As a result of three prime-time December failures, the Vikings had been written off by many league observers.
And their 44-7 demolition of the New York Giants has prompted most to conclude that it means nothing in the grand scheme of things, since the Giants barely tried, if at all.
But let’s throw a bone to our friend Paul Allen of KFAN, who handles the team’s play-by-play duties with the kind of fervor and zeal and subjectivity that any good play-by-play man should.
The Vikings have gotten back on the right track, and they’re a real threat to win the NFC crown for the first time since 1976.
They finished with a 12-4 record, only the second time they’ve won 12 or more games since 1975. Coupled with Philly’s loss to the Cowboys, the Vikings earned a bye for the third time -- their first since 2000.
The victory also pushed the team’s record to 10-0 on artificial turf in 2009. And since they’ll only play in the postseason season either in their home stadium or at the Superdome, their excellence on fake grass bodes well for an appearance in the Super Bowl. (Of course, a 2-4 record on the real stuff could be problematic if the Vikings get back to the Super Bowl, which will be played in Miami.)
And after a sluggish first half against the Bears in Week 16, quarterback Brett Favre has rediscovered his highest possible gear, completing 25 of 31 passes for 316 yards and four touchdowns against the Giants.
Favre finished the season with an eye-popping passer rating of 107.2, 4,202 passing yards, 33 touchdown passes, and only seven interceptions. Statistically, it was the best year of Favre’s entire career; he’d never previously finished with a triple-digit rating.
It’s also the first time he threw fewer than 13 interceptions since 1991 in Atlanta, when he pitched two picks in two relief appearances.
Given his production and the impact he has had on the Vikings and the age at which he’s doing it, Favre very well could be the league MVP, for the fourth time in his career.
Based on the way he’s playing right now, Favre has a shot at being the Super Bowl MVP, for the first time in his career.
So yes, Paul, I finally am a believer in the 2009 Vikings.
Which likely means that they’ll collapse in the divisional round.