Cheering for the, gulp, Packers?

After yesterday's traditional fumblefest put on by the Vikings for the benefit of the visiting Atlanta Falcons, tonight Viking fans are going to have to commit an unnatural act: cheer for the Green Bay Packers:

The thought is enough to make any Vikings fan or player nauseous, but the unthinkable is going to be a reality: The Vikings will spend tonight rooting for the Green Bay Packers.

It didn't have to be that way.

The Vikings needed only a victory over Atlanta on Sunday at the Metrodome to clinch their first NFC North title and make tonight's game between Chicago and the Packers meaningless. But seven fumbles, four of which were lost, and the inability to recover a ball in the Atlanta end zone all helped send the Vikings to a 24-17 loss.

The Bears' title hopes stayed alive, thanks to the Vikings' miscues.

Perhaps most disturbing was that Pro Bowl running back Adrian Peterson had two of the fumbles and lost one. Quarterback Tarvaris Jackson, making his first start at the Metrodome since being benched after Week 2, had a solid 98.5 passer rating and 76 rushing yards, third highest by a Viking quarterback, but was charged with three fumbles, including two he lost.

I sent an email to Damian Penny, notorious Bears fan, with some thoughts by former Bear Bobby Wade: "We need the Bears to blow it," he said. "Where are they playing, at home? Great. They'll definitely blow it."

Update, 23 December: Oh, well. The Pack owned the Bears for most of the game, but a last-minute blocked field goal attempt sent the game into overtime. The Bears won the toss, and a few minutes later, the game. Now the Vikings are in a must-win game against the Giants on Sunday (or they can hope that Chicago loses to Houston).