(3) Cowboys @ (2) Vikings: Vikings, 26-21. Both are strong teams, and Dallas finished great. They beat New Orleans, albeit with the latter having already secured a playoff appearance. Against common opponents, Minnesota fared better. They beat Green Bay twice, while Dallas lost to them in one meeting. The Cowboys lost to the mediocre Giants twice, yet the Vikings beat them handily in one encounter. However, Dallas did beat Carolina comfortably, whereas Minnesota lost to them by a good margin. To the Vikings' detriment, they lost to the Bears. The Bears. True, this was after they were already guaranteed a playoff appearance. But Chicago was more of a trainwreck than their 7-9 record indicated, particularly as the season progressed. However, this great shame did not cause the Vikings to implode, but motivated them to finish strong in their final game. Anyway, what this really comes down to is side-by-side comparisons: Tony Romo is no Brett Favre, and that long-haired guy is no Adrian Peterson. Brett Favre has historically been a high risk, high reward quarterback. His legendary strong arm and athleticism allowed him to rack up much yardage and touchdowns, but his gunslinger tendencies also led him to throw his share of interceptions. Minnesota has changed all that. His touchdown passes have increased in his employ there, while his interceptions have fallen into the cellar. Much of this change is enabled by a high-performance running back for the offense to lean on, Adrian Peterson. Favre is now a low risk, high reward quarterback. In other words, exactly what a quarterback would look like if designed by God himself -- provided He had at least eight days and didn't rush. Isn't that right, Pat? Terdunken! Brett Favre has aged like a fine wine, whereas "Hollywood" Tony Romo and his cow ex-girlfriend Jessica Simpson will both continue to age like rancid milk! It's possible that the Cowboys will keep this game close for a quarter or two, and onlookers may even grow convinced that Mr. Romo has finally shaken the specter of his botched field goal hold from playoffs past. But Tony will show his true makings when he rushes the ball into his own endzone, and performs a celebratory dance to a 98 Degrees song. Or LFO; I can't tell those groups apart.
Poll