Well hello again, football fans! Welcome to Ten & Six: Week 13!
We hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving, especially those of you in Wisconsin. Hey, at least the Packers held the Lions to 40.
With the Lions putting a nail in the coffin of the Packers NFC North hopes, the focus now shifts to beautiful Minneapolis. The Bears and their 32nd ranked run defense come to town to face off against Adrian Peterson, the greatest running back on the face of the Earth, needing a win to keep pace with Detroit.
Mikey, tell us all about it.
CHICAGO BEARS (6-5) at MINNESOTA VIKINGS (2-8-1)
Now that Tie-gate is nearly a week in the rear view mirror I find myself more disappointed in the outcome than ever before. Granted, the Lions absolute destruction of the Packers made me feel momentarily sane once again, (in a "sporting world" sense) but it also made me realize just how bad the Vikings defense played against Matt Flynn in the 4th quarter last week. Matt Flynn is not good at football, and the Vikings secondary made him look like a young Joey Montana by the end of last week. The Packers had no business coming back to send that game into overtime, yet somehow they did.
The worst part about all of this? You can't blame any of it on Christian Ponder! That's no way to live. He's my favorite Purple scapegoat. Well what's done is done and lets thank god for that. Let's look at some positive(s) and negatives from last week.
As always, the positive(s) first.
Positive(s):
-Audie Cole I've been begging for this coaching staff to give him some playing time ever since he picked off the Bills twice (taking one to the house) in his first pre-season. He never saw regular season action until last week and he made the most of it, tallying a sack and a couple of beautiful hits on the QB. He did exactly what a young MLB is supposed to do, run downhill towards the football with reckless abandon, making a couple plays in the backfield in the process. Something Erin Henderson's drunk ass has failed to do all year. Have another drink, Erin, I hope you never start at MLB again.
-Cordarrelle Patterson He has been seeing increased playing time week by week and tallied a career high in receptions against the Packers with 5 catches in 9 targets. I would have liked to see him make one more important catch late in the game, on a deep ball that was perfectly placed by Ponder (hard to believe, but it's true). Those ball skills will come with time, but it's great to see the rookie wideout get more involved as time goes on.
Negatives:
-Late Game Defense This Vikings defense has been epically bad all year in the final quarter when an opposing team decides the only way to get back in the game is through the air. It seems like every week the Vikings defensive players and coaches are finding a new way to screw the pooch and piss away a close game. Watching this shit was terrible the first time, the fact that it has happened time and time again is indescribably terrible. Week after week, the one thing you can count on is the Vikings defense choking away a close game.
Three Keys To A Vikings Victory:
Key #1: Hit Them Hard, Hit Them Early
Last week the Rams blew out the Bears by getting early turnovers and turning them into touchdowns. The Bears are defensively depleted after a series of injuries to starters and their ability to protect a short field is practically non-existent. Force them into early turnovers and make them pay and the offense won't have the firepower to come back.
Key #2: Josh McCown Sucks, Remind Him Of That
A man's confidence is only as strong as the last time he was horribly maimed. Harass him, and make sure every time he drops back he is fearing for his pathetic life. The Vikings owe McCown payback for 2003 at Sun Devil stadium, when he and a pathetic Cardinals team knocked the Vikings out of the playoffs with their win. Revenge is a dish best served cold, and this one is nearly frozen. Time to teach McCown an important lesson: that he's a worthless fuck.
Key #3: Contain Matt Forte
The Bears offense will go as he goes. The passing game only has a chance to get going if Forte can find some room on the ground. Stop him in his tracks and the Bears will suddenly become very one dimensional. The Vikings secondary is really bad, and the only chance they have is to know exactly what's coming. The only way to accomplish that is by making any yardage gained on the ground hard earned and painful.
Two Matchups To Watch:
Matchup #1: Audie Cole vs. The Pressure Of His Second Start
Audie had a good game last week and now faces the pressure of having expectations placed upon him for the first time in his very young career. Sometimes a bit of pressure is enough to throw a young man's game. He stops playing and starts thinking too much. Football isn't a thinking man's game, so let's hope he just keeps hitting things hard.
Matchup #2: Cordarrelle Patterson vs. The Depleted Bears Secondary
No Peanut Tillman and the rookie looks primed for a break out game. This could be the perfect recipe for his first hundred yard receiving game and let's hope he finds the endzone once or twice.
Mike's All-Purpose Flour Lock Of The Week
You guessed it! Cordarrelle Patterson, wide receiver, YOUR Minnesota Vikings
He has to break through at some point right? Why not Sunday! 110 Yards/1 TD
Final Takes
The Bears are easily my second least favorite team, and they typically have a bad time when they come to the Dome. No Cutler, no Tillman, no win for the Bears.
The Vikings were on the doorstep of a divisional victory last week and I think they will finish the job off on Sunday. The Bears are down, and they're about to be out. Look for big games from AP, Cordarrelle and another solid performance from rookie LB Audie Cole. It all adds up to a Vikings victory.
Final Score
Chicago Bears: 23
Minnesota Vikings: 27
There you have it, folks! The Vikings nearly played spoiler in Green Bay last week and they complete the task this week!
For more Mike Otto be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@SwervinTaters). The line between sad & entertaining runs awfully thin on a Sunday. He can also be found right here on Newest Industry contributing to our Trendsetting column.
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