Positive Patrick Reusse: Vikings are a playoff team, Wolves a play-in team, Gophers a contender
StribSports Daily Delivery · Michael Rand
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Show Notes
Host Michael Rand is joined by Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse for a look back at another memorable weekend in sports -- and one in which Minnesota teams pretty much couldn't lose. The Gophers won. The Vikings won. The Loons won. The Wild won twice. It had Reusse in a ... positive mood? Well, sort of.
After the Vikings' 34-28 overtime win over the Panthers, another harder-than-it-needed-to-be affair, Reusse declared the Vikings too talented to miss the playoffs. At 3-3 heading into the bye and with a stiff schedule test coming out of it, we will see if he is right. What's not in doubt: QB Kirk Cousins bailed out a defense that played well again for 55 minutes but couldn't close out another double-digit lead.
The Gophers' win over Nebraska was declared a triumph of culture by head coach P.J. Fleck, part of a budding (and lopsided) rivalry with Scott Frost's Huskers. Combined with a stunning Iowa loss, it put Minnesota in control of its own destiny in the Big Ten West.
Plus two Wild road wins to start the season are a good sign, while Reusse declared the Wolves to be ready to flirt with .500 and reach the NBA's play-in tournament.