Before the season began most publications and sports media outlets predicted the Vikings to finish last in the NFC North, based on off season moves, our QB situation, and last year's underwhelming results from our head coach Brad Childress.

The MSN Viking site opined "looks like a rebuilding year - prediction 5-11"

I thought along the same lines and when we lost to a beatable Kansas City team and a smoke-and-mirrors Lion's team, I saw a 4-12 record staring the Vikings in the face - and a top-10 draft choice. It is not easy to be a longtime fan of an NFL franchise.

All teams go through cycles of good years, bad years, and mediocre years. If you are a fan of a team with a good front office, the bad years are fewer in duration than the good year cycles. Minnesota has been fortunate in this regard - since 1961 Viking fans have enjoyed several good cycles and no prolonged bad cycles, i.e. Detroit and Arizona.

The Vikings have been in a cycle of mediocrity since getting hammered 41-0 in the 2000 NFC Championship game by the Giants. The team hovered around 8-8, 9-7 each year and were just good enough that fans had hope of a lucky bounce here, a fortunate break there, etc. At least each year there was hope and reason for a positive feeling.

It was after that 9-7 loss to Green Bay on a Thursday night game last year that I lost hope in a Viking future having Brad Childress and Tarvaris Jackson in it. That was one of the ugliest games ever played and if we had gotten anything from the QB position we could have won that game. Our 7 points came on a Fred Smoot interception return.

There have been some ugly games this year: 1.) TJ's 4-interception loss at Detroit, 2.) the 10-6 loss at Kansas City, 3.) the loss to Dallas when we were up 14-7 at the half and receiving the 3rd quarter kick-off, 4.) the loss to Philadelphia, 5.) the ass-kicking we received at Green Bay where Brooks Bollinger looked like a highschool quarterback.

The season looked pretty dismal at 2-5 after the loss to Philadelphia. I've been following the Patriots this year for a couple reasons - they are televised so often, I like Randy Moss and Tom Brady, and Bill Belichick is a card-carrying genius.

The win over San Diego was a fluke. The Chargers underestimated us and our offensive line blew holes in their 3-4 defense big enough to drive trucks through. Frazier called a blitz on almost every down and E. J. Henderson was a monster.

The whooping at Green Bay with AD's knee injury deflated that feelgood moment.

Then out of the blue comes a 5-game winning streak to take the Vikes to 8-6 and you ask "what the hell?". Where did this come from. Did Brad Childress finally figure out how to be a head coach?

It was a great early Christmas present and to have the game against Washington moved to Sunday night with the NBC flex schedule - and the game to have play-off implications was simply fantastic! Of course we were out-coached and out-played and made Todd Collins look like an All-Pro - but what the hell...

Thank you Minnesota Vikings for giving me a meaningful game on December 23rd when none was expected just 6 weeks ago.

I'll gladly eat crow for my prediction of a 4-12 record. I'm predicting 8-8 for next year and I hope you make me eat crow again - it'll be my new Christmas dish.

Merry Christmas to all - especially the good folks out there in Viking land.

Everytime he touches the ball he causes you to hold your breathe - he is capable of scoring from anywhere on the field. There hasn't been a running back as dangerous - not even Ladanian Tomlinson - since Barry Sanders.

Today there have been hundreds of articles and blogs singing the praises of Adrian Peterson after his amazing record day against the Chargers with 30 carries for 296 yards. What a mind-boggling performance. Some writers have compared him to Eric Dickerson, some to Walter Payton, one even mentioned Bo Jackson.

That last one may be the closest. Bo was an incredible athlete with blazing speed and power. He didn't waste time with feints and stutter steps - he turned on the thrusters and if defensive players took the wrong angles they got burned.

Eric Dickerson was a glider with a graceful gait that sliced through defenses with ease. He, O.J. SImpson, Tony Dorsett, and Marcus Allen ran with similar styles.

Ladanian, Walter Payton, and Barry Sanders were similar style runners of the "waterbug" style. Payton was not a speed burner but could dance through an entire defense's 11 men without being touched. For many years he held the single game record of 275 yards which happened against the Vikings, a record I'm glad no longer stands.

Then you have the big backs like Shawn Alexander, John Riggins, Earl Campbell, Franco Harris and Larry Johnson. Even though smaller, Emmit Smith fit this group.

The roster says that Adrian is 6-1, 217 pounds but he looks so much larger than that. By comparison, Chester Taylor looks diminuative.

No one in history runs like Adrian Peterson, he is unique. He does not glide, he does not juke, he doesn't slow down to wait on blocks - he attacks. Once he gets the hand-off he accelerates like a rocket but can still make full-speed cuts or pull a leg away from a would be tackler. He runs with aggression and power and intelligence. He can use a stiff arm if he wants but mostly he just attacks and continually accelerates.

On his 3rd TD Sunday, the 46-yard score, he was still accelerating at the 30. On the replay it looked like he was at normal speed and all the defenders were in slow motion. His talent is just breathtaking. Its as if his speed is limitless. His time in the 40 is meaningless because with a football in his hand he can accelerate as fast as he wills himself to do so.

Adrian Peterson is unique, a category unto himself. In the future he will be the measuring stick new running backs are compared with.

Dallas was a consensus choice to beat Minnesota last Sunday and many experts contend the Cowboys are the best team in the NFC and maybe 3rd, or 4th best in the NFL. The game turned out to be a frustrating defeat none-the-less because it was an upset special that Minnesota should have pulled off.

Fresh off their at-home 21-point loss to the Patriots the week before Dallas spent last week still living the Patriot game, reading their own press clippings, and not worrying about the Vikings very much. In a game like this when the much favored home team takes the opening kick-off and marches down the field to score 7 points, usually you can see them think, "that was easy", and visibly relax. The underdog then rises to play a great game and the home favorite is unable to "flip-the-switch-on" and revert to playing their best ball.

Leading 14-7 at half and receiving the opening 3rd-quarter kick-off you had to feel good about Minnesota's chances to steal this game. Good coaching would have seen a long, precision drive that led to a 2-score lead and ate up 7-8 minutes of game clock.

Instead the offense sputtered because Tarvaris Jackson is a terrible NFL QB. He will never be an adequate NFL QB because completing passes requires so much more than arm strength.  6 completions for an NFL QB is disgraceful and this is following a 9-completion performance the week before.

In a 32-team league his QB rating is 36th.

One has to assume that a fan base deserves an effort from a team's ownership and coaching to put on the field a product capable of making the play-offs. Hopefully owner and coaches realize that any blueprint-for-success in a "what-have-you-done-for-me-lately" sport had better include a respectable effort at winning.  To consider an entire season a rebuilding year is to accept failure and hope the fans will be patient while you field raw, inferior talent with the hopes that something less crappy emerges from the dung-heap.

In the NFC it will take a record of 10-6, perhaps 9-7 to make the play-offs as a wildcard. In the 10 remaining games the Vikes will have to finish 8-2 or 7-3 for a chance.  This won't happen with Tarvaris at QB. He has got to be related to Spurgeon Wynn - the horrible QB we once acquired from Cleveland....on purpose even.

So what can Minnesota do to quickly right the ship?

Kelly Holcomb starting might be the best chance to beat Philadelphia this weekend but he is not the future - he takes too many sacks and completes barely 50-percent of his passes. With him at the helm a 5-5 finish would be the upside potential and 7-9 won't make the play-offs.

Signing an old has-been isn't the answer either: I.e. Jeff George, Brad Johnson, etc.

One relatively cheap option is to acquire Charlie Whitehurst from San Diego. The 2nd year player, former Clemson QB, is third on their depth chart behind Billy Volek. He doesn't have the arm strength of Tarvaris but he is a far more polished QB. The rap against him in college was consistency. Some games he was very accurate, some games not. Tarvaris is consistently not accurate.

San Diego might part ways with him for a future draft choice. He was a 2nd round draft choice, I believe, but maybe they would consider a deal for Tarvaris, or Troy WIlliamson. The trading deadline was October 16th but this could still happen.

Our pass defense is rated 32nd and Frazier can't scheme his way to improvement with our two youngsters - Griffin and McCauley on the field. (why didn't we keep Davonte Edwards?)

The only way to help our pass defense is with a ball-control offense. A QB who completes 60-percent of his passes is a must.

Has there ever been a running back who could make such cuts and accelerate on grass like Adrian Peterson did Sunday? What an incredible talent, to bust off 3 long TD runs when the defense knows the offense is going to run is amazing.

20 carries for 224 yards, breaking Chuck Foreman's previous record of 200 yards rushing in one game.

Then to close the deal, when Minnesota couldn't hold onto a 31-17 lead with 10 minutes remaining, Adrian returns a kick-off 53 yards to set up Longwell's winning 55-yard FG.

Of Childress's 8 wins this is likely his biggest, ranking ahead of his victories over Seattle and Washington last season. The victory was not only over a divison rival, and on the road, but it keeps any hopes of making the play-offs alive. A loss would have meant 1-4 with five difficult upcoming games and another top-ten draft pick staring them in the face.

This was not a win you can puff your chest out and talk smack about. Other than Adrian, the Vikes did not play especially well. Two bright spots to note: only 2 penalties and Minnesota won the turnover battle 0-to-4.

Williamson had 2 receptions for 69 yards and a 60-yard TD! That's a positive. Tarvaris didn't throw any interceptions - another positive. Chester Taylor provided a counter-balance punch with 80 yards rushing.  Minnesota had 311 yards rushing - outstanding!

On the downside, once again Tarvaris couldn't manage a 50-percent completion rate and had just 9 completions. I counted 5 3-and-outs by the offense and in addition following Adrian's 53-yard kick-off return, three rushing plays intended to eat up the clock and position the ball lost yardage and Longwell had to make the longest kick of his life.

Our defensive secondary is not playing well, Dallas is going to give us hell. How do you give up an 81 yard bomb when you're protecting a lead? That was a beautiful pass from Griese to Hester, by the way.

Frazier needs to do some brainstorming - I wish him success.

In their 27-20 victory over Green Bay last Sunday night, the Bears looked improved with Brian Griese at QB. What a difference a year makes - a year ago Chicago beat Green Bay 26-0 on opening weekend with Grossman as QB.

This Sunday those without faith might hope the Bears overlook the Vikings - take our 1-3 record as an easy win and don't play their A-game. Unfortunately under Childress we've yet to demonstrate an A-game of our own and on our best days the past 20 games have brought our C-game.

Minnesota usually can run the ball effectively against Chicago so look for Adrian & Chester to have decent stats - Adrian might even have another 100-yard day. The last few games with the Bear's have featured Brian Urlacher as a one-man wrecking crew - involved in every play sideline-to-sideline. To neutralize him the Vikes need to pass to Shiancoe over the middle often. Last year Jermaine Wiggins was open all day over the middle but Johnson never threw to him but once.

If Tarvaris's groin is healthy enough there should be at least two designed QB draws or option roll-outs. Darrell Bevell seems to only call a trick play in the red zone or in a place where it kills a drive with a big loss. I'd like to see him use an end-around about the Bear 45 on 2-and-3 after an Adrian Petersen run. Then fake to him again and give to Troy Williamson to the wide side of the field.

Defensively we should be okay. The Bears don't have the personnell to play a spread offense. WIthout Thomas Jones their running game don't scare me. Griese is only an average QB so we may get an interception or two. I hope he don't play poorly - I could see Grossman coming in late and lighting us up - ala Jim McMahon in an '86 Monday night game. Rex isn't McMahon but still, I'd rather not see him on the field this weekend.

Chicago will likely beat us two ways - turnovers deep in our end of the field, or special teams. I don't care how macho it is to kick to Hester - don't do it. Don't let their best player beat you. I'd take a 35-yard punt out-of-bounds with no return anyday rather than a back-breaking long return. Hester can fill his highlight reel against other teams.

Good luck Minnesota - prove me wrong Childress, please. I suck at predicting scores so I won't bother embarrassing myself.

Denny Green divided the season into phases - five parts. Games 1-4 were phase 1. That's behind us. Were in phase two, a fresh beginning. We are 0-0 in phase two - time to get it right.