not incredible. but you got to take those as the four major candidates. >> al: again to the ha yard line. >> cris: mike zimmer's come in here and really does a good job. i can remember telling owners around the league, you should really interview mike zimmer. because he was in cincinnati and interviewed his players. i think defensive coaches are at a disadvantage sometimes. >> al: did you get a commission? >> cris: not even a nickel. you know, but he really does -- he has this feel. and i appreciate, i asked him about it. he said, i'm not a ceo type head coach. i spend some time with offense and special teams, but he's the defensive play caller. he said i wanted this team to know that i knew something about something. >> al: on second and one should

the catch. to the two-minute warnings. nassib getting up to the line, trying to maybe run a play off before the two-minute warning, but he cannot. and so we go to that break. with the score 49-10. looking right on sunday

report, michele will be in the

stars of the game, bob, tony and >> al: over in loomington. >> cris: i loved watching this division, didn't you? >> al: purple people eaters. fran tarkenton. black and blue division. >> cris: wow. don't get many of those 11s. that's late draw. >> al: i was hoping that was a shot from the old metropolitan stadium. but it's here, right? that will be caught by myles white for the touchdown. >> cris: that was a nice catch there. looks like xavier rhodes was going to make this but it went

somehow myles white was able to concentrate and make that play. nassib was one of those guys coming out of college he was very much under control, quick release, tikt throws motion. got the ball out of his hands. i remember thinking this guy might be a decent pro. just never know. >> al: nassib. run run and five passes. extra point makes the score 49-17. mvp candidates, well, peterson is always in that group, but not this year. you go with brady, you know, another great year. what else is new? carson palmer, tremendous season. cardinals flying high. and cam newton, obviously.

but a tremendous year through the year, on the ground, you name it. and, of course, andy dalton had been in that conversation, and then got hurt. >> cris: russell wilson went >> al: he did. >> cris: i've got a vote. and i have to tell you, i don't know who i'm voting for yet. i'm hoping somebody does something spectacular, but i those years where it's very close. cam newton when he was would be tough to vote against him. now the loss, does that change your mind? tom brady certainly working without the benefit of his star receivers. a lot of injuries to those offensive linemen. cam newton and russell wilson, what they can do with their legs. carson palmer with the magic and the high scoring that they've got going on in arizona. it's a tough vote. >> al: can you be bought? >> cris: oh, you know better.

>> al: a guy like tony romo, he's as valuable as anybody and that came to the forearm, obviously. they're throwing me out of the club. >> al: i don't have a vote, but i would vote for newton. >> cris: would you? >> al: yeah. he loses his number one receiver in training camp in calvin benjamin. you know, carolina's been an amazing story. >> cris: i can't argue with it. i really can't. the problem is when you stack statistics, if you want to look at those, other guys have better statistics, but it's so hard to measure what he does with his legs. i mean, that game last week and you know, i thought it was really interesting in talking to steve spagnuolo. he said if i spied against him, i didn't have enough guys to rush. and he would sit in the pocket for ten seconds and beat me that way. if i tried to rush him, he would scramble out. and he has a lot of different

with that. >> al: run the clock out here. peterson had 104 yards tonight. so peterson will go into the last weekend of the season with a 64-yard advantage over tampa bay's doug martin in his quest for the title. i think you should call the guys at pro football focus and find out what they think. about the mvp voting. >> cris: there you go. >> al: malibu kelly hayes should be living back in malibu. other whole gang. andy freeland here. and we want to thank the whole gang for braving the elements. as they do week in and week out. probably will next week in green bay as well. >> cris: michele down on the sideline. >> al: correct.

minnesota clinches a playoff berth as they go to 10-5. and minnesota never looked back. never trailed. led 19-3 at the half. teddy bridgewater, 15 out of 25 for 169. peterson 100-yard night. and it's over with the final score 49-17. volkswagen post game report on

welcome to the volkswagen passat post game report. here now bob costas. >> the vikings clinch a spot and move on. they blow out the giants tonight 49-17. three ball games to be given out. one goes to adrian peterson. he ran for 104 yards. teddy bridgewater gets another. a very efficient 15 of 25. threw a touchdown pass. no picks. and safety harrison smith from notre dame had five tackles plus an interception which he returned 35 yards for a viking touchdown. they are the three game ball recipients. and thus they get to speak with

>> bob, thank you. teddy, just your second season you take this team back to the time what does that mean to you? >> it's awesome. it speaks a lot about this team. the group of guys who are determined all year long and we were faced with some adversity. i'm happy for this team. >> you head to green bay for the division title on the line. and 0-3 against the packers so far in the last two years. why do you think this will be different? >> we know there's a lot on the line. we have to approach this as another game. the guys have the same intensity. the arizona cardinals the past two weeks, it shows. looking for my guys preparing for next week. have that focus. >> congratulations. >> thank you. see you next week. >> adrian peterson, we talked before the game about getting back to the playoffs. now a shot at the division title. what would that mean to you? >> it would mean a lot. you know, for this organization.

time. we knew what this game meant tonight. we played physical and put ourself in a position to take the title next week. >> and you put yourself in the position to take a third rushing title next week. you'll know going into that game. it's the last game of the regular season. how many yards you'll need. how do you think that might impact your mind-set going in? >> you know, i don't know. so that's a good thing. i was laughing with some guys on the sidelines. doug martin, on the sideline. just blessed to be in a position to get the title. i'll put my best foot forward. and god willing, we'll finish on top. >> see you in green bay. >> yes, ma'am. >> harrison smith, the last time this team made the playoffs was your rookie season 2012. what does it mean for you to be going back? >> incredible. offense, defense played great, special teams played great.

won tonight, we were in. we're just looking forward to next week already. >> green bay came in here earlier this season. and really handed it to you guys. why do you think this game out there will be different? >> you know, just the guys that make up the team. a lot of fighters, a lot of tough guys, guys that love the game. so just go out there and see what happens. >> good luck. congratulations. we'll see you there. >> see you there. thank you. >> bob? >> michele, take a look at the nfc playoff picture. know all six playoff teams in the nfc. the only questions remaining are questions of seeding. among them who wins the nfc north and that, as you know by now, will be decided on sunday night as the vikings go to lambeau to take on the packers. carolina and arizona have the byes wrapped up, but if carolina were to lose to tampa bay and arizona beat seattle, then the cardinals would seize the number one seed. let's bring in tony dungy. tony, which of those nfc playoff

face in the postseason? >> well, bob, you have to look at arizona right now and the way they're playing. they're on a roll. and they are healthy. and that is the biggest thing. i look at defending nfc champion seattle, they need marshawn lynch back. i look at carolina. they need jonathan stewart back. arizona has offense, defense, special teams rolling right now. that's the team that i think is on a roll and i certainly wouldn't want to play them in the playoffs. >> tony, here's a quick look at the afc. new england will be the number one seed if they get a win on the road at miami. denver plays cincinnati tomorrow night, then san diego in week 17. if denver wins both, the broncos will get at least a bye, but if they should lose twice, they could end up completely out of the playoffs. a kansas city win and one denver loss would give the division to the chiefs who clinched a wild card with pittsburgh's loss today.

in if they win at buffalo against their former coach rex ryan. as for pittsburgh, they now need to win next week against cleveland and hope for either a jets loss or two denver losses in order to make the playoffs. got all that? tony, how do you see it all shaking out? >> well, i think mike tomlin and the pittsburgh steelers have to be sick today. they had everything in their hands. all they needed to do was win their last two going to baltimore. they couldn't get it done. now they need a lot of help, probably from the buffalo bills. i just don't see that happening. i like the way the jets are playing. todd bowles has that team playing with a lot of confidence. ryan fitzpatrick is doing a great job with that offense. they need to go up and get a win and they'll be in. i believe that's what's going to happen, that the vets make it into that last slot in the playoff. >> coach, thanks. we turn as always to mike florio of pro football talk. you reported that some of the giants assistants believe that if they won the last two games

well, they lost big tonight. what impact do you think that has on tom coughlin's future in new york? >> it can't be good either for coach coughlin or for general manager jerry reese between being eliminated from the postseason saturday night and just being embarrassed tonight. we have to watch now and see how it plays out. ownership of the giants has kept the cards close to the vest saying decisions will be made after the season's end. hard to imagine they don't have a good idea what they'll do when the season ends next sunday after they face the eagles. and in that same division, nfc east where washington has emerged as an unlikely champion, a couple of other hot spots. philadelphia, coach chip kelly under fire for his work as the coach and in his first year as the person in charge of the football operations. that's a situation to keep an eye on along with the dallas cowboys. owner jerry jones has called out the coaching staff not that long ago for not winning more games with tony romo injured this year. now, it would be very expensive to make a change.

has four years left on his contract. but we've seen unpredictable things before in the nfl. that's the one thing we know heading into the off season, there will be unpredictable happenings. >> the vikings 49, the giants 17. al and cris back to wrap things up after this. >> the "sunday fight football" post game report is brought to you by the newly designed volkswagen passat. the volkswagen car for your full-sized life. so jeffrey... oh. elves.. it's practically yours. but we still need your signature. nthe volkswagen sign nthen drive event. p zero due at signing, p zero down, zero deposit, p and zero first months payment p on a new passat

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today is about as bad as it gets for them. but they're home next week. they play minnesota. what's your initial take on this thing? >> who's hot is the way i always look at it. and the minnesota vikings, 39 points last week, 49 points here tonight. they get their defensive players back, they look tremendous. but you're going to green bay. so how do you know? it's one of those aaron rodgers has been the best player in football probably over the past five years maybe. so you look at it and you say, this is it. this is the one that really matters. but remember there's some the loser may end up going to washington. the winner may end up getting seattle coming in. so you know, it's always bizarre at the end of the year trying to figure out what exactly is best for each team. >> bottom line, nobody knows anything. >> nobody knows. >> but that's why we love it. so we'll see you next week for minnesota against green bay at lambeau field in the 256th and

season. tonight it's all vikings from start to finish. till next sunday night al michaels, cris collinsworth, michele tafoya and our entire crew saying good night from minneapolis. nbc sports thanks you for watching this special presentation of the national football league. announcer: one candidate tough enough to take on the bully... jeb bush: donald, you're not going to be able to insult your way to the presidency. that's not going to happen. (applause) announcer: one candidate tough enough to take on isis. jeb will destroy isis... and keep america safe.

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