DAMN VIKINGS: IS THERE SUCH A THING AS INSPIRING CAUTIOUS ENTHUSIASM?

Well, that ought to keep the Minnesota Vikings going until they fall on their asses next week against Chicago.

Sorry for all the cynicism here on an early Monday afternoon after the Vikes temporarily assuaged a crisis of faith in the Church of Childress by beating the Arizona Cardinals 31-26 yesterday to improve to a scintillating 5-6. Hey, in NFL 2006, 5-6 puts you right on the NFC playoff picture. Believe it or not, after Chester Taylor's 138-yard day, Cool Standings sees Minny as the team most likely to win a wild-card spot in the NFC, giving them a 41.5% chance.*

Way back in the pre-season, I idly marked W's and L's in the margins of the Vikings schedule. This week against the Bears is a L. Detroit on Dec. 10 and Green Bay on Dec. 21 are W's, the Jets game at home on Dec. 17 sandwiched is a L.

As for the season finale against St. Louis on New Year's Eve, I left it blank. Who knows what will happen, since one or both teams may be playing for pride by then.

The good for the Vikes: They remembered how to block someone. Defensively, Arizona rushed for just 17 yards, but that's fairly typical of the Cardinals. The secondary's still in a shambles, and even an average passing team -- see Green Bay a couple weeks ago -- can make them look bad. The shake-up last Sunday -- Fred Smoot out, Cedric Griffin in at cornerback -- reeks of one of those moves that only works for one week. Griffin's good, but pretty much every team is going to try and light him up like a pinball machine.

The bad: Someone call Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand's pregnant police chief character in Fargo) and point out an APB on missing wideout Troy Williamson. Also, what has Mewelde Moore done to sour the coaches on ever letting him carry the ball from scrimmage?

(* Of course, that's mostly due to the fact the free-fallin' New York Giants, 6-5, could conceivably still win the NFC East, so they're only a 37.9% shot as a wild-card. First they have to learn how to protect a 21-point lead against a 3-7 team with a rookie quarterback.)

That's all for now. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.