NFL Playoff Picks

[nolemmings]

I also agree Minnesota is better than Dallas on paper, but the Vikings always seem to find a way to lose the big one

Agreed, but this is not the big one. That would be next week, and it's why I have the Saints/Chargers in the Super Bowl.

As for the Cardinals, let's not forget that the game should never have seen overtime, if Rackers makes a gimme. By the way, did anyone else notice that the Cardinals faced only 5 third-down situations the entire game? Maybe others noticed it--I always pay close attention when it's third down to hope we can stop them or convert as the case may be. Here the monumentally pathetic Packer defense only forced five THIRD down plays. Can you imagine?--C'mon boys, let's hold him here on third and long, er third and short, er, second down. As badly as the redbirds played D, at least they forced some third and long and even fourth down conversions. By contrast, The Pack got absolutely carved up throughout the whole game. I honestly do not recall a more horrendous defensive showing. Pretenders for sure.

[barrysloate]

So Todd- what you are saying is this game isn't big enough for the Vikings to blow, we have to wait for an even bigger one so they can really fall flat on their face? I like that theory.

[nolemmings]

that's pretty much what I'm saying. They may not fall flat on their face. It may be a loss like what occurred on January 17, 1999--exactly eleven years from when they play Dallas (hmm, that gives me pause)--when they lost in overtime to the Falcons in the NFC championship. That was the best Vikings team of all time, 15-1 with Moss, CC, Robert Smith and a rejuvenated Randall Cunningham. A kicker who is literally perfect all regular and post-season misses an easy FG that would have punched the Vikes Super Bowl ticket and we lose, in no small part due to Denny Green's coaching idiocy, in overtime.

So yeah, I don't expect the Vikings to let me have any peace this year either.