![]() A quick Google search will show you that the name January is derived from 'Janus', the Roman god of beginnings and transitions. In the same vein, most of us here in the Midwest spend this brutally cold month indoors, planning out the year that is to come while also positioning ourselves to make the most of any opportunity that may present itself later on. Of course, January takes on a whole new meaning if you are a fan of the Minnesota Vikings. I don't need to delve fully into a long and painful past, but it (almost) goes without saying that the month of January has been especially unkind to the Vikings and their followers through the years. In my 25 years on this Earth, I know to expect three unfortunate certainties: death, taxes, and Vikings heartbreak. At face value, that last sentence may seem a bit blown out of proportion. That is, unless you are a Vikings fan and watched helplessly as your team found a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Again. Just one week after a thrilling road win over the hated Green Bay Packers, the stage was set for a showdown between the formidable Seattle Seahawks and the newly crowned NFC North champs. Considered one of the league's hottest teams, the Seahawks were coming off a thorough beat down of the NFC West champion (and #2 seed) Arizona Cardinals. Not only that, but the back-to-back conference champs had come in to TCF Bank Stadium only a month or so earlier and handed the Vikings their worst loss of the season. Needless to say, I was feeling a bit skittish heading into today's action. Could you blame me? The talk of this week was the weather, as it so often is this time of year in Minnesota. The visiting Seahawks were treated to frigid game conditions, with the temperature hovering around -6 degrees at kickoff. In a matchup between two of the NFL's top defensive teams, this figured to be a low-scoring and hard fought game. It's no secret that the Vikings had to follow a tight script in order to come away with a victory over the favored Seahawks; run the ball, make key plays on defense, and win the turnover battle. Fast forward three quarters, where just about everything had gone as well as could be expected. The Vikings had not only seized momentum, but had also expanded their lead to 9-0 heading into the final 15 minutes of action. What followed was a fourth quarter that Vikings fans will want to forget as soon as humanly possible. With their first possession, Russell Wilson marched the Seahawks 80 yards down the field, capping the first touchdown drive of the day with a 3 yard pass to Doug Baldwin. Gut Punch #1. On the ensuing Vikings drive, Adrian Peterson fumbled the ball away, giving Seattle prime field position as the soldout crowd fell silent. Gut punch #2. Seven plays and twelve yards later, Steven Hauschka's 46 yard boot gave the Seahawks a 10-9 edge. Considering how dominant both defenses were on the day, this one point deficit seemed much more significant than it would appear on the box score. Some five-plus minutes and four punts later, the Vikings regained possession with just under two minutes remaining. Showing some impressive poise, Teddy Bridgewater led the offense on a six play, 52 yard drive to bring up fourth and 1 from inside the Seahawks 10 yard line. A perfect 3-3 on the day, Blair Walsh trotted out to attempt a 27 yard chip-shot field goal, which would all but guarantee a dramatic win with only 26 seconds remaining. You can probably guess what comes next: a perfect snap, an imperfect hold, and an ugly shank of a kick. Wide left from 27 yards out. More heartbreak for the Vikings and the 50,000+ odd faithful at TCF Bank Stadium. Unbelievable? Hardly. It's time to pick up the pieces yet again. Although I'll need some time to recover from another tough loss, this year has a distinctly different feel to it. Unlike 1998, 2001, or 2009, this is not an end of an era or the end of the road for this group of players. As the fifth youngest team in the league (on average), and with developing stars on both sides of the ball, I have every reason to believe that coach Mike Zimmer can take this loss and use it is a building block for next year and beyond. Faith isn't something that comes easily to Minnesota sports fans, but it's the message that I'm choosing to preach today. Most wouldn't have predicted an 11-5 season with a division title to boot, and I already look forward to this team taking the next steps in the years to come. Fear not, Vikings faithful. Better days are ahead.
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AuthorHey, I'm Ted Sorensen and this is my sports & personal blog. Leave some comments and let me know what you think! Archives
June 2016
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