Vikings Look to Recapture Season Tonight

After spending all year trying to get back in the playoff hunt, the Vikings can do it tonight with a win over the Bears.

The Vikings have playing from behind all season. After losing two games to Carolina and Chicago -- the loss to the Panthers came two days before the World Trade Center bombings and the Panthers haven't won since -- that many thought they should have won, the Vikings have faced some long odds ever since.

Remember the banter? Lose to Tampa Bay and the season is over. Lose to Green Bay and the season is over. Lose to the Giants and the season is over. In each case, the Vikings were at home and in each case they won.

The Vikings face much the same situation tonight against the Bears. A win would put them at 5-5, two games behind Chicago and Green Bay with a tie-breaker edge of the three would finish tied -- the Vikings would have a 2-1 record against the Bears and Packers. However, a loss would drop the Vikings to 4-6, four games behind Chicago which would effectively be five games because of the tie-breaker advantage for the Bears with six to play.

In other words, the Vikings face the same situation tonight that they've faced so many times before -- win and you're still alive, lose and it could all be over. We've heard it before and the Vikings have produced. The question now is can they do it again?

SUNDAY NOTES
* The Vikings will retire their second number in two weeks when they honor center Mick Tingelhoff. His 240 consecutive games played is an offensive record and second only to teammate Jim Marshall. VU has been told that the Vikings have been working behind the scenes to attempt to get the veteran's committee of the Hall of Fame to give serious consideration to Tingelhoff, who many think along with Marshall and Carl Eller have been denied entrance to the Hall of Fame simply because the Vikings never won a Super Bowl, while lesser players from teams like Miami and Pittsburgh made the Hall because of the teams they played on.
* Cris Carter has a touchdown in 10 consecutive home games, a new Vikings record.