I have used the “most important game” cliche for about the last two months, so I hesitate to use it again. Whatever dull phrase I choose to use, this upcoming game could really be the biggest game of the season for the Vikings. No, this time I’m serious.

Last week, when the Falcons marched into the Dome, I applied the “for all the marbles” label. Minnesota obviously lost, and many marbles were taken away…but not all. Although the chance at postseason play is much less than what it could have been had the Vikings won, (100 percent), Minnesota still controls their own destiny.

Lets go over some playoff scenarios. Obviously, one Vikings win or one Bears loss sends Minnesota into the playoffs as the third seed in the NFC. That being the case, they would host whoever their opponent would be in the good ‘ol Metrodome.

As to opponents, the most likely one is Dallas. All they have to do is beat the Eagles and they earn the six seed. If Dallas losses, Tampa Bay is the next-most-likely. The Buccaneers need to beat the Raiders (which is almost a foregone conclusion) and hope for a Cowboys loss. The Eagles could even squeak in as the six seed, but would need to beat the Cowboys, and hope the Raiders and Texans can both win.

Finally, the Chicago Bears could be our first playoff matchup. They would need to win and hope that Dallas and Tampa Bay both lose. (Minnesota can conceivably earn the six seed in the NFC, but would need to tie the Giants and hope for a Dallas and Tampa Bay loss. Of course, all this would be for naught if the Vikings lose to the Giants.)

Instead of counting on the Texans to take care of business, the easier way would be to simply beat the Giants. With New York already having the one seed and home-field-advantage in the playoffs, what do they have to play for?

Momentum, for one. If the Vikings were in that situation, wouldn’t you want to win the final game of the regular season so the momentum can thrust you into postseason? If the Giants win, there will probably be no gaping holes or questionmarks on their roster. I would rather compete, (”Play to win the game!”), than roll over and die.

Pride is probably another reason the Giants will show up on Sunday. Last year, the Vikings destroyed the Giants in New York. Of course, they went on to win the Super Bowl, but I’m sure they haven’t forgotten how we humiliated them.

Although coach Coughlin claims that he won’t back down from the challenge, he certainly will use this opportunity to rest some of his starters. As most of you know, if the Vikings are forced to play against the brunt of the New York Giants, who don’t rest a single starter, Minnesota will probably be forced to become “scoreboard-watchers.”

Of course, should the Giants do what NY Daily News writer Gary Myers suggests, benching Eli Manning in the second quarter, and not playing Justin Tuck, Fred Robbins, and Brandon Jacobs. Wouldn’t that be sweet?

A poll on that same page suggests that a large majority of Giants fans want their team to do the same thing, even if that means a Week 17 loss.

After the numerous fumbles last week, I’m sure Adrian Peterson slept with a football tightly tucked into his elbow every night. He also probably had several ball-control drills and should have no problem with that against the Giants. 

Tarvaris Jackson should have another good day. He doesn’t have much to fear, except his career. If the Vikings lose, and end up without a playoff position, Jackson’s tenure in the Land of 10,000 Lakes might be up.

It all comes down to this. For all the marbles. Win or go home. Whatever cliche you prefer, this game remains very important.

True, Tarvaris Jackson is not a rookie. But he might as well be. This Sunday the rookie-led Falcons will travel up north to face the “rookie”-led Vikings.

These two offenses are actually pretty similar. There are not superstar receivers on either the Minnesota team or the Atlanta team. (Berrian would probably win that category, however.) Solid offensive lines. New quarterbacks. The biggest difference between these two teams is the biggest…well, difference.

Adrian Peterson.

*Mini-rant. Is it just me, or are you getting sick of the nickname “Purple Jesus” for Adrian Peterson? This spectacular running back has more nicknames than the entire team. “AD”, “All Day”, and the aforementioned “Purple Jesus.” I have no problem with the “All-Day” moniker, (I actually think it goes nicely with Taylor’s new nickname: “All-Night”), but “Purple Jesus” goes just a bit too far. I think it’s time for something new…

How about “The Difference”? Peterson is always the difference between whatever team the Vikings face. Anyway…

I don’t know to twist and tweak, or mold and bend what I’ve been saying all season. This game comes down to number 28. His performance will ultimately decide this game. Simple as that. It’s a huge load for a guy his age, but he has certainly proved to be up to it lately.

Here’s hoping Peterson can do it again.

In other news, Pat Williams will be missed. The Viking’s defensive line is noticeably weaker without him, but that’s not to say that they can’t stop the Falcon’s running game. Too big of a deal has been made regarding the absence of Phat Pat.

Jared Allen has proven that he is worth every tenth-penny that we paid him - (and probably more, but you won’t catch me saying that out-loud). Allen had a monster game against the Cardinals, and is capable of turning any offensive lineman into a turnstil. Even though he is nursing an injury, he will be playing, and should have a terrific afternoon.

Now, the presence of John Abraham worries me. The Atlanta defensive end is also among the league’s best, and I’m worried about the offensive line’s capability to handle him. When you add Abraham’s fine-tuned skills to his Pro-Bowl snub…well, let’s just say that I wouldn’t want to be the one dueling with him for hopefully over an hour on Sunday.

From an entertainment standpoint, this is a playoff game. This upcoming game is a due-or-die for both teams, (I’ll ignore the fact that the Cowboys lost tonight), and should prove to be very exciting. I envy all those who have the privilege of attending.

But, believe me, my eyes will be glued to the TV.

Believe it or not, this upcoming game that pits the Cardinals and Vikings will be more than a battle between a little red bird and a Norse pirate. This game could decide the NFC North.

One team will hopefully be playing with all they have, the other team has clinched and will be more prone to mistakes. One team will play for at least 60 minutes, the other for 45 at most. One team will start Tarvaris Jackson, the other might see Matt Leinart taking snaps.

Does all that add up to an easy Minnesota victory? If only. This game will be an extremely physical duel between two tough teams that have everything to prove. The Vikings are obviously fighting for their lives, while the Cardinals are battling for respect. They have reached the point where they are guaranteed more than 16 games, but nobody expects them to exceed 17.

The Vikings will be lucky to get to Game Number 17.

With the unfortunate Chicago overtime victory on Thursday Minnesota cannot clinch their division, seal their envelope, or whatever cliche you prefer to use. This game, just like every other game for approximately two months, is a must-win game. If the Vikings fall, while not mathematically eliminated, will suffer a huge psyche blow and are basically done.

But if the Vikings can bring a solid (or even ugly) win back to the snowbanks that are Minnesota they are basically in…well, maybe not “in”, but certainly still leading the race.

Jackson looked very sharp in his limited time last week against the Lions, and everyone who has ever sported purple attire hopes that will continue in the desert. Frerotte is hurt, so it will come down to our beloved Tarvaris.

Isn’t that ironic? The player Vikings fans collectively cursed to the bench after just two starts now holds the future in his hands. Let’s hope he doesn’t hold grudges.

The Williams’ Wall will remain intact for the duration of the season. After that, if there is any after this, they will be powerless and forced to abide by an old man in a black robe’s opinion. (Let’s also hope he isn’t a Packer fan behind enemy lines.)

With Kevin and Pat leading the way, Cardinal running back Hightower isn’t looking at a career day. He’ll be lucky to top 100 yards. The Arizona pass offense, though, stands a much better chance. Consider every Cardinal who has the chance to catch a pass from Warner/Leinart a viable Week 15 fantasy option.

Jared Allen will be Jared Allen and have just another splendid day at the office. Almost nothing will be able to slow him down, unless it comes from the office of a certain Mr. Roger Goodell.*

*As a side note, (and excuse me for borrowing Joe Posnanski’s famous “side-note” feature, I am really getting sick of the constant penalties and fines against Minnesota. In case you weren’t aware, Adewale Ogunleye wasn’t fined for his late, cheap hit on Gus Frerotte. Unbelievable. To make matters worse, Fred Evans was fined $5,000 for a facemask penalty that never happened.

This is really getting out of hand. We have always known that the Vikings are not treated fairly, but Goodell is terrible at hiding his “hidden” agenda from everyone else. Seriously, being as fair and unbiased as possible, I cannot justify the way the league has handled anything having anything with the name “Minnesota” stamped on it this year. 

I won’t turn this into an all-out rant, but I will next week unless convinced otherwise.

If the boogy man is really out to get the Vikings and is doing everything possible to keep them out of the playoffs, they’re failing miserably. There are certain things that people can’t influence, and that is solid play on the football field.

The Vikings may not be able to control what goes on off the turf, but they sure can do their best to control their future while on it.

Sunday’s game against the Cardinals will have a huge impact on where this team will be after Game 16. It should be fun to watch.

It would take the average Vikings fan less than two minutes to become convinced that the team they love causes agony faster than ten minutes of Martha Stewart.

The Minnesota Vikings are not a fun team to watch. After successfully surviving a game, I find myself with canker sores, a dead throat, and another television with a $25 universal remote sticking out. The puzzling aspect of this already bizarre situation is that I still find myself going out of my way to learn anything that pertains to the team I continue to love.

It takes special people to be Vikings fans.

If anybody doesn’t deserve my love, it’s the Minnesota Vikings. And they know it. I could have asked for a divorce years ago and this team wouldn’t dare go to court. There’s no point; they’d lose. I could have asked for my fanhood back and the rights to remarry another team. The Vikings wouldn’t have been able to do a thing.

And yet here I sit. 

Puzzling, is it not? Any sane person who saw what I did during a Vikings game would have no idea why I still watched their games. If I hurt so much, why continue to watch this team?

The truth is, I’d rather poke sharp things in my eyes than watch another team.

The Vikings are turning their fans into some of the most ornery, unpleasant, and loud fans in the entire league. One of the most commonly-used words in the state of Minnesota is “uffdah!”, meaning exactly what it sounds like in Norweigian.

At some point in this latest trip down the road of Minnesota Viking despair, fans got used to it. They have been exposed to such horrible decisions and downright nasty play that they have developed an immunity to the agony caused by this purple team.

Don’t get me wrong, at one point we Vikings fans were so used to yelling at the latest mistake on or off the field we would imitate the dog who barks at the most mundane and boring things. Like a squirrel fart.

Things have changed.

One could relate it to our immune system. After we get infected our body develops an immunity to that particular bacteria. There have been so many mistakes made by the Vikings, most fans take them extraordinarily well. Sometimes we don’t even holler. Most of the time, a shake of the head and a remissive sigh is the extent of my pain in reaction to a purple-and-gold blunder.

In spite of the carnage to my mind, body, and television screen, I can still say I enjoy sitting down and watching the Vikings screw up another must-win. Is there something wrong with me, or has agony become enjoyable?

Has it become fun to find ways to poke fun at this team that I can’t stop following? 

I’ll ask you that question as I close. Can you honestly say that you enjoy watching the Vikings? If recommending this team to a non-football friend, do you feel the need to mention the possible probable side-effects? What brings you back day after day to the purple-and-gold? Why do you love this team so much that you ignore the blatant pain it causes?

Be sure to answer. I’m still searching for an explanation.

I have been blessed with a family that shares my love for football. On Sunday afternoon, you can find every television tuned into a game and every computer following a fantasy team. For those who live with someone who does not understand what keeps you busy for over six hours every Sunday, I feel your pain.

You must be in a constant battle over the merits of watching grown men hit each other while trying to advance an odd-shaped ball down a rectangular field. We all know that football is much more than that, and this past Bears-Falcons game couldn’t have been a more perfect example. 

The Atlanta Falcons and Chicago Bears were among the two most surprising teams in the league before entering this game. The Falcons are one year removed from a certain dog-fighting incident and are led by their first-round draft pick, Matt Ryan. The Bears were predicted to have little to no success in 2008. 

Before Sunday, Oct. 12, both of these teams were 3-2. 

Officially, Chicago was given the advantage in this matchup. Unofficially, this was going to be a very close game. 

It started out innocently enough. At halftime, only field goals had been scored, and the Falcons led 9-3. Chicago had been soundly beat in total yards from the first half but luck was on their side, as Atlanta couldn’t find the end zone.