Are the Vikings the only hope for NFC?

By: Larry Fitzgerald
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
Originally posted 12/01/2004

Have you noticed that it’s rare these days when and NFC team beats an AFC team? Clearly the best teams are in the AFC. The New England Patriots are the defending Super Bowl Champions.

Last year, they finished 17-2 and so far this year they have followed it up with a 10-1 start. Since they have moved into their brand new Gillette Stadium in suburban Boston, they are 21-3 including playoffs. New England is 15-1 against teams with winning records since last year.

No wonder Red McCombs wants a new state of the art retractable roof stadium. One problem, nobody else seems to agree with the man from Texas. Plus the Vikings are 5-1 at the MetroDome and drawing very well. Another 64,000 were on hand Sunday to see the Vikings beat an AFC team coached by former Viking star Jack Del Rio.

It was the first time Randy Moss caught a pass in six weeks. He helped the Vikings prevail 27-16 while fighting a painful high hamstring injury.

He had four catches for 40 yards including the 28th touchdown pass of the season from quarterback Daunte Culpepper. Have you considered how many touchdown passes Culpepper would have thrown had he not lost Moss for five games?

The Vikings are now 7-4 with five games left. Moss is healthy again, and more importantly, their defense has finally played much better the last two weeks.

McCombs sent a message that was clear for all to digest last week when he fired Senior Vice President Mike Kelly a year and half after the shameful embarrassment of the cover-up from the Artic Blast Scandal.

Sunday’s win over Jacksonville was the Vikings’ first over a winning team in nearly a year. The Vikings are now 2-1 versus the mighty AFC, losing only a close battle to the Indianapolis Colts 31-28 and red hot Peyton Manning, who has thrown 41 touchdown passes.

The AFC is 32-18 head-to-head against the NFC. Pittsburgh is 10-1 with a win over New England and Philadelphia (10-1). Donovan McNabb and Terrell Owens have already clinched the NFC East. The Vikings believe they could have beaten the Eagles back in September if Culpepper had played better.

Are the Vikings the only hope for the NFC? I would say the Vikings, along with the Eagles,  Packers, and 9-2 Atlanta, are the only teams that can stay on the field with the best of the AFC.

With five games left, three of which are on the road where the Vikings are 2-3, this team has a great chance of finishing 11-5.

Fitz notes and quotes

 Minnesota Timberwolves guard Trenton Hassell is good friends with Ron Artest, the suspended Indiana Pacers guard. Artest was suspended a record 73 games by NBA Commissioner David Stern. Hassell played in Chicago with Artest before he was traded to the Pacers. “Ron’s a great guy, I played with him my rookie year, and I loved playing with him,” said Hassell.

“We are kind of the same player — he’s bigger and he wears his emotions on his back. He goes on the court with a ‘me against the world’ mentality. He’s a great guy and teammate; it’s unfortunate what’s happened. He loves his kids. He’s a great family man — he’s just one of those guys who competes every night. And sometimes his emotions get the better of him,” he added.