“What a long strange trip it's been.”  All of our collective memories have images associated with that line from the classic Grateful Dead tune, and to some, it is the play of the Minnesota Vikings, and especially against the New York Giants.

This will be the 19th time the two teams meet in the regular season, with the Vikings leading the series 10-8.  The Giants lead the post season matchups 2-1, with the most notable being the 41-donut massacre in the 2000 NFC Championship game.  We’ve done better than that, winning the last game in 2005 before the FBI dug up the north endzone looking for Jimmy Hoffa, and we did it in one of the most unusual ways, with Darren Sharper returning an interception for a TD, Mewelde Moore returning a punt, Koren Robinson returning a kickoff, and then the only offensive points, and the difference in the game coming from a Longwell field goal.  It was a win, a very strange win, but a win that started the Vikings on a run that just came one game short and cost Mike Tice his job.  Could it happen again?

The Giants are 7-3 and in prime position to lock up the first wild card spot in the NFC, and all they have to do is beat the easy teams.  5 of their last 6 games are against teams with a .500 or less winning percentages and on paper should be a lock.  But these are the Tom Coughlin New York Giants and are known for their late season swoons.  The first one can start Sunday against the Vikings who are trying to put a 2 game winning streak together for the first time this season.  The Vikings are still mathematically in the playoff picture, though it would be a longer and stranger trip getting there.

This is the first real test of the improved offensive line against the #8 defense in the league, and the one with the best pass rush.  Left defensive end Michael Strahan, who turned 36 on Wednesday, has 8. So does right end Osi Umenyiora, and Justin Tuck, the 3rd defensive end has 7, for a total of 23 between the three of them matching the Vikings entire total of the defense.  It should be interesting to see how Tarvaris Jackson handles the pressure that will be heading his way.  Bryant McKinnie and Ryan Cook will get the primary responsibility to slow the rush, but should have help from Shianco and Kleinsasser and an occasional back.

Visanthe Shiancoe had his best game of the season last week against the Raiders with 94 yards on two receptions.  He hopes to continue this against his old teammates and friends that have been talking smack to him all week.  He should have plenty of motivation in his first return to play the team that let him go.  It will take a good receiving game to complement the running game to pull out the win. 

Speaking of running, the Chester Taylor’s 164 yard performance of last week has most likely earned another starting role, especially with Adrian Peterson recovering from a strained right knee.  But coach Childress is trying to play mind games with the press and the New York Giants by upgrading Peterson’s status to questionable, or 50-50 for the layman.  Does a dinged up Peterson give us a better chance of winning that a 100% Taylor?  We will see Sunday.

For the Giants it looks like Reuben Droughns will be starting at runningback and facing the #1 rushing defense in the league.  The veteran Droughns is the 3rd choice after starter Brandon Jacobs and backup Derrick Ward are injured.  Couple that and Pat Williams’ vow never to be embarrassed again, should make for a slow day running the ball.  That will put the pressure on Eli Manning to win through the air, the Vikings Achilles heel.  This is where the pass rush will be so pivotal because Eli can be rattled and forced into bad decisions.  This will be the key to the game, if our defensive ends can bring pressure just like their counterparts on the other sideline, the results may be in the Purple’s favor.

“New York - got the ways and means, but just won't let you be” describes the type of game to expect, and if the winds blow through the stadium just right and the Vikings don’t quit under the pressure, they could head home with a win and humming on the way:

“Truckin - I'm goin home
Whoa-oh baby, back where I belong
Back home - sit down and patch my bones
and get back Truckin on”

Truckin is about attitude and journey, so is football.  SKOL VIKINGS!