The Vikings had a chance to clinch the NFC North against the Falcons last week before the defending Super Bowl champions and this year’s NFC top seed came into the Metrodome.
But they fumbled that chance away, seven fumbles to be exact (three that were lost) in a 24-17 defeat, and now they are left wondering if Giants coach Tom Coughlin will rest his starters in the season finale with the top spot already locked up. Vikings coach Brad Childress knows how Coughlin handled a similar situation last year when the Giants were locked into the No. 5 seed and had nothing to play for against the undefeated Patriots.
“I absolutely do,” Childress said when asked if he thought Coughlin would play his starters. “That’s how Tom’s wired. You saw him play all those guys last year against New England. He has a couple of weeks off. He’s not going to give them three weeks off.”
Even after the Vikings’ loss to Atlanta, 9-6 Minnesota was one half of football away from winning the division Monday night when the Packers were leading the Bears 14-3 at halftime. A Green Bay win and the Bears would have been eliminated and the Vikings also could have treated this game as a warm up for the playoffs. But Chicago rallied for a 20-17 overtime win, and if the Bears beat the Texans, and the Vikings fall to Big Blue, then it’s the Bears who will be heading to the postseason.
“We have everything to play for and have to rely on no one else, which is exactly what you want,” Vikings kicker Ryan Longwell said.
Tell that to Vikings fans, who have harsh memories of the 2003 season finale. They faced a similar win-and-you’re-in playoff scenario, but lost to the 3-12 Cardinals on a Luke McCown to Nate Poole 28-yard touchdown on the final play of the game. And be assured these Giants, even with no motivation, are a lot better than that Arizona team.
It will be QB Tarvaris Jackson getting the start trying to avoid another pre-playoff disaster. Jackson started the first two games of the season (0-2) before being benched for journeyman backup Gus Frerotte. Frerotte led the team through a 7-2 stretch before hurting his lower back in a win over the Lions. Jackson replaced him in that game and led the Vikings to a comeback victory over winless Detroit.
Jackson started the following two games – a win in Arizona and the loss to Atlanta – and Childress said he believes Jackson has earned his starting job back, even though Frerotte is healthy enough to start Sunday.
“He’s done enough to be able to start [again],” Childress said of Jackson. “I just think he has a good command of it.”
Coughlin has not given many clues to his players’ playing-time plans Sunday.
“You have to be aware of the fact that they have a tremendous amount at stake and they are going to play as hard as they can possibly play,” Coughlin said. “And every player in our locker room has to understand that. The forty-five guys that we put on the field have to play to the best of their ability with outstanding intensity, great physical play, because we certainly expect and know that that is the mindset that the Viking team will take; and rightfully so.”
With Minneapolis Star Tribune