MinnesotaSportsScene.com

With success coming mostly on the ground and a powerful 1-2 punch at running back, most people from Minnesota would expect a game description like that to apply to a Vikings victory; but instead, it was the textbook description of how the Tennessee Titans dismantled the Vikes 30-17 on Sunday.

In a daytime game with no need for Maxim lighting, Titans RB Chris Johnson had two scores and his running back partner LedDale White had an additional score on the way to a dominating victory over the purple-and-gold.

Meanwhile, Adrian Peterson scored twice but could not create a win on his own for the Vikings, who are now 1-3 on the season and 0-1 in the NFC North Division.

Even the best diet pill in the world won’t be enough to keep the purple and gold at bay tonight in Green Bay; with the early season match-up, there really is no weather advantage for the Packers tonight.

So unless there’s a huge windstorm or rain or something, tonight will be a match-up of talent, pure and simple. While Green Bay may have an edge on linebackers and receivers, it’s hard to imagine the Vikings not having the edge at every other position, or close to it.

All X-factors being equal, I’d say tonight the Vikings will win, but it’ll be close. Look for it to be in the neighborhood of a 31-27 Vikings win.

The Minnesota Vikings may be back in the playoff picture, but one of the toughest games remaining on their schedule will be played tonight, on Monday Night Football on ESPN, as the Vikings face off with division rival, the Chicago Bears. It’s no secret that the Vikings have played poorly against their NFC North competitors this season, but for the 7-6 Vikings to stay on track for a playoff spot, they must defeat the Bears at the Metrodome.

Fortunately, this is not the Bears team that the Vikings faced earlier this season. QB Kyle Orton will be at the helm, facing off against a decent Vikings defense. And with the Vikings finally having found a passable passing game and discovering their real identity this season as a wham-bam running team, the faceoff should not be a repeat of their last disappointing showing against the Bears early this season at Soldier field.

Tonight’s one of the biggest nights of the regular season for the Vikings: time to put away the skinceuticals and put on their game faces! Time to make sure it’s the Bears who will be massacred on Monday Niight, and not the other way around.