Off loss to Bears, Vikings take on the Giants
Minnesota's season continues to slip away, the latest setback a 36-30 overtime loss to the lowly Bears on Monday night. With three losses in their last four games, the Vikings have fumbled away control of the No. 2 seed in the NFC and need an Eagles loss to the Cowboys plus a win of their own against the Giants to regain it. At least weather won't trouble Brett Favre and Co. inside the Metrodome this Sunday.
There might not be a lot of holiday cheer in Minneapolis right now, but things could be worse. They could be Giants fans.
Going into Monday night, the Minnesota Vikings were holding down the No. 2 seed in the NFC, with a shot at the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage all the way to the Super Bowl. They can forget about it after losing 36-30 to the Chicago Bears (+9 home dogs) in overtime to fall to 11-4 SU and 8-6-1 ATS.
It is now the Philadelphia Eagles with control of the No. 2 seed with just one week remaining in the regular season.
The Vikings still have a chance at the coveted bye week in the playoffs. They need a Philadelphia loss this Sunday at Dallas, and they need to beat the New York Giants (8-7 SU, 6-8-1 ATS) that same day at the Superdome. The Giants have already been eliminated from the postseason and have nothing on the line against Minnesota; then again, that was the case for the Bears in Week 16.
One of the hot topics going into Monday Night Football was how much trouble Vikings QB Brett Favre has had in cold-weather games: just 1-7 lifetime with the temperature at 34 degrees of below come kick-off time. You can make that 1-8 now, although Favre (26-of-40, two TDs, zero INTs) nearly mounted a classic comeback at chilly Soldier Field before the Bears prevailed in overtime.
Weather won’t be an issue for Favre this Sunday (1:00 p.m. ET, FOX) inside the Metrodome.
The very early betting odds coming out of Vegas – even before the MNF game was completed – had the Vikings favored by 10 points. As good as they’ve been this year, there’s no denying the Vikings have fallen into a slump, losing three of their last four games SU and ATS. All three losses were on the road as favorites.
The Giants are in far worse shape, however, at 3-7 SU and 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games. The low point: last Sunday’s 41-9 loss to the visiting Carolina Panthers (+9) in their final NFL game at Giants Stadium. They’ll be moving next door to the Meadowlands Stadium in 2010.
I’ve said it before this year, but it bears repeating: Giants QB Eli Manning and his teammates have had trouble dealing with the league’s better pass defenses. Carolina qualifies in that department.
Heading into Week 16, the Panthers were ranked fifth in efficiency against the pass at Football Outsiders. DE Julius Peppers dropped Manning last week to add to his sack total of 10.5, and Manning threw two picks on the day with three fumbles (one of those recovered by Carolina).
The Vikings? Despite DE Jared Allen’s appetite for sacks (13.5 so far), they only rank No. 25 against the pass compared to first overall against the run.
Minnesota even made the erratic Jay Cutler look like a proven winner on Monday with four TD passes and just one pick for the Bears. It’s evident the Vikings miss LB E.J. Henderson, who went on injured reserve earlier this month with a broken leg. Rookie Jasper Brinkley replaced Henderson in the middle of Minnesota’s 4-3 defense and was unable to stop Chicago tight ends Greg Olsen and Desmond Clark from finding the end zone.
Like Cutler with the Bears, Manning doesn’t have a dominant group of receivers to work with, but he does have quantity, and he also has TE Kevin Boss (42 catches, five TDs) to use against Minnesota in the season finale. But he might not have either of his top two running backs.
Brandon Jacobs (3.7 yards per carry, five TDs) is in danger of missing Week 17 after being knocked out of the Carolina game with a swollen knee. RB Ahmad Bradshaw (4.9 yards per carry, seven TDs) is officially listed as probable with a cracked foot that will require surgery in the offseason.
Given the position the Giants are in, this will be one of those Week 17 games that handicappers need to treat as if it were the preseason. Make sure to check the New York papers to see what coach Tom Coughlin has up his sleeve as far as resting or starting players is concerned. Bookies are scrambling to do the same thing.
Minnesota's season continues to slip away, the latest setback a 36-30 overtime loss to the lowly Bears on Monday night. With three losses in their last four games, the Vikings have fumbled away control of the No. 2 seed in the NFC and need an Eagles loss to the Cowboys plus a win of their own against the Giants to regain it. At least weather won't trouble Brett Favre and Co. inside the Metrodome this Sunday.
There might not be a lot of holiday cheer in Minneapolis right now, but things could be worse. They could be Giants fans.
Going into Monday night, the Minnesota Vikings were holding down the No. 2 seed in the NFC, with a shot at the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage all the way to the Super Bowl. They can forget about it after losing 36-30 to the Chicago Bears (+9 home dogs) in overtime to fall to 11-4 SU and 8-6-1 ATS.
It is now the Philadelphia Eagles with control of the No. 2 seed with just one week remaining in the regular season.
The Vikings still have a chance at the coveted bye week in the playoffs. They need a Philadelphia loss this Sunday at Dallas, and they need to beat the New York Giants (8-7 SU, 6-8-1 ATS) that same day at the Superdome. The Giants have already been eliminated from the postseason and have nothing on the line against Minnesota; then again, that was the case for the Bears in Week 16.
One of the hot topics going into Monday Night Football was how much trouble Vikings QB Brett Favre has had in cold-weather games: just 1-7 lifetime with the temperature at 34 degrees of below come kick-off time. You can make that 1-8 now, although Favre (26-of-40, two TDs, zero INTs) nearly mounted a classic comeback at chilly Soldier Field before the Bears prevailed in overtime.
Weather won’t be an issue for Favre this Sunday (1:00 p.m. ET, FOX) inside the Metrodome.
The very early betting odds coming out of Vegas – even before the MNF game was completed – had the Vikings favored by 10 points. As good as they’ve been this year, there’s no denying the Vikings have fallen into a slump, losing three of their last four games SU and ATS. All three losses were on the road as favorites.
The Giants are in far worse shape, however, at 3-7 SU and 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games. The low point: last Sunday’s 41-9 loss to the visiting Carolina Panthers (+9) in their final NFL game at Giants Stadium. They’ll be moving next door to the Meadowlands Stadium in 2010.
I’ve said it before this year, but it bears repeating: Giants QB Eli Manning and his teammates have had trouble dealing with the league’s better pass defenses. Carolina qualifies in that department.
Heading into Week 16, the Panthers were ranked fifth in efficiency against the pass at Football Outsiders. DE Julius Peppers dropped Manning last week to add to his sack total of 10.5, and Manning threw two picks on the day with three fumbles (one of those recovered by Carolina).
The Vikings? Despite DE Jared Allen’s appetite for sacks (13.5 so far), they only rank No. 25 against the pass compared to first overall against the run.
Minnesota even made the erratic Jay Cutler look like a proven winner on Monday with four TD passes and just one pick for the Bears. It’s evident the Vikings miss LB E.J. Henderson, who went on injured reserve earlier this month with a broken leg. Rookie Jasper Brinkley replaced Henderson in the middle of Minnesota’s 4-3 defense and was unable to stop Chicago tight ends Greg Olsen and Desmond Clark from finding the end zone.
Like Cutler with the Bears, Manning doesn’t have a dominant group of receivers to work with, but he does have quantity, and he also has TE Kevin Boss (42 catches, five TDs) to use against Minnesota in the season finale. But he might not have either of his top two running backs.
Brandon Jacobs (3.7 yards per carry, five TDs) is in danger of missing Week 17 after being knocked out of the Carolina game with a swollen knee. RB Ahmad Bradshaw (4.9 yards per carry, seven TDs) is officially listed as probable with a cracked foot that will require surgery in the offseason.
Given the position the Giants are in, this will be one of those Week 17 games that handicappers need to treat as if it were the preseason. Make sure to check the New York papers to see what coach Tom Coughlin has up his sleeve as far as resting or starting players is concerned. Bookies are scrambling to do the same thing.