Photo by: Brian Stanley

I’m sure I wasn’t the only fan to breathe a sigh of relief as the Vikings managed to sweep the Motor City Kitties (a.k.a. the Detroit Lions). There’s still room for improvement but a win is a win and exactly what this team needed.  Ponder haters are probably disappointed since today’s game gave them little to stew about during the bye week. It’s unclear what made the difference for Ponder today. Better O-Line protection? Involvement of Kyle Rudolph? More mobility with a healthy knee? Poor defensive scheme on the part of the Lions? Effective game plan? While it’s easy to speculate on the why, I am simply satisfied to have seen some glimpses of the early season Ponder.

In all honesty, I was fully expecting a harsh and flippant crowd today however the fans in the dome seemed as eager as the players to move past the terrible memories of the past two weeks. Maybe the emotional honoring of local veterans and active members of the military might have contributed to the supportive vibe. Or maybe fans were mesmerized again by Adrian Peterson’s powerful running game that resulted in 171 rushing yards, a rushing TD and the elusive two-point conversion. Either way the dome was full, the fans were loud and they didn’t leave the stadium early (for once).

So here’s how things measure up as the Vikings get a much needed late season break. The Vikings are 6-4. Adrian Peterson continues his powerful reign on the offense putting up very impressive numbers (1,128 rushing yards and 7 TD). Chad Greenway leads the league with 99 tackles. Blair Walsh is 23 of 24 in field goal attempts. Percy Harvin has accumulated over 1,200 all purpose yards and will definitely be taking advantage of the extra days to get that ankle healthy.

There’s no disputing that it’s been an intriguing ride up to this point ,and thankfully it’s not over yet. Fans will be treated to the most exciting matchups of the season to date as the Vikings are slated for four more interdivisional battles against the Packers and the Bears. SKOL!

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Written by JK

JK is a native Minnesotan. She’s not shy about her passion for Minnesota Vikings football so she’ll never pass up a chance to talk about the current state of the team or its individual players. As a fantasy football player JK has taken the opportunity to expand her knowledge beyond the basics to analyzing player match-ups and individual statistics. She believes football is such a popular sport because it imitates life… incredible highs and gut-wrenching lows that help you to feel alive and realize the importance of living in the moment. After all you never know what tomorrow, next Sunday or next season may bring; especially when you are a fan of the Minnesota Vikings. When JK isn’t consumed with football she enjoys mountain biking, collecting vinyl records, photography and cooking.

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