Page 36 - min.soc 9 jan,2016
P. 36
A18
SPORTSSaturday 9 January 2016
NFC Wildcard Preview:
Vikings looking forward to hosting Seahawks in frigid temps
NEW YORK (AP) — An NFL streak. They’re in a groove, water behind a so-so offen- pions who were one play The Packers will take a lot of
wild-card playoff against and will be even better if sive line gets harder. When away last February from baggage with them, start-
the Seattle Seahawks is nose tackle Linval Joseph, the Seahawks were in Min- back-to-back Super Bowl ing with their uncharacter-
hardly a reward for the Min- who missed four of the last neapolis only a month ago, titles. istically punchless offense.
nesota Vikings for winning five games with a toe injury, and the temperature was a The Seahawks haven’t lost Whether due to a depleted
their first division title since returns to the lineup. relatively balmy 5 degrees, their swagger, with a de- crew of wide receivers, an
2009. The worry for the Vikings is they restricted Peterson to fense that gave up the inadequate offensive line,
Then again, the Vikings are if they fall behind quickly, eight carries for 18 yards in fewest points per game off-kilter play calling or his
more than happy to be at their run-first formula featur- a 38-7 blowout. in the league and ranked own throwing, Aaron Rod-
home on Sunday, when ing Peterson implodes, and The Seahawks are the two- second in yardage. The gers has had the worst year
they will host their first out- protecting Teddy Bridge- time defending NFC cham- Legion of Boom would like of his career.
door playoff game in 40 nothing more than to show The chances of finding a fix
years before they move un- Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) dives for a the NFL they can reach an- for their big-play woes after
der a new roof in mid-year. eight-yard touchdown run as Minnesota Vikings cornerback other Super Bowl without 17 weeks are slim.
This could be one of the Antone Exum (32) defensive tackle Tom Johnson (92) try to bring that vaunted home-field “We’re 16 games in, so you
coldest games in NFL his- him down in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. advantage. kind of are who you are,
tory, with an expected 6, 2015 in Minneapolis. “These guys are confident but we’ve got to find a way
temperature at kickoff of that we can go wherever to put it all together for four
minus-17 C, and a wind (AP Photo/Ann Heisenfelt) we got to go,” Seahawks quarters,” Rodgers said.
chill of minus-29. Forecast- coach Pete Carroll said. The Redskins, on the other
ers warn of frostbite to ex- On the surface, the Green hand, averaged nearly 33
posed skin. The brutal cold Bay Packers got a decent points over a four-game
has reportedly kept ticket consolation prize for losing winning streak to finish the
prices lower than normal. last weekend to the Vikings regular season. Kirk Cousins
The conditions ought to - a playoff on Sunday at has had quite the break-
benefit a Vikings team built the Washington Redskins, through, with 12 touch-
around NFL rushing leader the champions of the weak down passes and only one
Adrian Peterson and a stout NFC East. The Packers had interception while averag-
defense that racked up 14 the same record on the ing close to 300 yards dur-
sacks over a season-finish- road (5-3) as they did at ing the streak.q
ing three-game winning Lambeau Field.
