As Brad Childress addressed his team during their Saturday night meeting, the Vikings coach asked for a show of hands for one simple question: "Who feels like we have played our best game so far?"
Despite eight victories in nine games, not one hand was raised.
On Sunday, Childress' players accepted the not-so-subtle challenge and went about playing their best game, a dominating 35-9 victory over the Seattle Seahawks at the Metrodome.
Try as they might, the Vikings are going to have problems finding flaws in a performance reminiscent of what the 15-1 Vikings of 1998 did to opponents so often. That also was the last time the Vikings started 9-1.
Quarterback Brett Favre, who departed late in the third quarter with his team up 28-3 and was serenaded with chants of "MVP," completed 88 percent of his passes, breaking his own franchise record. He also set an NFL record with his 22nd game of four touchdown passes.
The Vikings defense gave up 4 rushing yards to a Seattle offense that had two first downs in the opening half, was 1-for-10 on third down and held the ball for only 17 minutes, 49 seconds.
The Vikings' 306 points are second in the league to New Orleans' 369. Sunday's point total failed to equal the 38 the Vikings scored in victories over St. Louis on Oct. 11 and Green Bay on Nov. 1, but the performance easily was met with the most approval.
"This was the most complete game of the season when it comes to all three phases," said tight end Visanthe Shiancoe, who caught a career-high eight passes. "Special teams, offense and defense. We fed off each other. There was a lot of momentum out there, and everybody had a piece of the pie in this win. But we can always get better. I know you guys are tired of hearing that type of stuff, but it's the truth."