Record Breaking Cold Weather On Tap For Seahawks-Vikings

U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Al Franken (D-MN), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) joined in a friendly wager on the NFL Wild Card game between the #3 seeded Minnesota Vikings and #6 seeded Seattle Seahawks this weekend in Minnesota. It was a home invasion.

In fact, the focus nearly automatically shifted to the Wild Card playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks.

Only two of those games have been played in the Pete Carroll era – a 24-20 defeat at Kansas City previous year in which PFR listed the temperature as 21 and a 38-24 loss at Chicago in the divisional round in 2011 (24 degrees). “If it’s really as cold as it might be, I think that could affect the game just as far as making the ball a little bit slicker and things like that”, Vikings safety Harrison Smith said.

“They ran over us last time we saw them”, defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd said. If he plays like he did against the Packers last week I don’t like our chances one bit. “The guys have bought in…Coach Zimmer being our head coach, he’s a tough guy…The guys understand the challenge that’s in front of us and they’ve been doing a good job answering Coach Zimmer’s challenges”. Vikings QB Teddy Bridgewater had one of his “off” games registering just 118 yards passing, no TDs, and 1 interception. Russell Wilson completed 19 of 28 passes for 197 yards and three touchdowns.

The Seahawks took advantage of every opportunity they had the previous time they played the Vikings.

NBC broadcaster Cris Collinsworth, who will be calling Sunday’s game, likes to refer to the coldest game by windchill in league history.

The Minnesota offensive line will have to be more physical this go around.

In the week leading up to the Vikings’ overtime victory over the Rams in early November, the talk was that this would be like two teams looking in the mirror because they shared so many similarities. “For whatever reason they have been a better road team this year and they’re going to have to be to get where they’ve been”. With Marshawn Lynch’s probable return, the Seahawks will be harder to stop. “But even at that, he makes some moves that you watch it on tape and it makes guys look silly a lot”. The Vikings’ one-dimensional attack relies too heavily on Peterson, which allows opposing defenses to stack the box against the run. I see this being a bad match up for the Vikings. Although I don’t think the Vikings will have as much trouble running the ball as they did during their last meeting with the Seahawks, they might have to turn to the air if things go south on the ground.

You never know though, stranger things have happened. “You worry about playing”.