Dennis Miller is likely consulting Roget's reader for synonyms of revenge. He'll need all of them to describe the motive of the Minnesota Vikings when they face off with the New York Giants tonight on ABC. But while many Vikings will have the 41-0 drubbing they suffered at the hands of the Giants in last year's NFC Championship on their minds, Minnesota has much more pressing concerns.
Namely, the Vikings are about one loss from being counted out of the playoff race. Minnesota, loser of two straight, is 3-5 and in fourth place in the NFC Central. Dropping to 3-6 in a league where so many teams are close .500 would likely end the Vikings' playoff hopes.
This team is explosive enough to make sure that doesn't happen. With quarterback Dante Culpepper and receivers Randy Moss and Chris Carter, the Vikings pose an offensive threat as great as anyone in the NFL, except perhaps the St. Louis Rams.
One problem for the Vikings is that the Giants are the only team to have shut down the Rams this season, which means New York is just as capable of shutting down the Vikings' offense. The Giants are seventh in the league in total defense, and one of the reasons they only allow 5.1 yards per play is their pass defense. The Giants are in the top four in both pass attempts allowed and opponents' completion percentage.
One way to limit the opponents' ability to throw the ball effectively is with an intimidating pass rush. The Giants have it. Defensive end Michael Strahan has become the best in the league this year. He has 15 sacks - first in the NFL - and the Giants are third in the league with 29.
Another way to limit the opponents' efficiency through the air is with speedy cornerbacks. The Giants have that, too. Jason Sehorn and Dave Thomas anchor a secondary ranked ninth in the league with eleven interceptions.
The Giants have the weapons to contain the Vikings' passing game, and they don't really need to worry about the Vikings' rushing game. The key stat here is that Culpepper is the team's leading rusher, with 347 yards. That's 81 more yards than the Seattle Seahawks' Shaun Alexander rushed for last week.
Minnesota averages just over 100 yards per game and has been unable to find a suitable replacement for the retired Robert Smith. The Vikings were hoping that rookie Michael Bennett from Wisconsin could fill the void, but he has proven inconsistent.
On the flip side of the ball, the Vikings have the worst defense in the league in terms of yards allowed. They are giving up an average of 26 points per game, and worse, they yield 132 rushing yards a contest - running the ball is New York's offensive strength.
While all signs point towards a New York victory, this could still be an exciting game to watch, for three reasons. One, the old saying that on any given Sunday anything can happen holds true, especially this year. Yes, it's a Monday night game, but the spirit of the saying still applies.
Secondly, if the Vikings are looking to go on a run, New York is not a bad place to start. Though the Giants have won their past two games, they have been playing ugly football of late. Before the two wins - an overtime victory over the Arizona Cardinals and a seven-point win against the Dallas Cowboys, neither a playoff contender - New York had lost three in a row to the Rams, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Washington Redskins.
Finally, as Dennis Miller is sure to point out, the Vikings will have recompense, retribution, and requital on their minds.
