Despite the fact that Minnesota fans are still struggling to wrap their minds around being the favorites in the NFC, the Minnesota Vikings players still have aspirations to make an appearance in Super Bowl LII held at U.S. Bank Stadium next month.
While it doesn't really mean much to many of the players on the field for the Vikings this year, the team's potential opponents for the Vikings the rest of the way could exorcise some demons for the fans and the organization as a whole.
That starts next week when the New Orleans Saints come to town. Just mentioning that team name will send shudders down the spines of Vikings fans. Immediately we are taken back to Brett Favre throwing across his body, "bounty-gate", twelve men in the huddle, Adrian Peterson fumbles, Drew Brees going on to win the Super Bowl against the Colts two weeks later...the nightmare feels real all over again.
But let's say they get past that hurdle. They would then face the winner between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Atlanta Falcons. As it stands today, the Falcons are 3-points favorites on the road against the Carson Wentz-less Eagles. So if that stands true and the Vikings beat the Saints, it will be the Falcons and the Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium for the NFC Championship.
No the nightmares of Gary Anderson wide left pop up. The image of Jamal Anderson doing the dirty bird is still burned into my brain.
The Vikings already beat the Falcons on the road this season so they should be favored to win that game. If they win that game, older Vikings fans will start seeing flashbacks from 1975 and Super Bowl IX where Pittsburgh nipped the Vikings by a final score of 16-6.
Not only could the Vikings be the first team to play in a Super Bowl hosted in their hometown, but if they did they could make so many wrongs throughout the franchise history right along the way. It's an interesting little plot-line to follow along the way of what should be a fun ride, hopefully deep into the playoffs.