Big Blizzard of Links

Sports Illustrated's Viking Scouting Report.

Sports Illustrated's NFL Predictions: the Vikes at 13-3 and losing the NFC Championship Game.

ESPN's forecast for the Vikings.

ESPN's NFL predictions.

Chad Greenway (Star Tribune).

Brian Robison (Pioneer Press).

Whither Daunte? (ProFootballTalk).

Reggie Wayne (USA Today).

Booty or Bollinger (Viking Update, Pioneer Press).

Adrian Peterson (ESPN).

Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams (ESPN). If it weren't for the Lions historic struggles against the Vikings, these are the division players I'd be most worried about.

Cian is a Packer fan that blogs at fuh-baw; he's written a Viking preview at Throwing Into Traffic, with some comments on the Viking-Packer rivalry for fans.

How does team passing efficiency affect fantasy running backs? (pro-football-reference.com)

An alternative to my view of Peyton Manning's fantasy value (Fantasy Football Fools).

The decline of the 49ers, an historically great franchise (Cold, Hard Football Facts). Just a note: "Dark Ages" is a nasty slur.

AFC Over/Under wins (Football Outsiders).

It just hit me
Seeing SI predict the Vikings to lose in the NFC Championship game made me think about how miserable I'd be if the Vikes lose another NFC championship game. And then I imagined them getting to the Super Bowl and losing that, and what my emotions might be. And that reminded me what's coming: the emotional swings of the NFL season. I'll be up and down, dancing around my living room in euphoria, screaming, sulking, brooding, feeling my heart in my stomach, agonizing during close games, ecstatic after victories and devastated after defeats. It's all coming: an emotional powerhouse, swinging me all over the place. I'll be emotionally drained after every close loss. I'll be edgy and cranky all week after every loss. I'll be desperately anticipating the next game. I'll feel a flow of intense emotion that I rarely feel otherwise.

Are you ready for this? Are you ready for your mood to be taken over by the performance of your favorite football team? I'm ceding my free will to the Vikings: I will only be happy when they win, and I can only be sad when they lose.

I hate the Packers
I'm a Viking fan that has either lived or worked in Wisconsin for the last decade. As such, my attitude toward that dreadful team is largely shaped by my interactions with various Packer fans. As the latest Viking-Packer game approaches, I'll share some thoughts on this rivalry, and try to express just what I find so distasteful about this team.

And below
If you haven't already checked it out, my 2008 NFL preview might be the longest post I've ever written here.