Last year, Tillman stole the game's deciding pass from Moss in the end zone. Sunday, Moss stood in the same corner of the same end zone, again looking like a man who had lost something precious.
And perhaps he had. Since they lost to the Giants on Oct. 31, raising the specter of their 2003 collapse, the Vikings had vowed that this season would not mirror the last, but the schedule has taken on the appearance of a looking glass.
Like the 2003 Vikings, the 2004 edition saw a midseason losing streak start with an upset loss to the Giants.
Like the 2003 Vikings, the 2004 edition lost a winnable game in Chicago against a quarterback making his first start for the Bears, a game that could have given them a commanding position in the division.
The Vikings can easily weather this, but that's not the way they should view it. This was a lost opportunity, one that could have put them a game up on Green Bay in the division and moved them to within a game of Atlanta in competition for home-field advantage in the playoffs.
"~~~~" is what Tice kept calling it, inelegantly, angrily and accurately.
What Sunday's loss means is that the 2004 Vikings, as in 2003, have reduced their margin for error by losing a game they should have won, this time by making Chad Hutchinson look like Jim McMahon when what we expected was Ed.
Last year's loss at Chicago left the Vikings positioned so the last play of the last game of the season could wrench them from the playoffs. If anything so dramatic befalls them this year, they can reflect on the afternoon of Dec. 5 along the shore of Lake Michigan, when Moss, long the scourge of the division's defensive backs, saw his taunting flung back in his facemask like spit in the wind.
"We were challenged before the game, called out by them," Bears coach Lovie Smith said.
By Moss? "Yeah, that's who I'm talking about," Smith said.
Tillman said he couldn't repeat Moss' taunts. "If I said it," Tillman said, "it would be bleeped."
The Packers have spent a handful of draft picks trying to defend Moss; the Lions have spent big money. The Bears may have gotten it right by deploying a second-round draft pick two years ago on a big, strong guy from Louisiana-Lafayette who doesn't seem to understand he's supposed to be intimidated by someone nicknamed "Super Freak."
"I felt disrespected when we came out there in pregame and he was just really cursing us out and blabbing and everything like that," Tillman said. "I took that personal. I think all the DBs did because he called everybody out ... 'You all better loosen up, I'm going to have a good day, I'm going to score all kinds of touchdowns.' ... Obviously, he didn't.
"It feels better, because for someone to call you out and you step up to the challenge and dominate, that feels great."
Moss caught four passes for 31 yards, and Tillman forced him to fumble once.
Tillman claimed he didn't rub it in. "No, I didn't say nothing," Tillman said. "I just waved, bye, bye."
The rest of the story
Jim Souhan
Star Tribune
jsouhan@startribune.com
Tillman reaching for the ceiling
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Originally Posted by Sid
