M-V-P! M-V-P!

There's a certain sound the Metrodome often makes when the Vikings play, a cross between a long gasp and a desperate attempt on muffling a shriek of horror. The kind of sound you'd make if you're parked on a hill and the emergency brake fails, and all you can do is watch as your car hits about 29 other cars on its way down. It's the sound 57,000 people made as Will Blackmon somehow slipped through everybody wearing purple on his way to the end zone to give the Packers the lead and seemingly insurmountable momentum. The Metrodome sounded a lot like the Nasgoul, the black ghost-like hooded creatures in Lord of the Rings.

If that sound was the Nasgoul, Adrian Peterson was Aragorn, fighting them off triumphantly.

Furthermore, if Gus Frerotte were Boromir trying to take the ring, Adrian Peterson was Frodo, steadfast in his quest, doing what needs to be done. If the Vikings special teams were Golum, Chester Taylor was Sam, Frodo's companion, loyal to the end. If the Packers were the balrog, AD would be Gandalf on the Bridge of Khazadum, shouting "You shall not pass!"

Okay I think that's enough LOTR analogies.

A win like this brings out that kind of dumb giddyness in me. So many good things came to light yesterday: Jared Allen showing he's worth the money, the rest of the d-line following his example, Aaron Rodgers continuing Brett Favre's mid-90s "I suck at the Metrodome" stigma, Viscante Shiancoe managed not to fumble or drop a pass, and most importantly, Adrian Peterson staking his claim for this year's MVP and the title of Best Player in Football.

A win like this allows me to feel comfortable looking at what the Vikings did right, instead of their glaring mistakes and deficiencies, which is what I do seemingly every week. That's because this week was the Packers, who the Vikes haven't beat since the 2004 playoffs. Like Peterson said before the game, "I'm sick of losing to the Packers." Me, too.

With that, I say this: enjoy this, Vikings fans, because this is the best win we'll have all year. I still maintain that the Week 2 Indy game provided everything we need to know about this year's team. But at least we can beat the Packers. And in a season like this, that's the most important thing to me. The sight of Aaron Rodgers running for his life and getting his ass kicked will be one great memory I will take from the 2008 season.

However, the ring is still out there lurking. The Nasgoul are always waiting, ready to appear from nowhere. Let's hope Purple Jesus keeps his torch in one hand and his sword in the other.