Like any Pats fan one year ago, I still remember with horror watching the final Jets game of season and watching Brett Farve flounder about like the senior citizen he was. The ill fated pass (if you could call it that) at the end of the game, that cemented our dubious honor of having the best record to not make the playoffs. Thanks a pantload, Jets. I think that was when I decided that I loathed Brett Farve and everything he stands for. I think that's why when they lost to the Bears, I jumped up and down with joy. I would like nothing more than to see him bow out of the playoffs, underperforming and disgraced.
On the other hand, we have the Dallas Cowboys. Now it may be living with Giants fans for the better part of three years, but something about the Cowboys strikes me as sinister and evil. Maybe it's their absurdly large stadium, complete with unnecessarily large jumbotron dangling over the field. Maybe it's the hilarious fact that the players have to walk through the stadium's bar just to get to the field. No, no it's something else...
Oh, yes, that's right. It's that Jerry Jones is a money grubbing owner, who was created by Satan to ruin football and make sure that Bush had a great place to watch the game from. Every time that Jerry Jones's team wins, football dies a little more inside. Maybe that's why I wanted the Eagles to beat "America's team". Maybe that's why I want to see Demarcus Ware paralyze Brett Farve, but for the Vikings to destroy the Cowboys.
Real Talk
For the first time in a long time, the Cowboys look like they are firing on all cylinders and won't actually fuck up in the playoffs. Romo looks hot. Felix Jones is running the ball like nobody's business and Tashard Choice and Marion Barber are great backs on their own.
However, a Vikings team that seemed unbeatable, then seemed to be limping into the postseaon, now appears to have got their swagger back with a convincing win over the Giants in their last game two weeks ago. A great defense paired with a hot and cold offensive unit, the vikings are a great team that mixes experience and youth.
Vikings O-Dallas D: The real mismatch here is Minnesota's OL and Dallas's defensive line. Adrian Peterson hasn't been the beast he was last season simply because the line isn't doing much to help him out. This going against the 4th ranked rush defense in the Dallas Cowboys, is bad news. With Demarcus Ware (the best linebacker in football) lurking behind that potent Dallas line I really don't see Peterson having a big game. I think screen passes to Peterson and Harvin might be a good idea considering the aggressiveness of this Dallas defense. Don't forget that the vikings were 8th best in the air this year, whereas the Cowboys pass d is in the bottom half of the league 20th. That being said, this is the pass d, that kept Donovan McNabb's formidable Eagles passing game relatively in check. The bottom line is that this hinges on the inferior Vikings OL matching up and Brett Farve making some decent throws. If Harvin and Rice can both get 7+ catches the Vikings should be in good shape. Farve just can't cave to the Dallas pressure he is going to feel.
Dallas O- Vikings D - If you had asked me four weeks ago who wins this matchup, laugh at you and ask you if you were serious. The Vikings defensive line was one of the most dominant in the NFL all year, both the league leader in sacks and second in run defense. The way this Dallas offense is playing though, I see this becoming a real battle. Will Felix Jones have the game he had last week? No. But Romo is throwing the ball confidently and Roy Williams is looking every bit the phenomenal receiver he is. Throw in the Jason Witten slot option, and Miles Austin making catches when he needs to, and we got us a ball game. The key here is that Romo isn't going to have a lot of time to make throws, so he's going to need to make quick reads and get the ball out of the pocket quickly. If you are Minnesota, you need that d line to shut down the run like it's been doing all year and keep the pressure on Romo.
Bottom line
This Vikings team has felt like it's been slowly falling apart all season, and I just don't see them beating this great Cowboys team that is peaking at the right time. Cowboys by 10.
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