The Minnesota Vikings finished the season 12-4, champions of the NFC North, a first round bye, and 9 Pro Bowl selections. As the Vikings get ready to start their playoff run against the NFC East winners the Dallas Cowboys, Vikings Pro Bowl tackle Bryant McKinnie discusses the regular season and looks forward to his team’s playoff match-up.
“I think it’s been a pretty successful season, actually it’s been the best season I’ve had in eight years going 12-4, earning a first week bye now we’re going into the 2nd round of the playoffs playing against the Dallas Cowboys so far, I mean so far it’s so good.” As the interview went along McKinnie described the importance of the 2nd half against the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football and the season finale against the New York Giants in regaining team’s momentum heading towards the playoffs and also gaining a bye. “We had a lot of health problems, that’s why I’m glad we had to get off we had a lot of injuries along the line, but a lot of people just played thru them. Having the bye week actually helped people heal help a little bit. In the 2nd half we had a talk, we had left some points on the score in the 1st half, had talk and basically said “it’s all about us as an offense we have to go out here and put this points up it doesn’t matter what they do, we execute our plays like we suppose to and we control our own density.” We did that and put up 30 but it wasn’t quite enough we manage to get it to overtime. Then we carried the same momentum over with us when we played the Giants and we’re to clinch a bye.”
As the interviewed continued McKinnie talked about the many playmakers the Vikings have with Minnesota having one of best explosive offenses lead by veteran QB Brett Favre & stud running back Adrian Peterson along with a complimentary defense. “I definitely think they are playmakers Peterson, Harvin, Sidney Rice, Jared Allen we have a few so I feel like at this point everybody knows that it’s down to the wire so we got to make sure that out playmakers show up during the playoffs and them in good positions to win games.”
Of course the conversation soon turned to the Vikings upcoming opponent the Dallas Cowboys, who many are calling “the best team in the tournament”. “They’re a pretty good team and we got have the right game plan going in against a team like them. We had practice today and yesterday and I feel like we are putting together a great game plan and match-ups people against some individuals and got to go out here and execute the plays. McKinnie continued, We just can’t hurt ourselves with penalties, fumbles, turnovers stuff like that we got to go out here and execute.” He went on to talk about great Cowboy pass rushers DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer. They’re good pass rushers, I’ve played against Ware before, not sure about Spencer. Pretty good pass rushers get a lot pressure on the quarterback. Like I said you got to have the right game plan going in there, you got to have that mindset knowing that you got to bring your A game because they are going to bring theirs. The Cowboys had a great game plan two straight weeks against the Eagles. When asked if he expected a similar game plan on Sunday, I’m sure they’ll add something a little different. I can’t see really see him (Coach Wade Phillips) sticking with the same game plan 3 weeks in a row. They played the Eagles twice so I’m sure that way things they could’ve stuck to some of the same things, but now they’re going against us and I’m sure there some things they will want to try against us we just got to be ready to make the adjustments on the sidelines.”
When the question came up about whether the Cowboys were the best team left in the playoffs, McKinnie said excitedly, “They said the same thing about the Green Bay being the best team last week, so who knows we just got to play the game on Sunday and see what happens.”
As the conversation started to come to a close McKinnie discuss the future including possible NFC title game opponents.
“I would like to see the Saints, because I feel like a lot us wanted to play against them during the course of the season, but it really doesn’t matter who wins the other game.”
The interviewed ended with Bryant explaining what it would mean to play and win the Super Bowl in Miami, home of his college playing days with the Hurricanes. “It would mean a lot feeling like going back to where you went to college and you get the chance to play in front of a lot of friends and family back in Miami for the Super Bowl would mean a lot.”
Written by Dwight Moore
