EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) — The NFL schedule makers served the Minnesota Vikings dessert before the main course this season.
After wolfing down cupcakes such as the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions and St. Louis Rams during the team's first 5-0 start since 2003, the Vikings' road gets measurably more difficult from here on out. They host the Baltimore Ravens today, followed by road games at Pittsburgh and Green Bay before the bye week.
“The next three weeks aren't going to be easy,” said defensive end Jared Allen, whose team pounded the winless Rams 38-10 last Sunday.
“We play Baltimore at home, we are at Pittsburgh and then we are back in Green Bay. The next three weeks are going to be a strong test of where we are at.”
Counting home wins over San Francisco and Green Bay, the first five opponents on Minnesota's schedule have a combined record of 7-17. Their next three opponents are a combined 8-6.
The Ravens (3-2) will bring their notoriously nasty defense into the Metrodome on Sunday, and Ray Lewis and Co. will probably be as ornery as ever after two straight losses.
Then comes a trip to face the defending Super Bowl champions followed by Brett Favre's highly anticipated return to Lambeau Field against the Packers.
“We're getting a lot of pats on the back,” tight end Visanthe Shiancoe said. “But 5-0 can turn into 5-11, and we play a lot of good teams coming up.
“We can't get content or relax because Baltimore's coming up. It's like hitting a bee's nest, rustling them up a little bit, they're going to be pretty mad coming in here.”
This veteran-laden team prides itself on its ability to stay focused and not look ahead. The Vikings were able to work through the distractions of Favre's first game against the Packers earlier this season, then didn't overlook the woeful Rams in a laugher in St. Louis.
So rather than look at the next three games as a critical stretch heading into the bye, Vikings coach Brad Childress continues to deliver his stay-the-course message.
“We're certainly not going to be talking about anything that Pittsburgh or Green Bay does this week, so logic would dictate that were pretty focused on the Ravens,” Childress said. “They're good, particularly the veteran guys, of knowing that hey, it's a week to week to week to week thing.
“You're a week away from elation or a week away from a crisis, and that's kind of the way we look at it.”
Vikings coaches have plenty of ammunition to use to keep the players from getting too high on themselves. The Rams racked up 400 total yards, but they committed four turnovers in Minnesota territory to give the game away.
“We're a pretty confident team,” receiver Sidney Rice said. “But I don't feel like we're over confident. Everybody knows we have a long way to go.”
The biggest test the Vikings have faced to this point was a physical 49ers defense that had Minnesota beaten for the first 58:30 of their game three weeks ago. But Favre was able to rally the team to victory in the final 90 seconds, and the Vikings will face even more punishing units with the Ravens and Steelers during the next two weeks.
First things first though.
“We're not really looking down the road,” linebacker Ben Leber said. “I don't think anybody's looking ahead' or looking at the bye week or anything like that. We know it's there. Nobody's concentration is there. We're going to focus on Baltimore.”
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