Vikings have had a bit of an up and down season to this point. Eight games in http://www.authenticsminnesotavikings.com/cheap-andrew-sendejo-jersey , and they’ve been both good and bad. At times, both the offense and the defense have looked great. And at times, they’ve both looked pretty bad. I don’t know if today was the most complete win the Vikings have had this season, but it was, in a lot of ways, the most satisfying, as they dominated the Lions 24-9. A win today against Detroit was almost essential for the Vikings post season hopes as they looked to go to 1-0-1 in the division, with two more division games coming out of the bye and two road games against Seattle and New England tacked on after that. Danielle Hunter understood the urgency of today, as he decided to announce his presence with some authority, and end the discussion as to whether or not he was an all star caliber player. Didn’t he, Smash Mouth?It’s a cool place and they say it gets colderYou’re bundled up now, wait till you get olderBut the meteor men beg to differJudging by the hole in the satellite pictureThe ice we skate is getting pretty thinThe water’s getting warm so you might as well swimMy world’s on fire, how about yours?That’s the way I like it and I never get boredHey now, you’re an all-star, get your game on, go playHey now, you’re a rock star, get the show on, get paidAll that glitters is goldOnly shooting stars break the moldThe SMR that just sacked Matthew Stafford AGAIN follows.Blue Chip Stocks:Danielle Hunter, DE: Danielle Hunter had the most dominating single game performance from a Vikings defensive player I think I’ve ever witnessed. And I don’t say that with any hyperbole or hype, at least I don’t think so. I’ve been watching the Vikings since I was a kid, during the Purple People Eaters era, and I’m having a hard time recalling when a Vikings defensive player had such a dominating game. And hey, for all you other old timers out there that think I’m blowing smoke, let me know. I have two off the top of my head that were close, though: Alan Page had a game against the Lions back in 1974 or 1975, where he absolutely went OFF and had a tackle for loss and two sacks on three consecutive plays after he got pissed at the refs for not calling holding on Detroit. There was also Antoine Winfield against the Saints on Monday Night Football, when he had a blocked FG that he returned for a TD and an interception, but they still didn’t match what Hunter accomplished today, I don’t think.He almost single handedly kept the Vikings in the lead in the second quarter after an awful pick by Kirk Cousins, as he had a half sack and then a full sack on consecutive plays that forced the Lions into a field goal. He then delivered the dagger in the fourth quarter with his scoop and score off the Matthew Stafford ‘LOL what the hell was that’ option play fumble.Hunter had 3.5 sacks total and his last sack set the single game Vikings franchise record of ten sacks in a game. He shut down runs to his side, and seems to have taken his game to a legitimately elite level. His play reminds me of someone else early in his career...only he might actually be better, even if their sack dance celebration was eerily simlar:Dalvius Murrok, RB: Dalvin Cook and Latavius Murray are finally healthy at the same time, and what we saw today is a tantalizing glimpse of how good this combination can be. Cook finally looks healthy, and his speed, which we saw on his 70 yard run, mixes very well with Murray’s power running between the tackles. Both guys are really good catching the ball (Cook 20 yards receiving, Murray 16), and both are above average pass blockers. As the Vikings head into the last seven games coming out of the bye, having both healthy will be huge for this offense.Heck, the rest of the defensive line: Tom ‘Sebastian Thunderbucket’ Johnson was very disruptive against Detroit, registering 2.5 of the team’s 10 sacks, and he helped make life generally miserable for Lions QB Matthew Stafford. Stephen Weatherly had a ‘hey that reminded me of Jared Allen against the Giants on the Josh Freeman MNF game’ sack, Everson Griffen looked like he is close to returning to his dominating self, and Sheldon Richardson was disruptive all afternoon, too, lodging half of a sack. On a day when Linval Joseph was out, everyone needed to step up and have a big game, and they did.Bill ‘Boom Boom’ Brown White Danielle Hunter Jersey , RB and Vikings Legend: A couple hours before the game, news broke on the passing of Vikings legend Bill ‘Boom Boom’ Brown, a tough nosed fullback from back in the Vikings glory days of the Purple People Eaters. I don’t really remember Brown from his playing days, as he was a year or two before my time...but he was my Dad’s favorite player until the very end. My Dad loved Boom Boom more than I loved Randy Moss, and we would go round and round on Moss v. Brown. I would roll my eyes and shake my head when Dad would bring up Brown, and he would say ‘Son, I don’t care what you say. You’re wrong. Bill Brown represented EVERYTHING the Vikings were back then—tough, hard nosed, and didn’t give an inch. Moss was incredible, but Bill Brown? If you created a mold for a football player back then, that’s EXACTLY what you’d get.’ Dad, wherever you are, I’m not arguing this one today. You win this argument. Rest in Peace, Boom Boom, and enjoy your seat of honor in Valhalla. Godspeed, sir, and Skol. Solid Investments:Chad Beebe and Laquon Treadwell, WR: When Stefon Diggs didn’t practice this week due to a rib injury, and then it was determined he wouldn’t play, his shoes would need to be filled by someone. Or...someones? And they were, to a large extent, by Beebe and Treadwell. Between them, they had five catches for 58 yards, and they both made some big playes when they were really needed. I kind of found it interesting that Beebe was targeted early, during what most folks think is the ‘scripted’ portion of the Vikings offense. Just an observation...Matt Wile, P: Wile was a surprise addition at the end of training camp, and he’s been solid all season long. Today, he only had four punts, but two of them were downed inside the five yard line. The last one was late in the game, with about a minute or so left. Lions head coach Matt Patricia (who looks like a laid off truck driver or Longshoreman and I mean no disrespect to truck drivers or Longshoremen) had burned his three timeouts to try and get the ball back down 24-9, and instead of at least making the effort to push the ball upfield...the Lions essentially quit. Patricia had Stafford sneak the ball up the middle and run the clock out. Game over.If Matt Patricia gets fired after one year, it will be for a litany of reasons, and getting punked by a punter in their loss to the Vikings will be on the list. Dilly Dilly.The Vikings linebackers. With Anthony Barr out, it was up to Eric Wilson, Eric Kendricks, and Eric The Red Eric Ben Gedeon to step up, and they did. Each one had a solid game, and at least once I said for each of them ‘man, that was a nice play’, be it in run support or pass protection. Junk BondsI’m having a hard time finding a junk bond today. There were several plays that stood out as less than optimal, but I don’t know that there was any one player that had a game that was so bad it needs to be called out. Heck, even Dan Bailey made all his kicks, WHEEEEE!Buy/Sell:Buy: Kirk Cousins throws to Kyle Rudolph and Aldrick Robinson. The reason the Vikings signed Kirk Cousins to an $84 million, fully guaranteed contract, were for throws like those. The throw to Robinson was beautiful, and if he catches that the ball game is over halfway through the third quarter. The throw to Rudolph was an ‘NO NO NO NO NO GREAT THROW’, but it was a throw that only a few QB’s in the game can make. And Cousins is one of those quarterbacks.Sell: Kirk Cousins throw to whoever the hell that interception was going to. And on the flip side of the Kirk Cousins Experience is one or two throws a game where you go ‘what in the name of Spergeon Wynn was that all about?’ His interception was just baffling—it couldn’t have been to Adam Thielen, who was well covered, and he couldn’t have been throwin it away, unless he was. Just terrible.Buy: A pitch out is not a cutesey play. The Vikings were up 17-6 in the fourth quarter White Brett Jones Jersey , and had the game in control. On a second and six call, Cousins pitched out to Cook, who fumbled the ball, and Detroit recovered. For as bad as the Lions had played, they got the ball at the 28, had almost 10 minutes left, and a quick TD by Detroit makes it a brand new ball game. It wasn’t a bad call, though, as some folks think. A pitch out between a QB and a RB is as basic a play as a handoff, and it’s something that should be executed 14 times out of 10.Sell: A pitch out to Dalvin Cook was the right call there. Yes, the Lions have Snacks Harrison now, who is really good against the run, and yes, it’s second and six, and yes, Cook was in the game and hadn’t been partcularly effective between the tackles. So...bring in Murray, run him off tackle, and now it’s third and short. It’s a minor point of order here, I get it, but having the game somewhat in doubt that late in the game, after the Vikings had played that well overall was kind of frustrating.Buy: I think the Vikings are back. Four wins in five games gives me a ton of confidence as the Vikings head in to the bye week. It’s coming at a perfect time, and guys like Stefon Diggs, Anthony Barr, and Linval Joseph can rest up and get healthy for the stretch run. With four games against the Bears, Packers, Pats, and Seahawks, the Vikings look to be peaking and getting healthy right when they need to be. Sell: The Vikings are definitely back. But those four games are a tough stretch, and we need to see if those key injured guys will play coming out of the bye. The Vikings needed a bounce back game after the Saints letdown, though, and they got it. The offense was efficient, the defense was dominant, and if Minnesota can keep this momentum up after the bye, they’re going to be a factor in who represents the NFC in the Super Bowl at the end of the season.Don Glover Quote Of The WeekThe news of Bill Brown’s death kind of hit me today, because he was my Dad’s favorite player. There were 3-4 times today when a Vikings running back got stuffed, and all I could think, every time, is what my Dad would have said after that no gain:‘Bill Brown would have gotten four yards there, son.’Yeah Dad, he would have. I hope you guys got to watch the game together. One quarter of the way through the NFL season, and everything is going according to plan.The Bears lead the division, followed by the Packers, Vikings, and finally the Lions.Just like everyone thought.Wait, what was the plan?Wow.O.K.Umm..Well, let’s start there then, shall we?Yeah, so the Chicago Bears are leading the division at 3-1, after absolutely abusing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Sunday, 48-10.Tampa Bay’s defense was so bad that Mitchell Trubisky actually threw more touchdown passes (6) in his game than Jared Goff did in his (5).That’s right Youth Linval Joseph Jersey , the young gunslinger from North Carolina gave Bears fans - at least for one game - a little glimpse of the stuff that convinced GM Ryan Pace to make him the first quarterback selected in the 2017 draft - ahead of some kid from Texas Tech named Mahomes.This week, the Bears become the NFC North’s first team to have a bye week.In Green Bay, the Packers shut out Josh Allen and the vaunted Buffalo Bills offense, winning by a 22-0 margin.The Bills’ second-year quarterback was sacked seven times, threw two picks, and lost a fumble.Allen was sacked twice on his team’s final drive - both by Packers linebacker Kyle Fackrell, who led the team with three on the day.Aaron Rodgers was merely human in this one, throwing for 298 yards, with one TD and and one INT.The Packers moved to 2-1-1, a half game back of Chicago, and a game ahead of Minnesota, and will travel to Detroit to take on the Lions.The Detroit Lions - fresh off their first win under new coach Matt Patricia - headed to Dallas, intent on building on that momentum.They gave the Cowboys a good run, and took a one point lead with a little over two minutes to play.But Dallas was able to move the ball just enough - thanks to a 34-yard completion to Zeke Elliott - and kicker Brett Maher booted a 38 yard field goal to win the game, 26-24.It has now been one game since the Lions had a 100-yard rusher, as Kerryon Johnson led the team with just 55 yards.The Lions fell to 1-3 with the loss, and, again, host the Packers on Sunday.Chicago BearsAs mentioned, Mitchell Trubisky had a bit of a (an?) historic afternoon against the depleted Bucs secondary.He became the third Bears passer to throw for six touchdowns in a game.The last time it happened, players may or may not have been wearing leather helmets.I’ll need to check with the Daily Norseman research department to find that answer.*One thing is certain - the forward pass definitely had been invented by then.At any rate, it was Johnny Lujack who did it last, nearly seventy years ago.And the other was Bears great Sid Luckman (no relation) - who still holds a share of the NFL record with seven passing touchdowns in a single game, which he accomplished all the way back in 1943.* Nope, according to our friends at Wikipedia, they were still leather until around the 1950 season.Speaking of Mr. Biscuit (no, seriously, that’s really Trubisky’s nickname), Pro Football Reference gives us this interesting nugget:Two things come to mind when reading that:First - when successful, the Chicago Bears have been - for at least the past forty years - a “defense first” team.And second - their successes have had absolutely zip to do with the quarterback.Jim McMahon (no relation) didn’t win the Super Bowl in ‘85.He was there.The Bears ‘D’ and Walter Payton won that title.And Rex Grossman?Please.But, hey.The Bears put up some offense on Sunday.Even Bears Running Back Tarik Cohen finally busted loose, with 174 yards from scrimmage including 121 and a touchdown through the air.So, I have to give credit where credit is due.Khalil Mack scored another quarterback sack against the Bucs, bringing his season total to 5 and putting him on pace for 20, which would easily surpass the Bears single season record of 17.5, set by Hall-of-Famer Richard Dent in 1984.He also forced another fumble (although the Bucs recovered).He is simply playing at an entirely different level than any offensive player he faces right now.Can he keep it up?Who knows, but even as a Vikings fan it’s been fun to watch.** side note:Brian Baldinger really does a nice job with analysis.Long ago, when he was just starting out,I thought that about Jon Gruden, as well.Gruden traded Khalil Mack to the Bears.I’m not sure there’s a correlation is between these facts, but as I was watching the video above, that’s what popped into my head.I really hope Baldy doesn’t turn out like Gruden.Not-afraid-to-make-a-prediction Prediction: I can’t possibly get this one wrong, can I?The Bears are on a bye this week.I predict they rest up, do some coaching stuff, have a few practices and at least one charity event.Detroit LionsThe saga continues at the Running Back spot for the Lions.Seemingly, Kerryon Johnson is the lead horse.He leads the team in rushing with 38 carries for 216 yards and a touchdown, good for 5.7 yards per carry.LeGarrette Blount has 95 yards on the season, and Theo Riddick has put up numbers in the passing game.Johnson broke the streak of games without a hundred yard rusher against New England, and the fans have been screaming for a heavier workload for him (really, who doesn’t scream for a heavier workload for their Johnson?).And yet鈥att Stafford Youth Anthony Barr Jersey , it would seem, would like to give his Johnson more touches.Offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter is under fire from Lions fans for not using the young running back.The thing is, the Lions are putting up yardage.Matthew Stafford has a great pair of receivers in Golden Tate and Marvin Jones, and Kenny Golladay has made some plays, as well.But the team - for whatever reason - is reluctant to call Kerryon Johnson the lead back.Stafford had Calvin Johnson in his prime, and rarely had an impact player lined up in the backfield.Imagine if Megatron had a running back like Kerryon Johnson a few years back!Cooter would definitely have a difficult time finding a proper balls-to-Johnson ratio - especially without a decent tight end on the roster.Okay, okay鈥?my inner fourth-grader flared up a little bit there.Sorry about that.Lord, I apologize.Matthew Stafford has, on occasion, been mentioned in the “Elite Quarterback” discussion, but he’s certainly not mentioned with the frequency of Brady, Brees, or Rodgers.But, why not?He’s well on his way to an eighth-straight 4,000-plus-yard-passing season.He has averaged fewer than one interception per game in his career, while throwing nearly two touchdowns per game.He’s had 26 career fourth quarter comebacks, and engineered 32 game-winning drives.Yet, his lifetime record sits at 61-68, and he’s been to a single Pro-Bowl.What sort of rarefied air is he beginning to hit at this point in his career? The Lions defense, however, continues to be a problem.The Cowboys’ Ezekiel Elliott was a one-man wrecking crew on Sunday, putting up 240 yards of rushing and receiving, with one touchdown.One bright spot was linebacker Devon Kennard, who picked up his fourth sack of the season.He became the first Lions linebacker ever to record at least four sacks through the first four games of the season.Over at our sister site, Pride of Detroit, a bit of discussion has taken place among Lions fans about whether the team should trade Golden Tate.Tate is in the final year of his contract.And at age 30, the team may not have interest in giving him the long-term deal he’ll surely seek.They have plenty of cap space, though, and fans wouldn’t be happy to see him leave.Tate didn’t blossom as a “very good” wide receiver until his first year in Detroit, when he was 26 years old.He’s cocky to a fault, but he’s managed to turn himself into one of the most reliable pass-catchers in the game.That cockiness can be seen in the following highlights:...or lowlights, if you prefer.Not-afraid-to-make-a-prediction Prediction:The Lions take on the Green Bay Packers at home on Sunday at noon.And speaking of the Packers鈥reen Bay PackersThe streak is over!Clay Matthews was not called for roughing the passer!I repeat, Clay Matthews was not called for roughing the passer.Teenage boys and elderly women from Douglas County down to Kenosha County can rest easy tonight - the NFL didn’t screw the Packers over.I mean, they did get that one call against Blake Martinez, who was working over Josh Allen well after the whistle (and he’s not even the one who shoved Allen to the ground right after the play in front of the ref, who totally didn’t see it, at all). Nevermind鈥?No sleep in Packerland again tonight.They’re back at it. Speaking of Blake Martinez, he’s quietly putting together a solid season at linebacker for the Packers, and is the 7th highest graded linebacker in the league, according to PFF.With offensive line play like this, who can blame him for being solid?Vikings fans - do you remember last season when the Vikings defense was doing things like this?It looks really familiar, but where oh where has it gone?I’m just going to leave this here.I’m stuck for any possible decent response to this.Almost anything I’d like to say will be offensive in one way or another.So my only comment will be, “Huh.I’ll be damned.”Any chance Ms. Patrick did one of these numbers after he told her “No.”?Packer fans just can’t understand the level of hatred that NON-Packer fans - even outside the NFC North - have for Aaron Rodgers.Captain Smug was not pleased with his team’s effort offensively, telling reporters that the team “left a lot of offense out there today.”The Packers offensive stats?11-19 on third down.32 carries for 141 yards and 4.4 yards-per-carry.282 yards passing.Oh yeah, Aaron.I’d definitely walk in to that coaches room Monday morning and give them the what-for, if I were you!Not-afraid-to-make-a-prediction Prediction:Hmmm鈥et’s look at some numbers before making this prediction.Rodgers is 41-14-1 versus the NFC North in his career*.29 of those wins have come versus the Bears(16) and Lions (13).He’s had 18 career game-winning fourth quarter drives, and eleven of them have come against the Bears(6) and Lions (5).OF COURSE THE PACKERS WILL BEAT THE LIONS!!* For reference purposes, Rodgers is 12-7-1 against the Vikings in his career, with zero fourth quarter comebacks or game-winning drives.