Posted:
#1
2018 Record: None
7 BIG reasons to bet the VIKINGS
Now that Suuma has given you all the quantifiable metrics to assist you in your cap of the NFC Championship game, I will give you the unquantifiable (that is, what I believe is not in the line but still has an impact on the outcome, and the psychology of the players on the field, to give the capper an edge).
1. "Are the Eagles going to let Case Freakin' Keenum keep them from Super Bowl 52??"
That was the title that blared from NJ.com, which is the site for NJ's most prominent newspaper, The Star Ledger. Now what does NJ have to do with Philly?
South and Central NJ is not primarily Giant or Jet country, it's Philly country. The more South you go, the more Eagles fans you see. And was it ever Eagles-land this year as all the fair-weather Jets and Giants fans jumped off their bandwagon and darted for the comfy confines of Eagle's fandom. So the article source still makes sense.
You never want to give bulletin board material to a motivated team, or an underrated player like Keenum.
Well a reporter showed this headline:
https://www.nj.com/eagles/index.ssf/2018/01/
eagles_minnesota_vikings_predictions_thoughts_nick.html
... directly to Keenum as did he showed it to the other Eagles players (not like it wouldn't have been seen anyway in the social media era).
After a raised eyebrow moment (perhaps the word "Freakin'" was the kicker), Keenum casually blew it off, having been tossed in the scrap heap so many times after an 0-8 season with Houston in 2013, just like that newspaper would be by the end of the day.
What this headline does, from a macro-perspective is take the dog mask off the Chris Long's head and makes Keenum the proverbial underdog of sorts.
So while the Eagles are still the dog with the Vegas line, the Vikes QB, maligned in this article, derided in many other places as well, is now the dog who can bring the Vikings to the Super Bowl.
2. The 'Dog' Mentality
Segueing off #1 (from an angle one I posted last week that the Eagles were well aware of and were motivated from), the Eagles now have a tough task playing the Underdog role up TWICE in TWO weeks no less.
Would Knute Rockne's "Win one for the Gipper" speech to his Notre Dame players in 1928 to spur them to a win over Army work....if he used it again the following week against Navy let's say?
No. Once that card is dealt, it's very tough to play the same hand with that card again. While it still exists, and while the Eagles are the only home dog in the NFC Championship ever, it is a tough sell this week against the Keenum-lead Vikes when they threw the kitchen sink at the Falcons to win in a nail biter.
So you get a severe watering down of a very powerful psychological factor for the Eagles that is quite useful for capping.
3. The Weather
Dome teams coming outside on grass usually is not good news ATS for the away team.
But in this case, the Eagles advantage gets watered down through the fact you could literally go outside without a jacket today. I was near Philly today and I can tell you I didn't have a jacket on, just a thermal shirt and I felt comfortable. A little chilly but comfortable. Chilly is like beach-weather for the Vikings and Eagles (and remember the Vikings were an outdoor team not long ago).
Tomorrow has a high of 50 dropping to 41 at night. I look for kick-off to be around 43 degrees. To travel to Philly and get that weather on a January 21st? That's a blessing that's not in disguise, but has suntan lotion on it's nose like a shirtless David Hasselhoff! I'm not crazy about the Vikes playing on grass but ya can't have it all, so I will take what are almost balmy like conditions for a January day.
GL Scal, glad you are free at last
Vikings
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