Intriguing matchup in Minnesota

Michele Tafoya takes a look at the "Monday Night Football" matchup between the New England Patriots and the Minnesota Vikings.

Updated: October 26, 2006, 4:59 PM ET
By Michele Tafoya | ESPN Insider
At the start of the season, the New England-Minnesota "Monday Night Football" game didn't look all that interesting.

Suddenly, the Vikings are 4-2 and coming off a pasting of the Seahawks in Seattle. The Patriots are 5-1, yet no one seems to be mentioning them as Super Bowl contenders. Everyone seems caught up in the undefeated Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts, the San Diego Super Chargers and the feel-good story of the New Orleans Saints. Meanwhile, in Foxborough, the Pats seem to be doing what they have done for years now: succeeding with lesser-known players. There are no big stars in this game, outside of Tom Brady.

But there should be a pretty competitive game on Monday night. Consider some basic, yet telling, statistics:


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