WATCHING DAUNTE CULPEPPER IN THE METRODOME
AND THE NUMBER OF YARDS FOR WHICH HE THREW
THEN FUMBLING THE BALL AWAY AT GAMES' END
MUST HAVE GIVEN VIKES FANS A SENSE OF DEJA VU

WITH CHESTER TAYLOR PROVIDING THE YARDAGE
AND WITH T-JACK MINIMIZING HIS MISTAKES
THE RAIDERS DISCOVERED THAT EVEN THE VIKINGS
COULD DISH OUT MORE THAN THEY COULD TAKE

NOW THE VIKES WILL HEAD OUT TO NEW JERSEY
TO PLAY THE GIANTS THIS HOLIDAY WEEKEND
WITH THE GIANTS' RUNNING BACKS PRETTY BEAT UP
ITS ONE OF THE MANNINGS THE VIKES MUST DEFEND

TO BE TRUTHFUL THE GIANTS' RUNNING GAME
WASN'T GOING TO BE THE KEY TO A HOME TEAM WIN
UNLESS THE VIKINGS CAN KEEP THEM GROUNDED
THE GIANTS WILL PROBABLY BEAT THE VIKES AGAIN

THIS WILL BE A CHANCE FOR THE VIKINGS TO SEE
IF THEY HAVE IN FACT MADE ANY REAL PROGRESS
AS MICHAEL STRAHAN AND THE GIANTS' DEFENSE
TRY TO EXPLOIT THE MINNESOTA OFFENSIVE MESS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SUNDAY FELT JUST A LITTLE UNREAL IN GREEN BAY
AS FANS ENJOYED SITTING IN A MID-NOVEMBER SUN
THERE WAS NO SNOW OR MUD TO BE SEEN
AND THE PACKERS WERE SITTING AT NINE AND ONE

THE GAME THEY'D JUST WATCHED WAS A DEMONSTRATION
OF HOW THE PACKERS MANAGED TO GET TO THIS POINT
AS THE OFFENSE DEFENSE AND SPECIAL TEAMS
SEIZED THEIR CHANCES AND DID NOT DISAPPOINT

THIS WEEK IS A RENEWAL OF AN OLD TRADITION
IN WHICH THE DETROIT LIONS HOST THE PACKERS
DETROIT ALWAYS TAKES THIS GAME SERIOUSLY
OFTEN CHANGING ROLES FROM PATSIES TO ATTACKERS

THIS YEAR THE LIONS REALLY STARTED WELL
BUT OF LATE HAVE REVERTED TO THEIR USUAL FORM
THEIR RUNNING GAME HAS SIMPLY DISAPPEARED
AND THE NEED TO THROW LONG IS NOW THE NORM

WHILE JON KITNA IS PRETTY GOOD AT THE LONG BALL
AND EVEN THOUGH HIS TEAM IS TERRIFIC AT RECEIVING
THE GREEN BAY DEFENSE WILL BE COMING AT THEM
AT GREAT SPEED FROM LOOKS THAT ARE DECEIVING
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THE SCORE OF THE GAME OUT IN NEW JERSEY
IS GOING TO MAKE VIKES' FANS FEEL A LITTLE BITTER
WHILE THE PACKERS' RECORD WILL MOVE TO TEN AND ONE
LEAVING THE LIONS BURIED IN THEIR SEASON'S LITTER