cmoss84 wrote: ↑Wed Dec 28, 2022 3:56 pm
The #1 seed is still very much up for grabs. Even if Hurts plays either of the final 2 games, he very likely will not be himself. They are a stacked team...but anything can happen.
Why not kill 2 birds with 1 stone this week and knock Erin out of playoffs, while taking another step forward in not having to play...the birds...in Philly.
Emotions will be running high in GB. Watson might be out. Let's hope for a statement win on Sunday and a little luck to end the season.
Positive vibes for #1 seed.
SKOL
#1 seed is out of the Vikings' direct control at this point. They'll know before kickoff on Sunday if it's even a possibility. The Eagles are a good team but not as dominant as their record would indicate. They've had some squeakers too (e.g. a 20-17 win over the Cardinals, a 17-16 win over the Colts, 25-20 win over the Bears) in addition to their 2 outright losses.
Having Hurts helps them for sure, but even if they have him they're not just steamrolling everyone in their path.
Do I think they'll lose the last 2 games to close out the regular season? Well, if this is the Vikings' year to win the Superbowl, they most certainly will. Even if they don't lose both, I'm still not ready to concede anything to them any more than I am the Cowboys or 49ers or any other team that makes the playoffs. The Vikings haven't been dominant, yes, but they're winning and executing when they have to for the most part. What pulls the Vikings down in the esteem and credibility they get is the nature of their losses more than their wins. Their wins have been close and in some cases helped along by substantial good fortune in key moments, while their losses have been lopsided even when those scores didn't fully reflect how the games went (for example, the Vikings had excellent chances to turn things around against both the Eagles and Lions and had they done so, those games might have turned out differently. Neither team truly dominated them. The Dallas game was just a huge emotional letdown against an opponent that played a perfect game. It happens).
The long and short of it for me is the Vikings can play with anyone this year. They are a better and more complete team than the two teams that remain on their schedule. They are capable of playing at the same level as any NFC team that makes the playoffs, including the Eagles. If they manage to play at home for at least the first two rounds of the playoffs, I like their chances of reaching the NFC Championship game. If they somehow manage to play at home for all 3 rounds of the NFC playoffs, I absolutely love their chances of reaching their 5th Superbowl appearance.
We'll see what the Eagles do. Something tells me the Vikings are going to get that #1 seed this year...