This Halloween season, there were many things haunting Minnesota Vikings football fans: a dreadful 2-6 record; the possibility of not getting a new stadium and moving away lingering overhead like a black storm cloud; the spirit of formerly-elite QB Donovan McNabb being cursed to wander the sidelines; and those terrifying cheese monsters, the Green Bay Packers. That’s just to name a couple bloodcurdling issues. It seemed inevitable that the once-mighty Purple People Eaters would be doomed to the National Football League graveyard, dragging all of their fans to those daunting depths with them.
But is that really how this horror script will end? Last week, the DOA Vikings seemed to have a bit of life to them, beating the Carolina Panthers for their second win of the season. So, is that Dr. Frankenstein’s Monster—resurrected pieces to make one hideously (at least) semi-functional creature—or are the Boys in Purple just dead men walking?
It’s nice to think that the Vikings could do “The Mummy” and rise from the tomb, so here are thirteen ghoulishly good reasons to keep the 2011-2012 Purple Pride alive:
1) The Minnesota Vikings have RB Adrian Peterson. “All Day,” as he is affectionately known, could carry a team all season. He has done just that by keeping the Vikings somewhat relevant (although I use that phrase very, very loosely) while consistently being a top-five (if not the top) ranked running back. So far this season, Peterson leads the league in rushing yards (789).
2) While the defensive secondary and pass protection have been less-than-stellar, the Vikes’ run defense continues to be among the best in the league. Currently, they are ranked fifth in rushing yards allowed (only 94.4 per game).
3. QB Christian Ponder, though no Aaron Rodgers, has been playing some decent football since taking over from former-QB McNabb. He kept the ball moving in his first start (against the formidable Packers) and played an even stronger game last week against the Carolina Panthers. Statistically, Ponder ranks somewhere around mid-pack among league quarterbacks. But as he continues to become acclimated with the Vikings offense and gains valuable on-field experience, expect things to get better. And, admit it, when considering Minnesota’s past few quarterbacks, the only way to go is up.
4. Did I mention the Vikings have RB Adrian Peterson? It’s a big deal.
5. The schedule gets somewhat easier in the second half of the season. The Vikes reasonably could go 5-3 in their last eight games. That won’t make for a winning record, but hey, let’s not get greedy.
6. It can’t be stressed enough: RB Adrian Peterson is the Vikings running back. He is like the light showing through the crack under the door in an otherwise dark room.
7. Fortunately, the Vi-… Actually, stop here.
It could be finished, but like anything self-respecting and Vikings-related, this column will get halfway through and then just quit.
