome his faults.

I also predicted that the Saints would fight for homefield advantage and wondered whether any team from the NFC had enough to compete with the Steelers or Patriots in the Super Bowl. Well, two of three isn’t bad. You can read my full, mostly accurate preview, here.

Now to the game. And oh what a game it will be. Everyone, rightfully so, wants to talk about Favre and Brees. They were two of the top five quarterbacks in the NFL this season, and considering Favre’s history and Brees’s future, they should get top-billing. They will both play well, getting at least two touchdowns, but they will not be the reason their team wins the game.

One of these teams will win the game based on their offensive line play. The Saints offensive line is one of the best units in the NFL at preventing quarterback sacks. Part of this has to do with the Saints quick-strike passing attack, but they do have a couple pro-bowlers on the line, so they are good. They form a nice pocket for Brees to pass out of, and recently, they’ve even started run-blocking pretty well. They had a little hiccup against the Cowboys in week 15, but overall, their line has been consistently protecting Brees and allowing him the time to put up great numbers, including a league-record 70%+ completion rate. However, they will have their hands full against a Vikings defensive line who has played very well the last 2 1/2 games, including a dominating performance against an above-average Cowboys offensive line in last weekend’s Divisional round. This will be the matchup that decides it.

On the other side, the Vikings offensive line has been often-maligned this season, despite the numbers Adrian Peterson and Brett Favre put up. I think they have been getting a bad rap, because their worst game of the season occurred on a Sunday night against the Cardinals. They could not establish the run, and Favre did not have time to make the throws he had been making all season. Bryant McKinnie was even pulled from the game for his bad play, and Childress considered pulling Favre in the 3rd quarter due to the beating he was taking. The media and fans were in unison: if the offensive line could not get it together, and immobile Favre could not make plays running for his life. And without the threat of a Peterson game-breaker, we all thought the Vikings offense was basically neutralized. Where could they turn?

And then it just started to click. From after halftime of the Vikings week 16 game versus the Bears through the thorough domination versus the Cowboys, the Vikings scored 108 points. Peterson still wasn’t breaking off long runs, but he had enough 5-8 yard runs to keep opposing linebackers close. And Favre has been superb, a season-long trend. He’s had time to scan the field, looking for his receivers, and has put the ball on their numbers almost every time. I have not complained about the Vikings offensive line in January, which was unheard of a month ago. The Vikings handled the Cowboys vaunted defensive line, and I think they’ll be able to neutralize the Saints as well.

I told people this week that I am not as confident going into this NFC Championship as I was back in 1998, and even in 2000. I knew the 1998 team would beat the Falcons, and I had a pretty good feeling the 2000 team would beat the Giants. This year, however, I’m not as confident, which doesn’t have anything to do with not thinking the Vikings can’t win. I think they can. Except they are playing the Saints, who have been an almost unanimous pick to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl since late-October.

The Vikings beating the Saints at the Superdome in New Orleans would not be an upset along the lines of the Falcons beating the Vikings in 1998, but it is a long shot. The Saints are built to win this year. They have had an unforgettable season, and their defense has been playing well. It would be a great accomplishment for the team and the city of New Orleans for the Saints to march to Miami with a victory.

However, the Saints have not faced the Vikings, who are the most complete team left in the playoffs. The Saints lost two of their last three games at home, and those games still mattered, as home field in the playoffs was not wrapped up, yet. I think Adrian Peterson does break free once, juking former Vikings safety Darren Sharper (he’s lost a step), and Favre has an above-average game. I don’t think the Vikings defense totally slows the Saints offense, but Jared Allen or Kevin Williams will strip-sack Brees at least once, giving the Vikings some much-needed momentum in a quiet dome.

I will admit that I am a bit worried about Percy Harvin’s migraine returning today and that K. Williams and Ray Edwards are slowed by knee injuries, but it’s not enough to stop believing in this Vikings team. They will play a great game on the game’s biggest stage, pulling off the mini-upset.

Vikings will win 37-27, advancing to face the Colts in the Super Bowl. Fans will be able to forget the debacles of 1998 and 2000, and, indeed, we’ll have our “Pants on the Ground” in South Beach. The Mission: Miami will be complete.

The Cowboys have been playing well the last month of the NFL season, but I don’t think they can travel to Minnesota and beat the Vikings in Sunday’s playoff game. The Vikings can score too many points at Mall of America Field, averaging 30+ points per game this year.

The Cowboys can put up points, as well, but I don’t think they score enough to win. Both defenses have been pretty solid, too, especially when the Cowboys went to New Orleans and handed the Saints their first loss of the season. They won’t be able to slow the Vikings this week.

With Brett Favre and the Vikings coaches having two weeks to prepare, they should beat the Cowboys by 10 or more points. I’ll say Vikings win 31-20, setting up a great NFC Championship game in New Orleans.

Last weekend’s first round of the NFL playoffs was interesting, if not always entertaining. With 3 rematches of the final week of the NFL regular season, there was a chance we could have seen some heavyweight contests, but they were mostly duds. I’m not a big Packers fan, as you know, but thank God they put up a fight after the first 10 minutes of their game versus the Cardinals. The first three games did not live up to the hype, as the losing teams could not get out of their own way to make the score close enough to have a chance.

I had picked the Bengals, Cowboys, Patriots, and Cardinals to win the games and went 2-2. The Bengals proved to be frauds, as was shown in their trip to Minnesota in December. Their passing game was non-existent, and they had no answer for the tough Jets defense. I thought they would show more heart at home after being embarrassed by the Jets in week 17. The Jets barely squeaked into the playoffs and proved they belong, but I don’t think the rookie, Mark Sanchez, wins another road playoff game at the Chargers this weekend.

I thought the Cowboys would have another easy game against an overmatched Eagles team – the same outcome as the week before in week 17. The Cowboys have played very well for a month, including a win at the Saints. Their running game has been solid to go along with their quick-hitting passing game. And their defense has been swarming opposing quarterbacks, disrupting their timing. I’ll have my Cowboys-Vikings prediction up later this week.

I was completely shocked at the early knockout punches that Baltimore threw at the Patriots. Come on. The Pats were the team of the decade, still have great pieces at QB, WR and head coach, and that’s the performance they put forth on their home field? Teams come back from early deficits all the time, but when you just give the ball away over and over, you’re not going to win, no matter how great you are. Turnovers are and always will be the great equalizer in the game. Brady, Moss, and Belichick should have a fun offseason. Can the Ravens pull off another shocker against the Colts, the winningest team of the decade? I don’t believe in Peyton Manning and this Colts team as much as others, but I don’t see the Ravens slowing the other great QB in the AFC. Colts are my pick.

Finally, to the Packers and Cardinals, who staged an epic duel in the desert on Sunday night. I thought the Cardinals would win a close game, maybe 27-21, but wow…it turned out so much better. Rooting against the Packers has been a favorite part of being an NFL fan for me. I told people leading up to the game, whenever we’d talk about a potential Vikings-Packers playoff matchup, that I hoped it didn’t happen, because I just don’t like seeing the Packers have success. I would rather see them lose in the first round than see the Vikings beat them later. And the Cardinals held on long enough to send them home.

I will admit that I thought the game was basically over when it was 17-0 early and again when it was 31-10 early in the 2nd half. But two great Packers plays happened. First, Woodson stripped Fitzgerald when the Cards were going to probably score to make it 24-0. The Packers drove and scored their first TD, making it 17-7, keeping them in the ballgame. Second, the Packers kicked an onside kick after making it 31-17, and then scored again to pull within seven points. Two huge plays that surely killed Cardinals momentum at key points of the game.

The game went down as one of the greatest offensive slugfests in NFL history. How ironic that a defensive play decided the game, which I actually Twittered about early in the fourth quarter? Usually, they say the offense with the ball last wins. I said that the defense who makes the first stand would win. So it was.

I’m not going to get caught up in the hype over the missed facemask call on the final play. It happened to the Vikings at Chicago earlier in the year, so I resolved myself to think teams need to win the games before it gets to that point. Rodgers should have won the game on the bomb on the first play of overtime. Then the defensive play never would have happened.

To the Cardinals. In my mind, Kurt Warner has been a Hall of Fame player since the middle of the 2008 season. He has been too good for too long, played in too many big games, including three Super Bowls, while putting up huge numbers. He is good and proved it again against the Packers. He is decisive and crisp with his passes, and his receivers always seem to come down with the ball near them. Their offense has some balance to it, too, as they were able to run the ball effectively against a solid Packers defense.

Now they need to try to duplicate this feat on the road against the Saints. I don’t think they can do it. They will keep it close for most of the game, but that Superdome crowd will disrupt at least three Cards’ drives, either by forcing penalties or turnovers, and the Saints will turn them into points. If the Vikings win, I would rather they faced the Cardinals in the NFC Championship game. I think the Saints will be there, though.

So, to recap, Colts, Saints, and Chargers, all home teams, will play in the games to go to the Super Bowl. You’ll have to wait on pins and needles until later in the week to read if I think the Vikings or Cowboys will join them.

The Minnesota Vikings, Brett Favre, and Brad Childress will put the ridiculousness of the past eight days behind them and beat the Bears on Monday Night Football. Much of the last week has been spent speculating whether or not Favre and Childress can continue to coexist on the Vikings sideline.

My take is that it was over the Monday morning after the terrible game in Carolina, but ESPN could not let this story die, since tonight’s game is on their station. Every team has dialogue between coach and player.

Because it involved Favre, there had to be more read into it than was actually there. Chilly should not have thought about taking Favre out in the 3rd quarter, but Favre should not have talked about it so much in the post game press conference. They did, and the media ran with it.

The Vikings will beat the Bears by 10 or more. The wind and temperature will be a nuisance, but the Vikings should use it to get their running game back on track. Favre should use Adrian Peterson, Chester Taylor, and Shiancoe in their short passing game, and the Defensive front four, without Pat Williams, should do enough to keep Jay Cutler unbanced all night.

Let’s say 27-13 Vikings. And they should have the 2nd seed in the NFC playoffs locked up.

If you can overlook the overstatements of how Brett Favre likes to play football, check out the video link below. The NFL Network and NFL Films put a microphone on players and coaches all the time for games, and when the Vikings played the Lions, Favre had one on. I really enjoy these compilations the NFL Network puts together after games. I really like how he interacts with Adrian Peterson and Sidney Rice.

At one point, I think around the 4:35 mark, as the Vikings come up to the line of scrimmage at the one yard line, Favre sees one of the Lions defensive linemen in the game and asks him, “What they got you in for?” Right before Adrian Peterson scores a touchdown in the spot where the lineman was playing.

Check it out here in the Vikings.com Media Vault.

Finally, a prediction for the Seattle game today. The Seahawks passing game could spell trouble for the Vikings defense. They’ve thrown the ball over 100 times the last two games, a win versus the Lions and a loss at Arizona. The Seahawks gave up 20 points to Detroit, and only scored 20 last week at Arizona, so I think the Minnesota Vikings offense will continue their streak of dominating opposing defenses.

Adrian Peterson will not make the mistakes he made in their win over Detroit last week, leading that game to be closer than it needed to be in the 2nd half. AP goes over 100 yards again, and Favre will throw for over 200 yards with a couple scores, hopefully at least one to Sidney Rice (they need to get him in the end zone). He might throw an interception, too, but the offensive line will give him plenty of time.

Vikings score over 30 again and defeat the Seahawks 34-17.

I think Minnesota Vikings’ fans have come around to the idea of seeing Brett Favre wearing a purple uniform. At least I have. Maybe it’s the team’s 6-1 record. Maybe it’s his 12 TDs and 3 INTs. Or maybe it’s seeing him move the ball up-and-down the field each week, no matter who the opponent has been. Whatever it is, after seeing a really good Vikings team struggle to a 10-6 record in 2008, led by erratic quarterback play, having Favre throwing lasers all over the field with great confidence should have put aside anyone’s doubt that this was a good move by the team.

I wonder what it would take for Green Bay Packers’ fans to do the same. Seeing a Packers win over the Vikings on Sunday at Lambeau Field will probably help, but only with a total collapse by the Vikings offense, including multiple interceptions by Favre and one late in the game, would the fans be able to fully let go and move on with the team they have. I have believed for some time now that Packers’ fans aren’t as angry with Favre for playing for the Vikings as they are afraid of what he could do with a team ready to do some damage in the post-season. Their fears have been realized through the first seven games of the season, including the first Favre butchering in the teams’ October 5th match-up on Monday Night Football. I think it’s fitting that the 2nd game, at Lambeau, is this close to Halloween, as seeing Favre run out of the tunnel for the first time wearing purple will be the scariest thing they’ve seen in 2009.

The Packers are coming off two nice wins against the hapless Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns, outscoring them a combined 57-3. They needed those wins to keep pace with the VIkings in the division and to continue tinkering with their new 3-4 defensive scheme. They performed really well and should be confident heading into this game. The Vikings are not the Lions or the Browns, however.

Even though the Vikings lost to the Pittsburgh SteAlers last weekend, the Vikings and their fans shouldn’t be too discouraged with the result. Disappointed, sure, but not discouraged. Down 10-13 in the fourth quarter, the Vikings were driving for at least a tie, when left guard Steve Hutchinson, the all-pro best-guard-in-football, got beat to his outside, and the Pitt defender swiped the ball from Favre’s hand, leading to a defensive touchdown. Down 10, the Vikings’ Percy Harvin returned the ensuing kickoff for a TD, bringing the Vikings within three once again. The Vikings defense got another stop (they played really well all game, despite Pitt’s offense clicking the previous couple weeks), and Favre led the offense on another long drive to at least attempt a field goal. But then Chester Taylor, the do-everything savvy veteran running back, dropped a screen pass and the ball deflected into another SteAlers defensive player’s hands for a second defensive touchdown. Two long Vikings drives with no points to show for it (and 14 points for the SteAlers).

In their last two games, versus the Ravens and SteAlers, the Vikings have moved the ball up-and-down the field for most of the game. The Vikings, for the most part, have outplayed their opponent in each game. The Packers defense is not as good as either the Ravens or the SteAlers, so I believe the Vikings won’t have any problem moving the ball against them, again. Bernard Berrian will be limited due to his left hamstring, but turning their long drives into points will be key when they are in the red zone. And they need to put the ball in the end zone if they are at the one-yard-line with Adrian Peterson in the backfield (inexcusable against the SteAlers).

On the other side, the Packers offense has played pretty well ever since the fourth quarter against the Vikings. Despite having to patch together their offensive line due to injuries, Aaron Rodgers has put up Pro-Bowl caliber numbers through the air. The Vikings will be without Antoine Winfield for a second straight game, and despite the defense playing well without him against the SteAlers, this will be a bigger test. Rodgers is clicking with his receivers. I predicted the SteAlers would pass all over the Vikings last weekend and was wrong. I’m making the same prediction for this game. I think Rodgers passes for a lot of yards in this game.

However, just as in the first time these teams played, he will be pressured by the Vikings’ Wall of America defensive line all game. Jared Allen probably won’t have 4.5 sacks again, but 2-3 sounds right. Earlier in the week, I wasn’t quite sure the Vikings would be able to go to Lambeau Field and win this game. But the more I have thought about how the Vikings have played this year, and how well they played last week going into Pittsburgh, I’m a lot more confident in the team. The Packers aren’t as good as either the Ravens or the SteAlers, and I’m predicting the dramatic.

In the fourth quarter, with the game close (it’s the way it has to be, right?), Favre will lead the Vikings to a field goal or touchdown to either put the Vikings in the lead or extend their lead to 10 points. Favre played 16 years at Lambeau, so despite the emotions and Packers’ fans best attempts to throw him off, I think he’ll be comfortable there. I’m leaving open the possibility that the Packers kick a field goal to win the game, but don’t believe it will happen.

In a well-played game, Favre will play the best, and the Vikings will go into their bye week 7-1, after a 27-24 victory over the Packers.