At 6-2, the Minnesota Vikings have the second best record in the NFC heading into the second half of the season. The final eight games will include a number of matchups with teams fighting for playoff position. Let’s have a look at their opponents and key factors for the Vikings finishing strong:Week 10: AT Washington (4-4)Key factor: Washington’s dinged-up offensive line

When healthy, Cousins’ group will make for the toughest matchup the Vikings’ defense has faced since Week 2 in Pittsburgh, though Washington is beat up in that area too. Neither Jamison Crowder or Jordan Reed played Sunday vs. Seattle.

Washington’s health could be a deciding factor in Week 10.
Week 11: Los Angeles (6-2)Key factor: A new Jared Goff
The Rams will make for the toughest matchup on the Vikings’ schedule as they now have the NFL’s best point differential at plus-108.

Week 12: AT Detroit (3-4)Key factor:  Recent history
Detroit has been a thorn in the side of the Vikings over the last season-and-a-half. In 2016, the Lions won in overtime at US Bank Stadium, then beat the Vikings on Thanksgiving Day on an interception by Sam Bradford on Minnesota’s final drive. This year, Detroit scored the game-winning touchdown following a Dalvin Cook fumble – a play in which he tore his ACL and was lost for the year.
Detroit hasn’t been playing well lately, losing four of five games heading into Monday Night Football against the Packers. Quarterback Matthew Stafford has only been so-so, with an 89.6 rating and only 6.8 yards per attempt. The Lions shouldn’t be written off yet because their defense is improved and they are getting left tackle Taylor Decker back and still sport a good group of weapons with Golden Tate, Theo Riddick and Marvin Jones.
Week 13: AT Atlanta (4-4)Key factor: Will the Falcons’ offense get it together?
This game once looked like one of the hardest on the schedule. Now it appears much more winnable with Atlanta ranking 15th in points per game. The Falcons will still have several weeks before they have to face the Vikings’ highly-ranked defense. We may see a very different offense by then.
Week 14: AT Carolina (6-3)Key factor: Panthers’ strong defense
In a defensive battle, the Vikings might have the edge as Minnesota’s offense has been much more effective than Carolina’s this year. Newton has 10 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a 79.1 rating – and the team just traded away his top receiver. The X Factor might be Christian McCaffrey, who ran 15 times and caught five passes against Atlanta.

Week 15: Cincinnati (3-5)Key factor: Zimmer vs. Lewis
The Bengals should be the dead-lock-no-doubt win on the schedule, but they do have a solid defense. They’re ninth in points allowed and second in total yards allowed. But will they still be pushing hard to win meaningless games by Week 15?

Week 16: AT Green Bay (4-3)Key factor: Will Rodgers return?
Week 17: Chicago (3-5)

Key factor: Has Mitch Trubisky improved?
http://www.1500espn.com/vikings-2/2017/1...-schedule/

As the Vikings make the turn for the second half of the season, we’ll take a minute to stop and consider the remarkable years two players are having.
Griffen, who has 10 sacks through the first half of the season, needs 12 sacks in the final eight games to match Jared Allen’s team record, and 12 1/2 to tie Michael Strahan’s single-season league record. He can start on Sunday against a battered Redskins offensive line (former Viking T.J. Clemmings started for the team at left tackle on Sunday). If Griffen records a sack in that game, he’ll run his streak of consecutive games with a sack to nine, matching Bruce Smith and Kevin Greene for the second-longest streaks in NFL history. Two more games and Griffen can tie former Broncos linebacker Simon Fletcher for the longest streak in league history, with a chance to break the record on Thanksgiving Day in Detroit.
Thielen isn’t on track to match or break any NFL records, but he has a chance to put himself in a select group if he keeps up his production from the first half of the year. He leads the Vikings and is 10th in the NFL with 48 receptions, and is sixth in the league with 627 receiving yards. If Thielen remains on those paces, he could become just the 10th undrafted player since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to surpass 90 catches in a season, and only the sixth to eclipse 1,200 yards. What’s more, he’d be only the second undrafted player from a Division II school to reach those thresholds, joining former Broncos receiver (and Missouri Southern product) Rod Smith. 
Some other Vikings first-half statistics of note: Harrison Smith’s three interceptions lead the team and have him tied for third in the NFL, behind Titans safety Kevin Byard and Bills safety Micah Hyde. And as a team, the Vikings have allowed just 135 points, putting them on pace for the third-fewest in team history since the NFL went to a 16-game season in 1978. The Vikings allowed 233 points in 1988, and 249 in 1992.


http://www.startribune.com/vikings-evers...455565653/

The Vikings have lost six of the last seven games after a bye week. They’ve at least competed in those losses under this coaching regime, being outscored 52-39 in three post-bye games (1-2 record) coached by Zimmer. They’ll further test that poor trend on Sunday in Washington.
“I think people look too far into that stuff,” receiver Adam Thielen said. “We’re a totally different team this year than we have been in the past. I don’t think [previous losses] had anything to do with coming out of the bye week.”


http://www.startribune.com/don-t-call-th...455676633/

Cornerback Xavier Rhodes executed perfect press coverage on a reporter’s tossup question Monday about optimism and the 6-2 Vikings. The inquiry, not unlike an opposing receiver, was jammed at the line.
“Too early,” Rhodes said.
The Vikings returned from the bye week to ramp up preparations for Sunday’s game in Washington, where last year the Vikings’ stout defenders allowed 26 points and 388 yards in a loss. So until the Vikings shut down offenses in the NFC playoffs, Rhodes doesn’t want to hear superlatives like “elite” about their defense. They heard plenty of all-time great comparisons after last year’s 5-0 start, which ended in watching the Lions and Packers make the playoffs.
“We can say that when it’s Week 17, the season is over and we’re in the playoffs and we’re going for the Super Bowl,” Rhodes said. “That’s when we can say we’re an elite defense. Right now, we’re still just trying to establish ourselves.”
http://www.startribune.com/don-t-call-th...455676633/

No, Keenum hasn’t been perfect and occasionally reminds you of why he’s been a backup. But he also has made critical throws and played winning football, not just rode the coattails of a stifling defense, though Zimmer’s ferocious crew is capable of making every game winnable regardless of who is at quarterback.
Keenum provided a steady hand when the sky appeared to be falling on Winter Park again after Bradford’s knee failed him. The Vikings are riding a positive wave right now, which shouldn’t be taken for granted given the NFL’s unpredictable nature. So why disrupt that good vibe prematurely with a decision that can wait?
That doesn’t mean Keenum has a higher ceiling than Bridgewater, or should be considered a long-term answer. All things being equal, give me Bridgewater. But this isn’t an apples-to-apples comparison. It’s apples-to-uncertainty.
The long view shouldn’t be part of this discussion. Only the present.
The Vikings are 6-2, the offense is clicking, Keenum and his receivers have found chemistry and confidence inside the team is soaring. Let it play out and see where it goes.
If adversity hits and Keenum regresses, Plan B is an exciting option. Maybe even a better option. Nobody knows for sure, but Zimmer holds that card in his hands if and when that time comes.
http://www.startribune.com/there-s-no-re...455725703/

Maybe he never heard the story.... or saw the movie... 



https://youtu.be/7qnwxn1t5Ho 


(Okay, there is supposed to be a YouTube video there but it's not working for me today)

It doesn't end well Cam.

I've read this again and again periodically somewhere since Teddy came back to the team for practice:

Andrew Krammer‏ @Andrew_Krammer  5m5 minutes ago

One of my favorite sports movie moments is in Rocky III when his trainer Mickey is hanging out in small venues watching Clubber Lang crushing opponents even though his fighter defeated the unbeatable Apollo Creed and had multiple title defenses after that.

It's a very 'Head Coach' thing to do. And it's something I do every Sunday watching the Redzone.

Now don't get me wrong, the Skins are no Clubber Lang. And the Vikings aren't resting on their laurels ala Mr. Balboa. But I have some concerns.

First, that win in Seattle is better than anything the Vikings currently have on their resume. And it was on the road. In sloppy conditions. Missing what seemed like virtually their entire O-Line.

Second, that Defense has playmakers at all 3 levels in Kerrigan, Brown and Gordon.

Third, their ancillary weapons are finally starting to develop. The Skins and particularly Cousins really looked like they missed Garcon and Jackson early in the year and things got worse when Reed went down.

But Vernon Davis' ghost had his chains rattled and came back to life. Doctson, Grant and Pryor are starting to produce. That run game with Kelly as the hammer and Thompson as the home run threat including as a pass catcher can be dangerous.

Finally, Cousins is a legit Tier 2 QB. It's not always pretty, but he can get the job done.

Bottom line though is that they are missing a chunk of their O-Line and have a rash of injuries elsewhere. Washington will need to play a lot like Minnesota on Sunday; win the turnovers, field position and Special Teams game and not self-destruct with untimely penalties.

My key matchups are their #2 CB Breeland vs. Thielen or Diggs and Waynes vs. everyone. The team that gets the better CB play from that spot should have the upper hand. Honorable mention goes to Mac Ax against their shifty Slot WR Crowder.

And a few Wide Rights or Lefts from their FSU alum kicker wouldn't hurt either! Should be a great game.

so yes,   I was thinking about where things stand right now in the playoff picture and while we are all planning on winning the division so we really shouldnt be to concerned about not making it in... I think  home field will be huge this year if we really wanted to make a serious run at a Lombardi.   I know things will change a lot between now and January,  but we really should be looking at the likelihood of needing to win out to have a legit shot at home field the way the Iggles are playing.

I know that we have talked it to death about letting Case play until the wheels fall off,  but can we really afford a loss at this point,  let alone a loss within our conference?  

http://www.nfl.com/playoffs/playoff-picture


This has us currently as a 3 seed (although I am not sure how that is possible since they have nawlins as a 2 and we beat them head to head which is IIRC always the first tie breaker)  but we can easily see how congested it is right now. 

I think I am flipping again on who should start... I dont care how Case has done, if the coaches thing Teddy is the better option then they need to get him in there as soon as they think hes ready.

https://scout.com/nfl/vikings/Article/Mi...-110047971