The Power of Purple: Why the Vikings just might have a shot at a perfect season

The Minnesota Vikings will head into week 3 as one of the NFL's 2-0 teams.

The difference: The Vikings are probably the only team with a realistic chance of keeping the zero in the loss column.

I'm not saying that I expect 19-0. I'm merely stating that it is a realistic possibility with the squad that the Vikings have assembled. For those of you that disagree, I ask you this question: Where are the Vikings weak? Offensive line? Get outta here. Steve Hutchinson is better than a lot of teams' entire line put together. Run defense? Nope. Kevin Williams and Pat Williams (aka the Williams Wall) lead what was last year the league's toughest run defense, and will likely be so again this year. Pass Rush? Nope. The Williams Wall helps out again here, but more important is Jared Allen, considered by many the league's top end. Secondary? Not with Pro Bowler Antoine Winfield and his sidekick Cedric Griffin. Wide Receiver? Nope. Bernard Berrian is solid, Sidney Rice is in for a breakout year, and Percy Harvin adds the "wow" factor. Quarterback? Not anymore, thanks to a certain former Packers quarterback named Brett Favre (perhaps you've heard of him?). Uh, running back? Ok, do you guys really need me to answer that one.

A surprising truth is that the Vikings actually already had a lot of this covered in '08. The defense was already strong, and I'm sure that you're all aware of the damage that Adrian Peterson did last year.

The main difference this year is the passing game. The developments of Sidney Rice and tight end Visanthe Shiancoe give the Vikings the weapons necessary to complement Bernard Berrian, and adding playmaker Percy Harvin certainly helps. The fact that they were able to successfully pull a future Hall of Fame quarterback out of retirement (can't remember who) doesn't hurt either.

The Vikings will not be an easy team to beat this year, primarily because there is pretty much no strategy that will really work against them. You can't hope to win a low-scoring battle against them, considering the playmakers they have offensively. The teams that defend the pass well may be able to stop Brett Favre from making much of an impact, but even if they do, all Favre has to do is give the ball to Adrian Peterson, and, as John Madden would probably put it, Boom!

And the idea of winning a shootout is out of the question as well because it won't be easy to put points up against the Minnesota defense. You can't hope to neutralize Peterson by getting a huge game out of your running back because the Vikings are too good at stopping the run. If you think that you can use the deep ball, think again. The Vikings, particularly Allen, can consistently rush the passer. You tell me how you're going to throw the ball deep when by the time your man is halfway there you already have to worry about a huge 270-pound monster in your face. The best chance may be pricking them apart with short passes, but with cornerbacks Antoine Winfield and Cedric Griffin, even that is difficult.

The Vikings are an elite team, and their schedule doesn't pose too many great threats. The biggest roadblock will come week 7 against the Steelers at Pittsburgh. There are only two other elite teams on their radar- the Ravens and the Giants- and both of them are played at home.

The Steelers may be one of the few teams that are capable of taking down the Vikings. So let's examine the matchup:

When the Vikings have the ball, Brett Favre will have a rough time against the Steelers' top ranked pass defense. Their best hope for scoring is that Adrian Peterson plays like a beast. Given what we've seen so far of Peterson this year, I wouldn't be too surprised if that happens. The man has hardly looked even human lately.

When the Steelers have the ball, their weak side is exposed. Their weak running game won't stand a chance against Minnesota's rush defense. They will need to use the passing game to score.

It's almost certain that this will be a low scoring game, and there are two players that will likely have the biggest impact on the outcome. One of them is Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes. There's also another. Hint: he's on the Vikings and he's a running back whose name isn't Chester Taylor. And his name starts with A.

Holmes will be the Steelers' best chance of putting points up offensively. They won't be able to run the ball, and while Big Ben is good, he's not that great. To score against Minnesota, he'll need a lot of help. If Holmes can perform like the force we saw in Super Bowl XLIII and we've seen so far this season, chances are that he'll make a big difference.

For Peterson (in case you didn't figure out that it was him yet) the concept is much more simple. With the tough defense that the Steelers have, the Vikings will need him more than ever.

Now given the fact that Peterson is a better player than Holmes, it would appear that the Vikings have the game, but don't call it just yet. Remember that the game is being played at Heinz Field. The Steelers overall winning streak ended Sunday, but their home-field one remained intact. Heinz Field looks to be this year's version of the '07 Gillette Stadium (the Patriots' home turf) - the place where no one wants to play. But if things go as I expect them to, there may be a home stadium that is even more feared.

The Metrodome.