Vikings have got a shot

By DAVE CLARK

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- It appears the Minnesota Vikings have improved their odds to make the Super Bowl by buying a vowel.

Maybe it's more accurate to say they have replaced a vowel, as their signing of 44-year old Morten Andersen has given them their most reliable kicker since Gary Anderson.

From watching the preseason antics, it was clear that incumbent Aaron Elling had all the confidence of the first blindfolded entrant in a game of pin the tail in the donkey. (Elling was signed by the Tennessee Titans late this past week, which should be a good match. If he still misses to the left or right by a zip code, he can hide in one of the hundred or so 24-hour Waffle Houses around Nashville.)

While Andersen won't be booting fifty yarders, at least fans shouldn't have to wiggle rabbit's feet or other tokens of luck at the sight of a Vikings kicker trying to get points inside the 40-yard line.

While the final play from last year was gut-wrenching and still almost seems like a bad dream to Vikings faithful, expect it to be used as a motivational force for this year's squad. If what has been seen in the past four weeks is to be used as a yardstick, a trip to Jacksonville at the end of the season is more likely now than is has been since the end of the last century.

Duante Culpepper hasn't fumbled, Randy Moss appears to have matured, the running attack should cause opposing coaches to hear the "Twilight Zone" theme dancing in their heads and the defense looks quicker, and more aggressive than they have in years.

The potential grand march begins today against the Dallas Cowboys, who cashiered last year's starting quarterback, Quincy Carter, in a gutsy move that may have involved substance abuse. While that move created some controversy across the NFL, the truth is that the jury was still out on Carter and he didn't fit well into the system of head coach Bill Parcells.

The decision left 40-year old Vinny Testaverde as the Cowboys starter headed into today's contest, with newly acquired running back Eddie George as his main offensive weapon.

Trouble is, watching Testaverde trying to move in the pocket reminds me of the Tin Man in the "Wizard of Oz" and George looked creakier than an old rocking chair in the preseason, which is why the Titans released him in the first place.

The Cowboys have nobody that can keep up with the Vikings receivers, so expect to see a parachute coming out of Moss' back in the end zone at least twice today. Vikings by 12 and start up the bandwagon.

Many of the "experts" (never a term that's been used here in ten years of nonsense) actually have the Green Bay Packers winning the NFC North, but it's hard to see how they will beat out the Vikings. Their defense is still suspect, especially in the secondary and pass rush. Luckily for Brett Favre and his offense, the Carolina Panthers have enough questions in their defense for a "60 Minutes" interview, too, so it should be an interesting Monday night opener. Packers by 3.

Then there's the Detroit Lions meeting the Chicago Bears in Soldier Field, whose recent renovation has officially been declared "creatively bankrupt." Speaking of creatively bankrupt, the Bears offense will be counting on the Bears defense to be the major contributor to victories, as Bears offenses have been doing since the team was created in the year Rudolph Valentino was the Deion Sanders of his day.

Oh, the Bears certainly upgraded their ridiculous pass rush from last year by acquiring Adewale Ogunleye from the Miami Dolphins. They only had to trade wide receiver Marty Booker, a possession receiver at best. The Bears seem to like possession receivers, since that is still all they have to complement new running back Thomas Jones, who may be another Marshall Faulk or the next Ricky Williams.

The Lions are still a year away from contending for anything but trying to keep the nation awake in their annual first game on Thanksgiving Day, with a NFL record 24-game road losing streak. Make it 25. Bears by 3.

GAMES WORTH A PEEK

KANSAS CITY AT DENVER: Too bad such rivals have to play on the first game of the season, but each team is looking to go deep into the playoffs and they don't like each other. The Chiefs have more questions, though, and the answer is Broncos by 6.

TAMPA BAY AT WASHINGTON: Joe Gibbs returns to coach the Redskins after twelve years in NASCAR, while Bucs coach Jon Gruden has a team that acquired 26 veterans that have a combined 195 years of experience and 2,528 NFL games under their belts.

In other words, one team has a coach that may have put in too many laps around the track while the other team has a bunch of veterans who might run out of gas early and need too many pit stops. Redskins by 3.

GAMES THAT

MIGHT REEK

SAN DIEGO AT HOUSTON: Looking for any substantive evidence of offense or defense on these two teams is like taking one of those metal detector wands in the back yard and declaring you're going to find the lost city of Atlantis.

ATLANTA AT SAN FRANCISCO: Everyone knows it's going to be a long year for the 49er's, but if Falcons quarterback Michael Vick doesn't recover from his hamstring injury and look like he's got a grip on the offense, Atlanta fans will be using programs to cut origami boo birds by mid-October. Falcons by 6.