Zygi Wilf was a popular man on Monday evening as he mingled with fans at the Taste of the NFL event at the International Market Square in Minneapolis. Fans attending the function approached the Vikings owner looking to take pictures with him and make small talk. A relaxed Wilf was happy to oblige.
With his team sitting atop the NFC North at 7-1 and having a bye this week, Wilf had an opportunity to take a breath and enjoy his team's successes. The latest came Sunday, when the Vikings completed a series sweep of archrival Green Bay in which former Packers great Brett Favre went into Lambeau Field and threw four touchdown passes.
"You can see for yourself," Wilf said when asked about what Favre has meant to this team since his arrival Aug. 18. "You have enough to write about. It was a big game yesterday. I'm happy to see that for the division's sake, we were able to put some distance from other teams. That's the most important [thing] for us, and everything else was really sideshows."
Favre's presence on the Vikings roster has created, and will continue to create, plenty of sideshows. But it also is one reason this team is now considered among the NFL's elite. Players, given a six-day break by coach Brad Childress, quickly bolted from Winter Park, with many headed for warmer climates. When they return to work Monday, they will do so with an opportunity to begin working on clinching home-field advantage and a first-round bye in the playoffs.
Already 2 1/2 games up on the Packers and Bears in the division, the Vikings will play Detroit (1-6), Seattle (2-5) and Chicago (4-3) in a rare three-game homestand coming off the bye. The Vikings won't play another road game until Dec. 6 at Arizona.
Running back Adrian Peterson, who is tied for second in the NFL with St. Louis' Steven Jackson with 784 yards rushing, had an interesting observation when asked what has caught his attention about the Vikings' first 7-1 start since 2000.
"What really has impressed me the most is just knowing as an offensive unit and defense and all three phases that we haven't played a complete game," he said. "So I look at that and I'm like, 'Man, once we really cross all the T's and dot the I's, we can really be good.' So that's probably the thing that's positive the most."