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Friday, January 15, 2010 | Print Entry
Adam Schefter answers readers' questions nearly every day in his blog. On Thursday, Adam fields questions about Sunday's matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and the Minnesota Vikings. Have a query of your own? Submit it here.
Q: After all the drama they had to close the season, can the Vikings still be considered the NFC favorites to reach the Super Bowl?
A: Meghan, sometimes it feels like one game is going to determine the team that is going to win a conference championship and advance to the Super Bowl -- and that's how I view Sunday's matchup between the Cowboys and Vikings. To me, those are the two top teams in the NFC, and either is good enough to win the NFC Championship and/or the Super Bowl. That's part of the reason there's so much on the line Sunday: The winner is going to be awfully tough to beat the following Sunday. Should be a great one. As Jon Gruden said on "Mike & Mike in the Morning," I'm already fighting my kids for best seat in the den for this one.
Q: As a Cards fan looking ahead, the easiest road to the Super Bowl is through New Orleans and Minnesota, as the Cards have trouble dealing with more than one superior pass-rusher (like Dallas' DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer), evidenced by what Colts defensive ends Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney were able to do early in the season. Which matchups do you think Minnesota has to exploit to earn a spot in the NFC Championship and make all us Cards fans breathe a bit easier?
A: Shane, there are no easy roads to the Super Bowl. None, whether a team is playing a No. 6 seed or a No. 1 seed. And it's hard to imagine that winning in New Orleans and Minnesota on back-to-back weeks is the "easiest road." If that's the easiest, what's the toughest? To me, what Minnesota has to do to win is get running back Adrian Peterson untracked. If he's running the ball effectively, then Minnesota stands a good chance of advancing. But that's not going to be easy against a tough Dallas defense. And it won't be easy for Arizona to travel east on a short week and beat the Saints in an environment that will be beyond electric. But if it can, then major props to the Cards and maybe they are on their way to the Super Bowl.
Q: How effective do you think Marion Barber will be on Sunday after knee problems hindered him during the week? I'm always nervous when he's got a minor injury, because the way he plays, that could turn into something huge at the drop of a hat.
A: True, Stephen, but that's why the Cowboys have Felix Jones and Tashard Choice, who have looked good lately. Dallas could use Barber, but it still could win with Jones and Choice. And something tells me Barber will be ready to play a divisional playoff game in his hometown.
Q: With Antoine Winfield still banged up, is there any chance the Vikings can stop Tony Romo and Miles Austin from having a huge day?
A: Not easy, Joshua. Romo has been on fire, playing with confidence, playing the best football of his career. And his top target is Austin. Don't see the Vikings stopping them, but if Minnesota can limit them, then it still can be successful. That will be the key. There aren't many teams that have shut down Austin since he burst on the scene against Kansas City. These guys' confidence never has been higher. It's up to Minnesota to drop it down.
Q: The Cowboys' postseason ineptitude over the last 14 years has been torture for die-hard fans like myself. If we lock in Miles Austin, do you see signs of another Big Three in Dallas? Are the pieces in place (on both sides of the ball) for another dynasty, or is this run just a flash in the pan?
A: We've got some real confident fans in Los Angeles and Baltimore, Rob, don't we? You sound like the Cowboys version of Shane from Los Angeles and only one of you can be right, if either of you are. Look, the Cowboys are on a roll right now, but they have won only one playoff game so far. And if they don't win this weekend, there aren't going to be any comparisons to the triplets. But when a team wins, these comparisons come, and this team is good enough to keep winning. But first there is the matter of the Minnesota Vikings.
Adam Schefter answers readers' questions nearly every day in his blog. On Thursday, Adam fields questions about Sunday's matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and the Minnesota Vikings. Have a query of your own? Submit it here.
Q: After all the drama they had to close the season, can the Vikings still be considered the NFC favorites to reach the Super Bowl?
-- Meghan (Kansas City, Mo.)
A: Meghan, sometimes it feels like one game is going to determine the team that is going to win a conference championship and advance to the Super Bowl -- and that's how I view Sunday's matchup between the Cowboys and Vikings. To me, those are the two top teams in the NFC, and either is good enough to win the NFC Championship and/or the Super Bowl. That's part of the reason there's so much on the line Sunday: The winner is going to be awfully tough to beat the following Sunday. Should be a great one. As Jon Gruden said on "Mike & Mike in the Morning," I'm already fighting my kids for best seat in the den for this one.
Q: As a Cards fan looking ahead, the easiest road to the Super Bowl is through New Orleans and Minnesota, as the Cards have trouble dealing with more than one superior pass-rusher (like Dallas' DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer), evidenced by what Colts defensive ends Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney were able to do early in the season. Which matchups do you think Minnesota has to exploit to earn a spot in the NFC Championship and make all us Cards fans breathe a bit easier?
-- Shane (Los Angeles)
A: Shane, there are no easy roads to the Super Bowl. None, whether a team is playing a No. 6 seed or a No. 1 seed. And it's hard to imagine that winning in New Orleans and Minnesota on back-to-back weeks is the "easiest road." If that's the easiest, what's the toughest? To me, what Minnesota has to do to win is get running back Adrian Peterson untracked. If he's running the ball effectively, then Minnesota stands a good chance of advancing. But that's not going to be easy against a tough Dallas defense. And it won't be easy for Arizona to travel east on a short week and beat the Saints in an environment that will be beyond electric. But if it can, then major props to the Cards and maybe they are on their way to the Super Bowl.
Q: How effective do you think Marion Barber will be on Sunday after knee problems hindered him during the week? I'm always nervous when he's got a minor injury, because the way he plays, that could turn into something huge at the drop of a hat.
-- Stephen (Charlotte, N.C.)
A: True, Stephen, but that's why the Cowboys have Felix Jones and Tashard Choice, who have looked good lately. Dallas could use Barber, but it still could win with Jones and Choice. And something tells me Barber will be ready to play a divisional playoff game in his hometown.
Q: With Antoine Winfield still banged up, is there any chance the Vikings can stop Tony Romo and Miles Austin from having a huge day?
-- Joshua (Muskogee, Okla.)
A: Not easy, Joshua. Romo has been on fire, playing with confidence, playing the best football of his career. And his top target is Austin. Don't see the Vikings stopping them, but if Minnesota can limit them, then it still can be successful. That will be the key. There aren't many teams that have shut down Austin since he burst on the scene against Kansas City. These guys' confidence never has been higher. It's up to Minnesota to drop it down.
Q: The Cowboys' postseason ineptitude over the last 14 years has been torture for die-hard fans like myself. If we lock in Miles Austin, do you see signs of another Big Three in Dallas? Are the pieces in place (on both sides of the ball) for another dynasty, or is this run just a flash in the pan?
-- Rob F. (Baltimore)
A: We've got some real confident fans in Los Angeles and Baltimore, Rob, don't we? You sound like the Cowboys version of Shane from Los Angeles and only one of you can be right, if either of you are. Look, the Cowboys are on a roll right now, but they have won only one playoff game so far. And if they don't win this weekend, there aren't going to be any comparisons to the triplets. But when a team wins, these comparisons come, and this team is good enough to keep winning. But first there is the matter of the Minnesota Vikings.
