OC Dooley
2 Units on Green Bay Packers -6½ -110
NFC WILDCARD: There is an interesting psychological "intangible" I want to deal with right off the top. While all winning teams like the Eagles, Steelers, Patriots, Colts and Falcons rested many of their regulars in the meanigless regular season finales, Green Bay head coach Mike Sherman actually resisted the urge to hold back his starters, fearing they would lose momentum. Thus last Sunday's decisive 31-14 win at Chicago should serve notice that the Packers mean business. Following a sluggish 1-4 start, the Pack have WON 9 of 11 including a pair of very close 3-point verdicts against Minnesota. My research tells me that dating all the way back to 1990, Green Bay has managed to WIN the third meeting each time it has played a club twice during the regular season, and then again in the playoffs!!! Today the Pack will try to go 15-1 at HOME in the postseason. Minnesota became the first team in NFL history last year to start 6-0 out of the gate, and yet still miss the playoffs. Following a 5-1 start this campaign, things fell apart for the Vikes again as their defensive open-field tackling was deplorable. The bottom line is that the Vikings are very lucky to still be alive in the playof chase after LOSING 4 of the final 5 games. In the final three weeks, the Vikings actually controlled their own destiny and had a HOME game against Green Bay which could have clinched the NFC North Title. Instead of taking advantage of their biggest game in 4 years, Minnesota allowed Bret Favre to engineer a late 76-yard drive to set up a winning Ryan Longwell field goal as time expired. Also in the final quarter of that critical contest, the Vikes permitted Favre to complete a fourth-and-goal pass for touchdown. If Minnesota could not uphend Green Bay in their own backyard, I see no reason why they will be able to pull off the trick at Lambeau Field this afternoon. To give you an idea how much in dissaray this franchise is, Vikings owner Red McCombs waited until the second-to-last game to pick up the option year on coach Mike Tice's contrast, which was NOT a strong vote of confidence. In last week's regular season finale, Randy Moss walked off the field with :02 left as the Vikes were attempting to recover an onsides kick. Not only is Minnesota's star player ailing physically, but mentally as well. Even when Moss spent most of FIVE games on the sidelines with that infamous hamstring injury, Daunte Culpepper was still able to put up some big passing numbers as he averaged 282 per game, which ranks #2 in the league. But despite the excellent year from Culpepper, the Vikings have become one-dimensional on offense scoring only EIGHT rushing touchdowns. Since Minny has been unable to generate a consistent ground attack, opposing defenses have had the luxury to employ EXTRA defensive backs to cover Culpepper and the receivers. Minnesota rushed for only 54 yards one week ago and managed only TWO rushing first downs in a game at Green Bay back in November. Now you know why the Pack have been able to feat the Vikings twice despite their shaky and young secondary. Getting back to the psychological aspects of today's game, Green Bay's legendary Bret Favre has a special sense of URGENCY since he knows that his chances of returning to the Super Bowl are becoming slim due to father time. If you listened closely to all of the preseason ESPN interviews, Favre was confident that this year's Packers were good enough to make a run at the big game, which is why he returned for yet another season. There are very few quarterbacks as mentally tough as Favre who had to indure the loss of his father a year ago, along with a fatal auto accident involving a relative this season. On top of the tragedies is the fact that his wife is now battling cancer. Through it all, Favre has never wavered on his committment on the football field. Favre has always been at his best in the brutally cold freezing temperatures at Lambeau Field. As for Minnesota, they are a disastrous 2-20 when playing on natural grass outdoors dating back to the year 2000. I still remember their last playoff appearance four years ago in the NFC Title Game when the New York Giants ripped them 41-0 in an embarassing shutout defeat. The Vikings regularly made the playoffs under head coach Dennis Green, but their defense never has been good enough to get them over the top in the postseason. This year is no different. Note that Minnesota is only 1-6 ATS/ROAD when coming off of consecutive spread setbacks.
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:nono5: 
