Paul Allen, Minnestoa Vikings Play-By-Play Broadcaster

The NFL playoffs live on Odyssey.

Non-stop coverage from the biggest sports radio stations in the country. Podcasts dedicated to each NFL team and post-season games streaming live for free. Your playoffs, your Odyssey. Get in the game and download the free Odyssey app today. The NFL playoffs live on Odyssey.

Non-stop coverage from the biggest sports radio stations in the country. Podcasts dedicated to each NFL team and post-season games streaming live for free. Your playoffs, your Odyssey. Get in the game and download the free Odyssey app today.

Your playoffs, your Odyssey. Get in the game and download the free Odyssey app today. The NFL playoffs live on Odyssey. The NFL playoffs live on Odyssey. The NFL playoffs live on Odyssey. Your playoffs, your Odyssey.

Get in the game and download the free Odyssey app today. The NFL playoffs live on Odyssey. That does stick out in your mind. How do you view the Vikings going into the post-season? They've been a real polarizing team. It's not like they only had four blowout losses. The Lions game, that thing was sneaky close in the third quarter.

Technically, it's double digits. At Philadelphia, we start the season with Green Bay at home. That's the target of which to shoot in the division every year because of the quarterback. Losing Devante meant early in the season he had to overcome not having his bailout guy. Forget one of the best in the game.

Devante is one of the greatest bailout third down receivers in the history of the National Football League. We got him week one and we killed him. We're feeling good. Then we go to Philadelphia and Jalen Hurts runs all over us. That was a blowout there. The Dallas game had some aberration to it.

We go to Green Bay and they got a win. That's the border rival. They smashed us a couple of weeks ago. On the other side of it, the fearless gene this team possesses with the ability, when it is close, they are not scared of anybody. They're not scared of Josh Allen. They're not scared of being on the road.

They're just not. If they're in a one-score game in the fourth quarter, I'm telling you right now, every team they face the rest of the way, if they get past this one, if the Vikings are in a one-score game in the fourth quarter, the adversary is in trouble. Can you see this team winning the Super Bowl this year?

I'm not going to grandstand and say that. I will say on my 90 noon radio show on KFAM, I came back in July right before training camp from an extended vacation. I spent time looking at a confluence of circumstances around the NFC, which includes Brady being a year older and skipping time in training camp. Russell left Seattle. The Rams, I thought, were the target of which to shoot.

Arizona fraudulent and just the whole thing. I actually, for the second time in my radio career, predicted the Vikings to go to the Super Bowl because of the confluence of circumstances. We were being shortchanged because it was a redo, but a redo with talent, man. I mean, when you bring in a former quarterback and an offensive mind who's a limb on the Sean McVay tree. Well, I've now seen it for 17 games.

It not only does it work, it's high-end and that includes with how you treat man when there's conflict. So I've seen that now since the beginning of the season. It's real and those who hired them and said it would be like this are right. But the reason I did it was because of what the perception I had of other teams around the NFC. Now, I dramatically shortchanged Philadelphia and we've been there and I've seen it. And I mean, if hurts is close to 100% and they get two games in that building that they're going to be really difficult to beat. So if the Vikings get to the Super Bowl, I ain't going to be surprised.

But if they don't, man, I just got a lot of respect for specifically Philadelphia. Paul Allen here with us. So I love Justin Jefferson, not only once he gets drafted, he comes on this radio show and he says all the teams that took wide receivers in front of me are going to pay. Now, we've heard people say that before, but he has clearly backed it up. Does anything that he does at this point surprise you because he is such a fun player to watch?

No, not really. And the thing I really like about Justin, and I chat with him a fair amount during the course of the week just in passing, locker room, games, practice, whatever, is his humility and how humble he is. Now, Justin had two touchdowns against Green Bay week one, two receiving touchdowns. And Justin wants to have 20 receiving touchdowns in 2,000 yards. I mean, that's just how that superstar is wired. For whatever the reason, we went a month and a half, almost two months without him catching a touchdown. Now, I've been around wide receivers long enough in my career to know that if superstars go sometimes close to two months without a touchdown catch, I have the women and children because they become divisive and I've just seen it.

Well, that's not him. I mean, he stayed quiet and he supported everybody to the best of his ability. We bring in T.J. Hawkinson. T.J. starts getting some love, but what Justin realized, because he's smart, is the more success and love shared with T.J. Hawkinson means Justin's going to bust loose.

And that's exactly what happened. And if we hadn't completely flopped in that Green Bay game, I mean, he had a legitimate shot to break Calvin Johnson's 2012 record for a 1964 in a season. Your view of Kirk Cousins is what, Paul Allen? He improves every single year. I know for a fact, because whether it's Cousins, Bradford, Case Keenum, Dante Culpepper, Brett Favre, I've seen so many quarterbacks around here, man.

You know, I just know what's good. And, you know, it's kind of the problem being next to Brett Favre in 2009 is I truly saw how it was supposed to be done behind the scenes. I mean, indefatigable with the work ethic, late Friday nights trying to figure out the Bears blitz.

I mean, and the way he galvanized, man. Yeah, Brett was unbelievable. Well, well, Kirk is not necessarily as overt that way or as aw shucks as Brett, but Kirk's unbelievably smart and his seasons have gotten better every year he's been here. And now with O'Connell and the way the offense is constructed and it's a pass for his team. Well, look at the season you just put Justin on. Hawkinson comes in here as the best year of his career. Dalvin Cook all of a sudden, you know, gets home on a screen from 64. K.J. Osborne, the third receiver at 60 catches.

So that answers the question right there. Kirk is calculated. He can make all the throws, left hash, right boundary, vice versa, and he's cold blooded in the red zone. So I love the guy. He's been through a lot here from the fan base locally and nationally.

He's persevered. He's a fabulous human being and a quality quarterback. When you look at the Giants, and I live in New York, if you would have told me the Giants would be in the playoffs before the season, I would have said, what are you smoking?

What are you drinking? So it's an incredible coaching job by Brian Dayball. You saw them a few weeks ago. What stands out to you the most about the Giants? And Zach, I'm with you, man. I mean, like, you know, end of the season, I didn't even pay attention to the Giants. You know, I like Daniel Jones more than most, and I respect Saquon, but I was with you. But after they beat Tennessee in that season opener, and then I started to like watching how Dayball talks to people on the sidelines and stuff, man, I just gained a fast track of respect for them. I mean, first year coach like O'Connell, I mean, I think when they get together Sunday, Zach is going to be the fourth time since the merger in the mid 60s to first year coaches are meeting in the playoffs.

So that just shows you how difficult it is to do what's happening this weekend. But from what I saw, Dexter Lawrence was basically unstoppable. He's elite. When Aaron Donald is done, Dexter's the next Aaron Donald, if he's not already ready there now, and he'll command an immense amount of attention. The rookie Thibodeau didn't have a great game against us. He was okay, you know, but he went against our right tackle, Brian O'Neill, you know, who did a really good job. Well, O'Neill's out and we got a replacement at right tackle, so I'm curious to see what they're going to do there. And, you know, they blitz 50 percent of the time, man, which is number one in the NFL. So I think Kirk O'Connell and everybody knows that they're going to be some licks. You know, they're going to be they have more guys than we have. Kirk's going to get hit, maybe even sacked. But if one or two times they miss on those blitzes, we have the right guys to go 70 or 70 behind their defense. So, you know, we we were winning that game, man, 10-0.

And I honestly felt, hey, here it comes. For the first time in forever, we're going to blow somebody out. And then Hodgins got a touchdown on Peterson and they got back in it. And Gano never misses all of a sudden.

And it was a meat grinder. Fortunately, we won. But, man, I'm happy to have this game at home for the Vikings and the crowd's going to be loud.

What type of game do you expect coming up this weekend? Excellent question. And it feels like low-key you're trying to feel me out for an over-under bet, which I really respect if you are doing that. Or some covert money line deal or whatever.

That's a great question. I mean, we're 27-24 last time. There was a good patch in the middle of that game where nobody did anything but field goals. Our defense has given up the fourth most yards in the history of Vikings football and our offense is one of the best offenses in the NFL. So, I think whatever the number is, I think it's good. And I think the final total will be whatever that number is, 48-ish.

So, I don't know, man, like a 30-20 on the high end and a 27-24, 27-20 on the low end. I think Minnesota's going to win the game, but it seems like, just from what I hear, a lot of people going with the Giants. Do they feel that disrespect in Minnesota? Well, the point spread has a move. People from a rooting interest can jump out there in the nameless, faceless world on Twitter and formulate all the opinions they want. But we've seen big point spread moves with Minnesota Vikings football this year because people formulate giant opinions.

This is not one. It started at three, it stuck at three. And it should be Vikings minus three. So, the team has faced the fraudulent tag the entire year and people have been wrong every step of the way if they got loud about it. It's like we beat Green Bay and then we get killed on Monday Night Football at Philly. Well, funny, Philly might be the best team in football with hurts. And secondly, people are like, see, see, I told you they just weren't that good, new coach and cousins can't handle the heat and just all that stuff. Well, after that Philly game, we won seven in a row. So, then we get killed by Dallas, same thing.

You know, people bitching about the same thing. Well, then we win four of the next five. So, this is a very good football team and I'll stand absolutely by what I said a few minutes ago. If it's a one score game in the fourth quarter, the team we're playing is in trouble because this team, it just miraculously, in unexplainable fashion, finds ways to win these games and to do that, you can't be scared and they're not scared. Last thing I'll ask you, Paul Allen, you think Rogers is back in that division next year?

Great question, man. A lot of weird things after that Lions game, like, you know, your guy, whatever his name was, I can't remember, came up, wanted his jersey. Yeah. And he's like, nah, I'm like, I'm good or whatever. That's unbelievable that he did that. And whether no, no matter how badly he had to go to the bathroom or where he had to go, I've just never heard of that.

And just the way he's talking and everything, you know, it's, it's, I'm sure you, you've heard it, man. I mean, you follow it closely, but you know, after the game, one of the beat writers was like, no trade. You could see yourself playing for another team, something like that. And he had an opportunity to say, no, I'm finishing my career here.

I started here, I'm finishing here and we have work to do. I'm not sure I'll be back, but if I am back, it's going to be here. Instead, he's like, you can never say never. So that, that was negative. I mean, it's, it's, it's either negative because if you're a Packers fan, he's not going to come back. Or if you're a football fan, hopefully, you know, we ain't got to deal with, with the news cycle around the draft, just completely involving him. I'm with you.

Hey, Paul Allen, have a good call this weekend. We appreciate the time. Thank you.

Zach really had a good time, man. Thanks. Thanks for letting me speak. God bless you and enjoy the football game, right? There's a lot to listen to.

So get started and download the free Odyssey app today. I'm Larry Mullins, host of the podcast, your weirdest fears, the show that explores the odd things that make your heart stop. I am so scared of the Grinch.

He is bad vibe. We talked to everyone from therapists to exterminators to lizard man. I was 25 when I actually got my tongue split.

I have one tattoo that covers my entire body. Listen and subscribe on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts from. Your playoffs, your Odyssey. Get in the game and download the free Odyssey app today.