Vikings tight end Visanthe Shiancoe, who quietly trails only Larry Fitzgerald and Randy Moss over the last two years with 18 touchdown receptions, is being anything but quiet as his team prepares to face the Saints in four days.
Shiancoe offers up plenty of interesting stuff to Jon Saraceno of USA Today, including the formula for advancing to the franchise’s first Super Bowl since 1976.
"[W]e have to stop their momentum, their velocity,” Shiancoe said. “They’re like sharks in the water, man. If they smell or taste blood, they’re going to go crazy. We’ve got to make sure there’s no blood shed on our behalf. We have to start fast and exert our will.”
He’s right. Saying it and doing it are two very different things, however.
But Shiancoe seems to be highly motivated to try. “All I know is that we’ve got to win this game,” he said. “We’ve gotta win this game.”
That drive likely comes from one man, Brett Favre. In a quest for that final jewel to be placed in his Hall of Fame crown, Favre is combining uncanny skills with a Jordanesque will to win.
As to the possibility that Favre will be back in 2010, Shiancoe is pragmatic. “It’s up to him if he comes back next year or not. I don’t know. Who knows with him? It will be another Favre-palooza. You already know that.”
But perhaps the best way to avoid another offseason of will-he-or-won’t-he would be to beat the Saints and win the next one and allow Favre to stroll off into the sunset with a Lombardi Trophy tucked under one arm, as he slaps as many asses as he can with the other.