Posted by ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert
Did Minnesota win the NFC North during its bye week? The Vikings obviously haven’t clinched from an official perspective. But losses Sunday by Chicago and Green Bay left them with a three-game lead to start the second half of the season. Stranger things have happened, but the Bears or Packers would almost certainly have to win four more games than the Vikings over the final eight to overtake them.
As they gathered for a post-bye practice Monday, at least some Vikings players were looking at the bigger picture. Here’s what tight end Visanthe Shiancoe said, according to Rick Alonzo of the St. Paul Pioneer Press: “You see all these other teams in the division, man, but we've got to look outside the box a little bit and look at the rest of the league and compare ourselves to the top teams.”
On that level, the Vikings currently stand No. 2 in the NFC behind undefeated New Orleans. ESPN.com’s weekly power rankings, which rate teams across both conferences, will be released later Tuesday.
Continuing around the NFC North:
Did Minnesota win the NFC North during its bye week? The Vikings obviously haven’t clinched from an official perspective. But losses Sunday by Chicago and Green Bay left them with a three-game lead to start the second half of the season. Stranger things have happened, but the Bears or Packers would almost certainly have to win four more games than the Vikings over the final eight to overtake them.
As they gathered for a post-bye practice Monday, at least some Vikings players were looking at the bigger picture. Here’s what tight end Visanthe Shiancoe said, according to Rick Alonzo of the St. Paul Pioneer Press: “You see all these other teams in the division, man, but we've got to look outside the box a little bit and look at the rest of the league and compare ourselves to the top teams.”
On that level, the Vikings currently stand No. 2 in the NFC behind undefeated New Orleans. ESPN.com’s weekly power rankings, which rate teams across both conferences, will be released later Tuesday.
Continuing around the NFC North:
- Judd Zulgad and Chip Scoggins of the Star Tribune update the status of cornerback Antoine Winfield (foot), who did some light work on the side Monday in practice.
- Green Bay president Mark Murphy is preaching patience to the Packers’ disappointed fans, writes Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
- Rookie offensive lineman T.J. Lang seems headed for a starting position -- somewhere, writes Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
- In case you are wondering, Packers coach Mike McCarthy isn’t contemplating more staff changes after overhauling his assistants last winter. Jason Wilde of ESPN Milwaukee explores that question.
- Fans are forgetting that in order to find a big-time replacement for Chicago coach Lovie Smith, the Bears almost certainly would have to fire general manager Jerry Angelo as well. As David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune points out, Angelo’s contract doesn’t expire until 2013.
- Dan Pompei of the Tribune had the Bears with seven missed tackles Sunday against Arizona.
- Jeff Dickerson of ESPN Chicago disputes Smith’s assertion that Tommie Harris’ ejection Sunday was an “isolated incident.”
- Detroit’s best-case scenario is 3-13 this season, writes Michael Rosenberg of the Detroit Free Press.
- Lions receiver Calvin Johnson admitted he is “frustrated with losing” but says he has no issue with quarterback Matthew Stafford. Tim Twentyman of the Detroit News has the story.
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ABOUT THIS BLOG
Kevin Seifert
Seifert joined ESPN.com in 2008 after covering the Minnesota Vikings for the Minneapolis Star Tribune for eight years. He lives in the Twin Cities with his wife and daughter.