The excitement of a 5-0 start having long since vanished, the Vikings were preparing to face the Indianapolis Colts a year ago having won only twice in their past eight games.One of those victories had come the previous week in Jacksonville – a win that put Minnesota a game over .500 – but if those Vikings had any interest left in the season it clearly had vanished by Week 15.


The Vikings played maybe their worst game of Mike Zimmer’s tenure in getting embarrassed 34-6 at U.S. Bank Stadium by the mediocre Colts. They followed that up by having some defensive players go rogue in a 38-25 loss the next week at Lambeau Field.
Why do we bring up this one-year anniversary in the midst of the Vikings’ 10-3 season that should result with the clinching of the NFC North with a victory over the 5-8 Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium?
Because it’s important to understand how far the Vikings have come from this time last season and, in particular how far Zimmer seems to have come as coach.
http://www.1500espn.com/vikings-2/2017/1...y-vikings/

The Vikings are coming off a loss in which their quarterback erred and their injuries mounted, their receivers dropped passes and their run defense looked uncharacteristically lax.
Time to panic?
Might just as well be time to celebrate.
Every week, hundreds of statistics about the Vikings are spewed by reporters and social media, and yet perhaps the most important and remarkable statistic about this season has been largely ignored.
If the Vikings win their last three games, this would become the second team in franchise history to reach 13 victories.
The only Vikings team to have done so: the spectacular if ill-fated 1998 edition, which finished 15-1.
Context is required. Many of the best teams in franchise history played fewer than 16 games, making 13-win seasons impossible or unlikely.
But the 16-game schedule has existed since 1978. The 2009 Vikings were good enough to win a Super Bowl and enjoyed perhaps Brett Favre’s most efficient season as a pro, yet won “only” 12 games.
The 2017 Vikings have a chance to win 13 games with a backup quarterback who went undrafted, a backup running back, an overhauled offensive line and a leading receiver who went undrafted.
http://www.startribune.com/vikings-succe...464637333/

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/942133646990831616

a gimmick? 

I know they were hammered for their BOGO everyday...

Vikings’ Anthony Barr on hate messages since hit on Aaron Rodgers: ‘I don’t feel it’s going to stop’
Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr was asked Friday about all
the hate messages he has received since his hit two months ago that
broke the collarbone of Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Barr paused and pointed to a Twitter notification on his phone.

“I actually just got one right here,’’ Barr said in an interview with the Pioneer Press. “It says, ‘I hope you tear your ACL.’’’

Since the Oct. 15 hit on Rodgers at U.S. Bank Stadium, there
have been plenty of anti-Barr messages. Barr recently put on the
Internet a picture of a card he received from someone wanting him to end
up like Darryl Stingley, the New England receiver who was paralyzed by a
hit in a 1978 preseason game and died in 2007.

A simple search on Twitter reveals messages from apparent
Packers fans, reading, “I hate Anthony Barr,’’ “Eat (expletive) Anthony
Barr,’’ “Radical Minnosotan Terrorist Anthony Barr, “Aaron Rodgers about
to break Anthony Barr’s collarbone.’’

“I don’t feel it’s going to stop,’’ Barr said of the hate messages. “So it kind of is what it is.’’
Barr was not penalized nor fined for the hit that came after
Rodgers had rolled to his right and threw an incompletion in the first
quarter of a 23-10 Minnesota win. After spending eight weeks on injured
reserve, Rodgers is expected to return Sunday at Carolina. During his
absence, the Packers (7-6) went just 3-4 with Brett Hundley as the
starting quarterback to fall three games behind the Vikings (10-3) in
the NFC North.

The Packers play host to Minnesota next Saturday at Lambeau
Field. Whether Rodgers plays could depend on how he looks against the
Panthers and whether Green Bay wins to stay in the playoff race.

Five days after Rodgers’ injury and four days after Packers
coach Mike McCarthy had accused Barr of “an illegal act,’’ Barr insisted
he’s “not a dirty player.” He wished the quarterback a “speedy
recovery” and said he had the “utmost respect’’ for him.

https://twitter.com/Ashley_Grammy/status...5160187904

Just watched this on NFL Network, and it's very good.  Not only one of the greatest Vikings to suit up the purple, but a very cool, humble player.  On the field, Johnny was bad a$$!

Lots of great footage, and background on how he grew up. Great story, and I highly recommend it.

Preview here

Art Briles - C -Texas Booster Red McCombs has lobbied Incarnate Ward University to hire Art Briles as their new head coach.

"You not only will be getting the best football coach available but also the best man," McCombs told The San Antonio Express News. "In two years’ time, he would leave them with an unbelievable program in place and then could go to the big time, because that’s where he should be in the first place." Briles was fired unceremoniously after numerous sexual assault cases and lawsuits came forward against former Baylor players. Incarnate Ward -- who went 1-10 last year at the FCS level -- have stated they're not interested in hiring Briles.

On ESPN2 now.  Already 21 - 3 at the end of the 1st, and so far making this look way too easy.  Winner goes to the Championship.

Go Bison!

http://www.vikings.com/media-vault/video...a53deb0011

Great one this week BRob.  And dayum, Rashad Hill is a BIIG man.