Minnesota Vikings

Why we’re going all the way The Vikings are on the short list of the best defenses in the NFL. The defense is going to carry them, and the belief is that the team has done enough with the offense this offseason. The Vikings shored up the offensive line and added a dynamic playmaker in Dalvin Cook to ensure that the defense doesn’t have to spend an inordinate amount of time on the field like it did toward the end of last season. If they can achieve that balance, the Vikings will be in for a big season in 2017.

The season is hopeless if [THIS] happens The big thing that derailed the Vikings’ season last year was injuries, particularly along the offensive line. The team should have better depth this season, but even then, the Vikings wouldn’t be able to withstand the sort of injury issues they had in 2016. With the talent on this team from top to bottom, the injury bug is just about the only thing that can derail them.

Who is your biggest rival and why? It’s probably the Packers, even though most of us understand that we’re not their biggest rival. Obviously, having them only about a four-hour drive away means that there are a lot of turncoats -- er, rival fans -- in the Twin Cities area, and they’ve had a good run over the past few years. All of that combines to make it a pretty miserable experience, but hopefully the tide will start turning the other direction here soon.

Tailgate food that best describes your team? Barbecue chicken wings. Sure, they start off hot and delicious and make you feel really good for a while, but eventually they get all cold and things get all messy and the next thing you know you’ve got nothing but bones and carnage all around you and you’re wondering what happened. That pretty well sums up the Vikings’ 2016 season, actually.

What does your team do better than anyone else? Finding new and creative ways to kick their fans directly in the teeth on a regular basis. Sure, some teams may have the occasional epic loss, but the Vikings have managed to turn it into an art form.