Disclaimer: The two previews that I have done thus far (TB and
Us vs. Them – Defense
The Vikings have been winning on the arm of Gus Frerotte and the legs of AP and Bernard Berrian. AP has impressive but not spectacular stats thus far (563 yards on 129 carries with 3 TD’s and 3 lost fumbles). Bernard Berrian flew off to greener pastures during the offseason to get away from QB shakeups, and he has 436 yards on 22 receptions with 2 TD’s. Frerotte has been consistently throwing in the 200’s for the past four games, but he only has 3 TD’s with 3 INT’s. Two other WR’s names you’ll most likely see on Sunday: Bobby Wade (25 receptions for 287) and Visanthe Shiancoe (13 receptions for 155).
Unfortunately, it looks like the same deal as last week, except we have a little more history with this team: Contain AP and make Frerotte beat us. If our defense is as vanilla as they were against the Falcons, it really won’t matter what we do. It doesn’t help that our secondary is horribly banged up.
Us vs. Them – Offense
Final word
I don’t know what to think about this game, because it really depends on which team shows up this weekend. I’m not as much worried about the offense as I am the defense (which is the first time I’ve ever thought that about this team). My major concern is our injury-riddled secondary. I don’t know what Babich is going to do to mask those problems.
We absolutely need to stop AP, and our defensive “effort” last Sunday really concerned me. I hate to do this, but I’m taking a page out of the Tribune writers’ book and calling a Vikings win.
Vikings 24, Bears 17