2010-2011 NFC North Division

[Jay Bee]

True, but historically only ten percent of teams who start 0-2 make playoffs over the past ten years.

It's an overrated stat.  Many of those 0-2 teams are 0-2 because they are truly bad teams.  Thus, they don't make the playoffs.  Great teams/franchises such as Minnesota that go 0-2 can certainly still make the playoffs (as we did in 2008).  Not having Sidney is hurting us... but, we're still an incredibly great team and will be OK... 0-0 in divisional games thus far.

[cheebs09]

It's an overrated stat.  Many of those 0-2 teams are 0-2 because they are truly bad teams.  Thus, they don't make the playoffs.  Great teams/franchises such as Minnesota that go 0-2 can certainly still make the playoffs (as we did in 2008).  Not having Sidney is hurting us... but, we're still an incredibly great team and will be OK... 0-0 in divisional games thus far.

I think it is a little early to call any team a great team 2 this early in the season. To be a great franchise I think you should probably have a super bowl win, or else the term great is being used pretty loosely.

I think next week is the make or break game for the Vikings. They could come out and have a good performance that gets them back into their rhythm and 1-2 isn't awful and going into the bye they can build on that and continue to get on the same page.  However, the Lions aren't as bad as they usually have been. They nearly beat the Eagles and depending on your views should have beaten the Bears. If the Vikings lose that game then I would call their season done. 0-3 with someone in the division being 3-0 will be tough. The only thing that they have to be optimistic about is that the NFC East doesn't seem as good as advertised. I just feel an 0-3 start with a loss to the Lions will break that locker room apart, especially with a bye week to let it fester and their schedule after the bye.

[MUBurrow]

I just hope for Packer fans that Matthews holds up.  When you read about all the weight he put on during college, if memory serves it was something like 30lbs before his junior or senior year, you have to wonder if that frame is going to start to wear down. 

[NersEllenson]

I just hope for Packer fans that Matthews holds up.  When you read about all the weight he put on during college, if memory serves it was something like 30lbs before his junior or senior year, you have to wonder if that frame is going to start to wear down. 

I'd look at lineage more than anything.  He comes from good bloodlines.  Dad and Uncle both were 18 year NFL vets.  If I were a Packers fan, I wouldn't be worried.  The kid is the real deal.

[GOMU1104]

It's an overrated stat.  Many of those 0-2 teams are 0-2 because they are truly bad teams.  Thus, they don't make the playoffs.  Great teams/franchises such as Minnesota that go 0-2 can certainly still make the playoffs (as we did in 2008).  Not having Sidney is hurting us... but, we're still an incredibly great team and will be OK... 0-0 in divisional games thus far.

HA.

[reinko]

It's an overrated stat.  Many of those 0-2 teams are 0-2 because they are truly bad teams.  Thus, they don't make the playoffs.  Great teams/franchises such as Minnesota that go 0-2 can certainly still make the playoffs (as we did in 2008).  Not having Sidney is hurting us... but, we're still an incredibly great team and will be OK... 0-0 in divisional games thus far.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvLmG5Ls-kw

[Josey Wales]

It's an overrated stat.  Many of those 0-2 teams are 0-2 because they are truly bad teams.  Thus, they don't make the playoffs.  Great teams/franchises such as Minnesota that go 0-2 can certainly still make the playoffs (as we did in 2008).  Not having Sidney is hurting us... but, we're still an incredibly great team and will be OK... 0-0 in divisional games thus far.

Ha, I almost spit out my coffee reading these two sentences.

[wadesworld]

I doubt you'd make that same statement if Matthews wasn't on the Packers...but I guess that's part of what makes sports great. My guys are always better than your guys.

Really?  I'd absolutely take the 24 year old, 2nd year Matthews who will continue to improve over the 28 year old, 6th year Ware who has probably peaked or is probably now at his peak for the long term.  That has nothing to do with me being a Packers fan, just the fact that Matthews is 4 years younger and is one of the most explosive linebackers in the NFL.

Last year Ware had 45 solo tackles, 12 tackle assists, 6 pass deflections, 11 sacks, and 5 forced fumbles.
Last year Matthews had 37 solo tackles, 14 tackle assists, 7 pass deflections, 10 sacks, and 1 forced fumble.

Obviously the numbers go towards Ware, but considering he's widely considered the best linebacker in the NFL, and that it was Matthews's rookie season, those numbers are pretty close.  Give me Matthews long term every day of the week.

So far Ware has 9 solo tackles, 1 pass deflection, and one sack.  Matthews has 12 solo tackles, 1 pass deflection, 6 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 2 starting quarterbacks knocked out of the game.

Pass coverage already goes to Matthews.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

Vikes haven't looked good.

But...

The defense has looked good, so maybe Brent and the receivers can figure it out over the next 2 weeks (Lions + bye week).

They have only lost 1 game that they "should have won", so we'll see if/when that comes back to bite them.

[SaintPaulWarrior]

The Minnesota Vikings have just launched a new integrated marketing campaign to celebrate their "50 Seasons of Greatness".

This has been the slogan for this year....I guess in MN losing 4 Super Bowls makes 50 seasons of greatness.

[Spotcheck Billy]

The Minnesota Vikings have just launched a new integrated marketing campaign to celebrate their "50 Seasons of Greatness".

This has been the slogan for this year....I guess in MN losing 4 Super Bowls makes 50 seasons of greatness.

and in an interview, Tarkenton sounds kinda miffed that they didn't invite the older players back for a pre-game ceremony or anything

Why not have those players back to represent 50 years? Plus the game was one of the greatest upsets in the history of the league and there's nothing. Would that happen in New York with the Yankees? Or, in Boston? That was the foundation of this franchise. That was where we built the fabric in the first five years. If they had something, I wouldn't go back. (The Vikings have not finalized plans for celebrating their 50th-season anniversary, other than the release of a DVD on Sept. 14 that will cover the franchise's first half-century.) On that day, I'll have a moment of silence and remember it probably the whole day. http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_15829418

[ChicosBailBonds]

I agree...
CHI hasn't really been tested although I think DAL will get things turned around.  I think GB is fortunate to have played Philly when they did.  I don't think they would have beat a philly team if Vick had played the entire game last week.  I'm hoping Kolb suits up when they play CHI.

As a Cowboys fan, I could not disagree more.  Same train wreck it's been for the last 3 or 4 years.  No discipline, poor coaching, terrible GM (unfortunately he's the GM).

That's why I told you guys last year I would trade McCarthy for Wade in a heartbeat and I actually had a lot of people here saying they would take that trade.  Funny, I don't think they would now.

[wadesworld]

As a Cowboys fan, I could not disagree more.  Same train wreck it's been for the last 3 or 4 years.  No discipline, poor coaching, terrible GM (unfortunately he's the GM).

That's why I told you guys last year I would trade McCarthy for Wade in a heartbeat and I actually had a lot of people here saying they would take that trade.  Funny, I don't think they would now.

That was probably me.  I would definitely not take that trade anymore.  I still wish McCarthy would open it up more earlier in the games.  We always start out slow and then start looking like one of the better teams in the NFL when we open it up in the 2nd half.

I'd be interested to hear what your take is on Ware vs. Matthews and who you'd rather have long term.

[shiloh26]

As a Cowboys fan, I could not disagree more.  Same train wreck it's been for the last 3 or 4 years.  No discipline, poor coaching, terrible GM (unfortunately he's the GM).

That's why I told you guys last year I would trade McCarthy for Wade in a heartbeat and I actually had a lot of people here saying they would take that trade.  Funny, I don't think they would now.

Who on God's green Earth would take Wade Phillips as a coach over anyone else?  I'd hire Herm Edwards as GM before I took Wade Phillips as a head coach.  Out of everyone on the Cowboys sideline, I'd say that Wade consistently looks the most confused.  

I get the same feeling about the Cowboys... I'm a Packers fan and was pretty surprised about all the Super Bowl talk to begin the season considering how we ended last season and now have the exact same team, but I was even more surprised about how excited people were about the Cowboys.  They've done nothing in the last 4 years to show they are a contending team.  Romo just doesn't quite have seem to it, and they keep finding new ways to muck up games (what did you guys trade for Roy Williams? First Rounder?).  Sure, they'll go off for good stretch of the season, but they'll flicker just like they always do.  

McCarthy seems like a good coach, and you can't really be too upset with the results so far... but his playcalling gets downright confusing sometimes.  I remember the Bucs game last year when he simply refused to get Rodgers into a groove with short slants and seams, but just keep calling vertical routes for incomplete passes.  It was infuriating considering how well we move the ball on shorter routes, and then strike deep 2-3 times a game.  While it gets frustrating at times, he consciously tries to mix it up in his approach to each game, which probably makes it harder to game plan against.  

[Rollout-the-Barrel]

It's an overrated stat.  Many of those 0-2 teams are 0-2 because they are truly bad teams.  Thus, they don't make the playoffs.  Great teams/franchises such as Minnesota that go 0-2 can certainly still make the playoffs (as we did in 2008).  Not having Sidney is hurting us... but, we're still an incredibly great team and will be OK... 0-0 in divisional games thus far.

Ok.  90% of 0-2 teams are "truly bad teams" and 10% are "incredibly great" and "will be ok".  I still don't like those odds if I'm a Viking fan.

[Lennys Tap]

Vikes haven't looked good.

But...

The defense has looked good, so maybe Brent and the receivers can figure it out over the next 2 weeks (Lions + bye week).

They have only lost 1 game that they "should have won", so we'll see if/when that comes back to bite them.

Who's Brent?

[Josey Wales]

Who's Brent?

I think he meant Bart.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

Who's Brent?

Brent Favre.

Duh.

[Spotcheck Billy]

[Shaka Shart]

It is clearly evident by this picture that Packer fans will never get over Brett Favre.

[NersEllenson]

Isn't it "BrINT," as in Brett being an Interception waiting to happen?

[ChicosBailBonds]

Who on God's green Earth would take Wade Phillips as a coach over anyone else?  I'd hire Herm Edwards as GM before I took Wade Phillips as a head coach.  Out of everyone on the Cowboys sideline, I'd say that Wade consistently looks the most confused.  

Go back and read the threads here from two years ago when the Packers were down, Favre was the greatest, Ted Thompson was a jerk for not signing him, Aaron Rodgers would never be anything and McCarthy was a joke.  That pretty much summed up the posts here from Packers fans.  It was entertaining to say the least.  And a bunch of them were saying how great Phillips was because Dallas had gone 13-3 the year prior. 

[Moonboots]

Looks like there's a new consensus in town.

[JWags85]

Looks like there's a new consensus in town.

Absolutely, the Vikings are the Consensus 3rd best team in the NFC North.

[Jay Bee]

Looks like there's a new consensus in town.

Must be a misprint.  The Vikings are poised to follow the lead of the Minnesota Twins and win yet another division championship. 

With Hank and Kendra... coming to town, things are looking up.  Our schedule does blow, though.  We flat out need to win divisional games.  If we had a new stadium we'd be 2-0.