LAST FALL WHEN THIS FOOTBALL SEASON KICKED OFF
THE VIKINGS' EXPECTATIONS WERE RUNNING HIGH
BUT THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO LIVE UP TO 'EM
NO MATTER WHAT COACH CHILDRESS TRIED

ADRIAN PETERSON WAS RUNNING BUT NOT AS FAR
SINCE THE VIKINGS' PASSING WAS NO THREAT
SO COACH CHILLY PUT T-JACK ON THE BENCH
AND HE HASN'T GOTTEN OFF OF IT YET

THE VIKINGS HAVE UNDERGONE TRANSFORMATION
DURING THE PASSING OF THE LAST SIX WEEKS
AS THE SWITCHING OF STARTING QUARTERBACKS
PROVIDED THE BALANCE THAT EACH TEAM SEEKS

LAST WEEK'S FOE THE HOUSTON TEXANS
WERE CONSIDERED TO BE SMOKIN' HOT
BUT EVEN THAT POTENT PASSING GAME
COULDN'T KEEP UP WITH THE ARM OF FREROTTE

GUS' BOMBS RAINED DOWN WHILE PETERSON RAN
AND THE VIKINGS' SIDE OF THE SCOREBOARD GLOWED
THE TEXANS' DEFENSE SEEMINGLY HAD NO ANSWER
FOR THE FORMATIONS THE VIKES' OFFENSE SHOWED

THE VIKINGS GAVE UP A LOT OF YARDS
PLAYING THE DEFENSE OF "BEND BUT DON'T BREAK"
WHILE THEY KEPT THE TEXANS UNDER PRESSURE
AND FORCED THEM INTO MAKING MISTAKES

THOSE ARE THE MOMENTS IN FOOTBALL GAMES
WHEN GOOD TEAMS SEIZE THE CHANCE AND RUN
THE VIKINGS ARE DOING THAT PRETTY WELL
AND FOR THEM THE SEASON IS FAR FROM DONE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

THE PACKERS HAVE BECOME ONE OF THOSE TEAMS
THAT DRIVE THEIR FOLLOWERS NEARLY CRAZY
AS THEY'LL PLAY WELL, BUT NOT WELL ENOUGH
AND AT THE WORST TIMES LOOK TIRED OR LAZY

THE TENNESSEE GAME WAS A GOOD EXAMPLE
AS THE TITANS FOUGHT THE PACK TOOTH AND NAIL
AND WHILE THE PACKERS PLAYED NEARLY WELL ENOUGH
LATE MISTAKES CAUSED THE TEAM TO FAIL

THE PACK MOVED THE BALL ALL AROUND THE FIELD
BUT ONLY ONE TOUCHDOWN WENT ON THE BOARD
AND THE END-ZONE INTERCEPTION THROWN BY RODGERS
PROVED A GIFT THE PACKERS COULD NOT AFFORD

AARON HAD PLAYED A VERY GOOD GAME
PILING UP COMPLETIONS AND YARDS APLENTY
BUT THE PROBLEMS BEGIN AS THEY USUALLY DO
WHEN THE PACKERS GET INSIDE THE TWENTY

IF ONLY THE RUNNING GAME COULD JUST BREAK LOOSE
OR IF THAT ROOKIE HAD MADE THE CATCH
SOMEHOW FROM FOUR TRIES CAME JUST ONE TOUCHDOWN
GIVING ARMCHAIR MANAGERS A REASON TO KVETCH

AT THE END OF THE GAME THE SCORE WAS TIED
AND A TITANS FIELD-GOAL ATTEMPT HAD GONE "CLANK"
BUT AT THE START OF OVERTIME, TENNESSEE GOT THE BALL
AND THE REST OF THE DAY WENT IN THE TANK

WHILE THE PACKERS ARE ABLE TO MOVE THE BALL WELL
THEY MUST GET SIX POINTS AT THE END OF POSSESSIONS
IF COACH McCARTHY CAN'T TEACH THEM HOW
IT MAY BE TIME FOR HIM TO CHANGE PROFESSIONS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

GUS FREROTTE AND THE REST OF THE VIKINGS
ARE EAGERLY AWAITING THIS SUNDAY'S GAME
FOR WHILE THE PACKERS GOT PAST THEM BEFORE
THE MINNESOTA TEAM IS NO LONGER THE SAME

PLAYING AT HOME ENERGIZES THE VIKINGS TEAM
AND MAKES THEIR COMPETITIVE NATURES PEAK
THEY'LL DO ALMOST ANYTHING TO BEAT GREEN BAY
AND END THE SERIES' FIVE-GAME LOSING STREAK

SOMETIMES THE DOME SEEMS LIKE A BLACK HOLE
WHERE GOOD TEAMS DISAPPEAR FOR THREE HOURS
THE PACKERS HAVE DONE WELL THE PAST FEW YEARS
FINDING A WAY TO OVERCOME ITS MYSTIC POWERS

IT WILL BE THE FIRST START THERE FOR AARON RODGERS
AS HE STRIVES TO START HIS OWN DOME TRADITION
KNOWING QUITE WELL THAT HIS PREDECESSOR
AT TIMES FELT LIKE IT MIGHT WELL BE PERDITION

RODGERS HAS DONE WELL WHEREVER HE'S PLAYED
AND HIS MISTAKES HAVE BEEN FAR BETWEEN
OF COURSE IT'S WHETHER HIS LINE CAN PROTECT HIM
THAT IS THE ISSUE THAT REMAINS TO BE SEEN

THE DEFENSIVE BACKS FROM BOTH SIDES
AREN'T EXPECTING TO HAVE VERY MUCH FUN
BOTH TEAM'S RECEIVERS CAN RUN LIKE THE WIND
SO THEY'LL SPEND MUCH OF THE DAY ON THE RUN

CONTAINING PETERSON WILL BE THE FIRST TASK
THAT THE PACKERS' DEFENSE HAS TO MASTER
IF THEY CAN'T DO THAT THEN NO MATTER WHAT
THE REST OF THE DAY WILL BE A DISASTER

THE PACK'S RUNNING GAME IS NOT AS PROLIFIC
AS RYAN GRANT IS STILL SEEKING HIS STRIDE
THIS SEASON HAS BEEN A TOUGH ONE SO FAR
AND HIS LACK OF PRODUCTION IS TOUGH ON HIS PRIDE

THE CHICAGO BEARS ARE IN FIRST PLACE
WHILE THE PACKERS AND VIKES TRAIL BY A GAME
HOWEVER IT'S MORE THAN LITTLE MISLEADING
THAT THE TEAMS' RECORDS ARE EXACTLY THE SAME

THE VIKINGS ARE STILL LOOKING FOR WHO THEY ARE
AND HAVE WON A COUPLE GAMES DUE TO BIG BREAKS
THE PACKERS SHOULD BE ABLE TO HANDLE THEM
PROVIDED THEY DON'T MAKE ANY BIG MISTAKES