Season Of Giving

Vikings 39

Chargers 10

The Vikings took a giant step towards clinching a playoff spot today. 

Out in the soccer stadium in LA, mostly full of Vikings fans, the Vikings put together one of their best games of the season, mostly obliterating a Chargers team that, for all their flaws, don't get obliterated.

The first half was close. The Vikings came out and went right down the field for an Irv Smith touchdown. Dan Bailey missed his 2nd PAT in 3 weeks, which irked, but he made up for it. But the offense really didn't do a thing the rest of the half. 

On defense, we were struggling to get off the field for a while. Philip Rivers was converting a lot of 3rd and longs on us. Our corners were just getting roasted. It looked like a certain shootout. 

The only thing that stopped the Chargers offense early was the Chargers. In between their 2 scoring drives, Danielle Hunter forced a fumble deep in their end. We only got a field goal out of it, but they were free points.

The biggest sequence of the game was late in the first half. Up 12-10 we forced a Rivers overthrow that got picked off by Harrison Smith around midfield. 

A few plays later, however, a would-be screen pass was intercepted. It was Kirk's first real interception in literally months. And then the Chargers were driving pretty easily, so it looked like a drive that at worst was probably going to get us a field goal was instead going to go the other way and leave us down at halftime.

But then in one of the plays of the year, we swarmed Rivers and forced a fumble. The ball squirted around a bit before finally being scooped up by Ifeadi Odenigbo, who rumbled 56 yards for a touchdown with just seconds left in the half, and with Hunter out there as the lead blocker clearing the way. The wild swings in the last 2 minutes ended with the good guys up 19-10.

Then the very first play of the 2nd half, the Chargers fumbled AGAIN, with Hunter on the recovery. Again deep in Charger territory, and again we only got 3. Plus, Dalvin Cook got hurt again and was out for the game.

After a 3 and out, which ended with a humorous grounding call on Rivers, and then a blocked punt, we had another field goal drive, highlighted by an also humorous first down run by Kirk. But it was just a field goal again, after we didn't go for a 4th and 1. We were keeping the Chargers alive.

Rivers drives them down the field, but we got a turnover on downs. That was the last time there was any threat of a loss at all. 

We hadn't really even tried to step on the throat to this point. I thought Stefanski called a rather poor game most of the day. He was force feeding the run too much. But this drive they kind of went for it. The drive began with a 20 yard zip to Rudy. Then with 3rd and long near midfield, Cousins rolled out and just chucked one deep to a wide open Diggs at about the 10. That was the dagger. 

Mike Boone ran it in. Boone ran it in again(after yet another fumble), and the rout was complete. But for good measure, Rivers capped things off with a pair of picks to Hughes and Harris. 7 turnovers in all. Been a long time since the Vikings got 7 turnovers.

It felt a little more comical than dominant. It didn't feel like the defense was really being dominant, but fact is they gave up just 10 points on the road to a team with a lot of offensive weapons, that just a week ago dropped 45, and that dominated the Packers not too long ago.

It was not a showy game from Kirk, but he made the plays he had to. I thought Boone looked more than capable of filling in both for Cook and Mattison. And he might have to, cause Cook has become a real injury concern. As great as he can be, he cannot stay healthy at all. This might be controversial, but I would trade him in the offseason if I can get a haul. You're never giving him a big extension anyway. 

Not AS big as our own win was what took place down in Dallas, as the Cowboys frankly embarrassed the Rams 44-21, although garbage scores made that look closer than it was. I was genuinely worried about the Rams after they handled Seattle last week, but now the Vikings sit 2 up on the Rams with 2 to play, and the Rams play at the 49ers Saturday, so the Vikings could be in the playoffs before they even take the field next Monday night. 

Our win also eliminated the Bears, which is richly satisfying after the way they both ended our season last year and seemed determined to fuck this season up for us too. Seriously, those assholes lay down for the Packers every year.

The Bears loss today to the Packahs does take away probably our only remaining chance to win the north, unless the Lions pull off a mammoth upset in week 17. 

But we do have another January possibility opened up now after the Falcons stunning win at San Francisco. We sit a game back of the 49ers now, but if we win out and they lose I believe either remaining game, we would jump up to the 5 seed and get to play at the NFC East winner instead of having to go face either the Saints or the Packers and their ref friends.

The biggest thing is we at least shouldn't have to sweat out a playoff berth into week 17, provided we beat Green Bay. That last game would just be about an admitted longshot at a division, or a chance at a better seed.