Good morning kids Cameron Smith Minnesota Vikings Jerseys , did you get a long weekend with the Martin Luther King, Jr holiday? enjoyed some Paytonfreude whilst browsing the Interwebs. It’s a full two days later, and quite frankly I’m still relishing in the fact that Saints fans can’t get over their loss to the Rams in the NFC Championship:Yeah, good luck with that. Also, the comic sans font never seemed more appropriate.Two big fallouts from the conference championship games have now led to potential rule changes the NFL may consider once the season is over. One, from the NFC Championship, is making pass interference calls (or non-calls, I guess) something that can be reviewed if the coach were to throw a challenge flag.Personally, I think it’s a stupid proposal and would slow the game down even more. And if you can add in one penalty to make it reviewable, eventually they’ll add in other penalties that can be reviewed, and it just seems like a slippery slope the NFL shouldn’t travel down. Also, quit being so butthurt over a bad call. Be more butthurt your Hall of Fame QB threw a remarkably brutal interception at the worst possible time. Be more butthurt your defense let the Rams back into the game after going up 13-0.In other words, get over it. What’s that? You aren’t?A used car salesman talking about getting screwed over. Ironic, don’t you think? A little tooo-ooooo ironic, yeah I really do think. (You’re welcome for the earworm).But on to the main point of this post. The other big discussion centered around what happened in the AFC Championship. In overtime, the New England Patriots won the coin toss, went down and scored a touchdown, and the Kansas City Chiefs never even got the ball. As we are all too painfully aware here, overtime rules were changed after the 2009 NFC Championship, so both teams could have an opportunity to get one offensive possession, assuming the team that got the ball first in OT didn’t score a touchdown on their initial possession. In that case Minnesota Vikings Jerseys Stitched , the game is over, which is what happened to the Chiefs.Does that need to change, though? If you’re more of a football purist, you probably think the current overtime rules are fair. And they are. You get a kickoff and a chance to return the ball, and if your defense can keep the opposing offense out of the end zone your team gets the ball, even if they give up a field goal. For folks that think the Chiefs got screwed by not getting the ball, I say don’t give up three third and 10 conversions on the winning OT drive and hold the Patriots to a field goal.So, do I THINK the rules need to be changed to make things ‘more fair’? No. All in all it’s a pretty balanced way to decide a game, and it makes offense, defense, and special teams all critical for success.But do I WANT the rules to be changed? Yes...yes I do. I get that the NFL is a business, I do. But it’s also equal part entertainment, and for my money nothing is more entertaining than college football overtime. In college, teams start out at the opponent’s 25 yard line. If they score a touchdown, the other team has to score a touchdown. If they do, on to another overtime. If the team that gets the ball first kicks a field goal, the opponent has to kick a field goal to continue. If the other team scores a TD though, game over. If the team that gets the ball first doesn’t score, then a field goal by the other team wins it. If they match touchdowns and extra points after two overtimes, starting at the third overtime until the conclusion of the game teams must go for two after scoring a TD. If no one scores on their first possession, then it moves to sudden death, and the game is played until there is a winner. There are no ties.Is it football purity? No, not even close Cameron Smith Jersey nfl draft , and I’ll be the first to admit that. There is no kickoff as the ball is pre-positioned, and the punt is eliminated, too. Scores can also be wildly inflated if a game goes to four, five...or even seven overtimes, as we saw happen in the SEC last year.Is it entertaining as hell, though? Yeah, it sure is.I would make a couple of modifications so the chances of a Texas A&M vs LSU game would be minimal, but it would still be wildly entertaining. I would adopt the current NCAA overtime rules, but with two modifications:Teams start at the opponent’s 40 yard line. The NFL has been trying to eliminate kickoffs and kickoff returns in recent years, so this continues down that road. If the offense can’t get a first down, a field goal attempt would be anywhere from a 48 to 57 yard attempt, assuming they didn’t lose any yardage on the possession.Teams must go for two starting with the first overtime. For one, this would be a lot more entertaining to watch. It guarantees both teams get at least one possession, and it will forever eliminate the tie. Special teams are still in play, as a field goal can still win it, but by starting at the 40 it’s a dicey kick for a lot of NFL kickers anymore, and three points is no sure thing if the offense can’t make a first down. Making teams go for two points right away instead of kicking an extra point will probably eliminate games going longer than the current 10 minute overtime period does in terms of total plays called. And if the NFL is serious about player safety, I think this is something that they really need to look at. For example, there were two overtime games that went the full, 10 minute OT period that had games end in a tie this past season. In the week two, 29-29 tie the Vikings and Packers played in Green Bay, there were a total of 18 plays called in OT. In week one, Pittsburgh and Cleveland played to a 21-21 tie. In that game From China Cameron Smith Jersey , a total of 29 plays were called in the overtime period. Heck, in the AFC Championship, the Patriots ran 13 plays in OT, and the Chiefs didn’t even get the ball.By contrast, last November Ohio State and Maryland played a wild, 52-51 game that went to a single overtime. There were a total of 10 plays called in that game, which ended when Maryland failed on a two point conversion. I use that example because Maryland went for two points right away to win the game (although they didn’t have to)...and it was the first college OT game that came into my head without looking, Buckeyes fan and all that. If you want to compensate for the difference between the 40 yard line and the 25 as a starting point, let’s do that. And just for the sake of argument, let’s say that both teams needed three additional plays to get a first down to about roughly the same point OSU and Maryland started, the 25 yard line.That’s still just 16 plays, 13 less than the Vikings week two game, and only three more in a the single possession OT game we saw on Sunday in Kansas City. So, if you adopt this format, you:Have a good chance of less total plays, which protects the playersHave a game that still relies on offense, defense, and a sound field goal kicker, so special teams isn’t eliminated, other than for player safety.Get both teams at least one offensive possession.Forever eliminate a tie game.Sign me up.Vikings at Eagles Week 5: Five Game-Changing Plays “23-21” may not carry the importance or gravitas of “38-7”, but it still felt pretty darn good.While nothing the Vikings could have done on Sunday would have made up for the devastation of their NFC Championship Game loss last January, returning to the scene of the crime and escaping Philadelphia with a much-needed victory over the Super Bowl champions was crucial for them. The previously poor performing defense stepped up in a big way against the Eagles, quieting some (but not all) of the concern surrounding a unit that was so stout a season ago. Kirk Cousins and Adam Thielen continued their record-setting pace while the run game wasn’t completely invisible this time around. The kicking game once again caused plenty of consternation and high blood pressure Long Sleeve Cameron Smith Jersey , but in the end the Vikings were able to put together a solid team victory on the road and get back to .500 through five games. Let’s take our weekly review of the five biggest plays that got us there.Play 1: Eagles, ball, 1st & 10 at the Minnesota 31. Second quarter, 4:24 remaining. (Shotgun) C.Wentz sacked at MIN 39 for -8 yards (S.Weatherly). FUMBLES (S.Weatherly) [S.Weatherly], RECOVERED by MIN-L.Joseph at MIN 36. L.Joseph for 64 yards, TOUCHDOWN.LINVAL HUNGRY!The Vikings had dominated for the majority of the first 25 minutes of the game, yet they found themselves tied 3-3 (more on why it was still a tie game later) as Philadelphia was driving to take the lead late in the second quarter. Stephen Weatherly executed a nifty swim move to burst past Lane Johnson and hit Carson Wentz, causing the ball to fall directly into the hands of one Linval Joseph. “Big Goon” rumbled 64 yards to pay dirt for the game’s first touchdown and gave the Vikings a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.A big part of the defense’s resurgence this week was the pass rush. With Everson Griffen out indefinitely and Tashawn Bower sidelined with an injury, the Vikings were incredibly thin at defensive end. Weatherly and Danielle Hunter both played over 90% of the defensive snaps and were still able to help generate a lot of pressure on Wentz throughout the game. Weatherly has seen an increased workload in each of the last three games and he has performed better each time out. Andre Patterson has done an excellent job of coaching up the former seventh-round pick, which led to this play, which led to Joseph needing oxygen on the sideline, which led to one of the most meme-able images of the season.Play 2: Vikings ball, 2nd & 6 at the Philadelphia 23. Second quarter, 0:36 remaining. (Shotgun) K.Cousins sacked at PHI 31 for -8 yards (M.Bennett). PENALTY on PHI-M.Bennett, Roughing the Passer, 12 yards, enforced at PHI 23 - No Play.The Vikings were putting together something that had previously been a rarity in the 2018 season: a promising two-minute drive. But it looked like they were about to face third and long just outside of the red zone after Michael Bennett shoved aside Kyle Rudolph and sacked Cousins.Enter the NFL two-hand touch rules! Bennett was flagged for a pretty dubious roughing the passer penalty to give the Vikings a new set of downs at the Eagles’ 11 yard line. Troy Aikman and many with purple-shaded glasses throughout the Twitterverse claimed that Bennett “went low” here; I disagree. Look at where the impact started—right at Cousins’ rear end. Bennett then slid down to finish the tackle. While the call benefited the Vikings and may have been correct by the letter of the law, I still think it was weak.The Vikings definitely took advantage of the opportunity with one of the more gorgeous passes of the season thus far. Once again Bennett was in Cousins’ grill, but that didn’t prevent an absolute dime of a fade to Adam Thielen. Thielen fought through a defensive hold from Ronald Darby, toe-tapped in the corner of the end zone, and the Vikings took a 17-3 lead to the locker room.Play 3: Eagles ball, 1st & goal at the Minnesota 6. Third quarter, 9:47 remaining. (Shotgun) J.Ajayi right tackle to MIN 5 for 1 yard. FUMBLES Stefon Diggs Jersey , RECOVERED by MIN-E.Kendricks at MIN 5. E.Kendricks to MIN 5 for no gain (J.Ajayi).After a first half where the Vikings looked like they had regained their 2017 form, the second half started a lot like the past few games all over again. The Eagles were marching down the field in hopes of making it a one score game to start the third quarter. Thankfully for the Vikings, the fumbling problems that have hampered Jay Ajayi at times throughout his career popped up at just the right time.Eric Kendricks pounced on the ball and the promising Philadelphia drive was instantly stymied. In a game where the Vikings ended up clinging to a two-point victory, this abrupt change of momentum was crucial. Instead of pulling to within a touchdown with nearly a half remaining, the Eagles found themselves trailing 20-3 after the ensuing Vikings drive. That ensuing drive was fueled in large part by the very next play.Play 4: Vikings ball, 1st & 10 at the Minnesota 5. Third quarter, 9:33 remaining. (Shotgun) K.Cousins pass deep right to A.Thielen to PHI 27 for 68 yards (J.Mills) [F.Cox].After already completing a couple of amazing passes to Thielen with pressure in his face, Cousins went for the hat trick to flip the field.Fletcher Cox slammed into Cousins as he threw, yet somehow the arching pass found its way right into Thielen’s arms. Thielen got open by roasting Jalen Mills—a common theme throughout the day, which made Mills’ chirping at Thielen later in the game even more inexplicable—and then added some nifty moves to rack up a bunch of yards after the catch.Getting a huge gain like this immediately after forcing a turnover is a delicious combo platter if you’re a Vikings fan.Even though the Vikings finished the drive with a field goal and a commanding 17-point lead, we all had the sneaking suspicion that finishing off the defending champions wasn’t going to be that easy. Our notions were verified when the Eagles came storming back to within six points. The Vikings had just turned the ball over in their own territory and Philadelphia was within scoring range. The defense needed a stop in the worst way, and they got one when Weatherly and Hunter pressured Wentz into an intentional grounding penalty that knocked Philly out of field goal range.This probably should have been my fifth and final game-changing play, as it kept points off the board and led to the final Vikings scoring drive of the day. But I had to go with the final scoring play itself due to how important was to the psyche of everyone involved.Play 5: Vikings ball 4th & 5 at the Philadelphia 34. Fourth quarter, 2:51 remaining. D.Bailey 52 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-K.McDermott, Holder-M.Wile.Dan Bailey had a pretty bad day on Sunday. But thanks to this kick, it avoided Daniel Carlson or Mason Crosby levels.After forcing the fourth quarter stop, the Vikings desperately needed to chew up some clock and get some points. They chewed up some clock thanks to a rushing attack that upgraded from “completely nonexistent” to “occasionally competent.” They got some points thanks to a kicker that nailed one from long distance despite missing two shorter kicks earlier in the game.Bailey had already hit the left upright on a 28-yard chip shot to end the game’s opening drive and missed a 45-yard attempt in the second quarter. The second most accurate kicker in league history had appeared to be the latest to crumble after donning the purple and gold. Mercifully, Bailey nailed this clutch attempt to keep the sanity of Mike Zimmer and Vikings Nation precariously intact for another week.There is still plenty to work on, but getting a road win over the defending champs might just be the shot in the arm the Vikings needed after a rocky start. We’ll see if they can keep it rolling next week as they try to avoid another home loss to a rookie quarterback when Josh Rosen and the Arizona Cardinals come to town. As always, we welcome you to vote in the poll to tell us which play you thought was the biggest and encourage you to suggest any we may have missed in the comments.