Vikings Seem Lost at Sea

They were widely favored to reach the Super Bowl, but the Minnesota Vikings are 2-3 heading into Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions at Detroit.

A must win?

“If we can win, that would get us back, as far as our momentum,” receiver Randy Moss said. “But if we lose, there’s no telling what’s going to happen.”

Said cornerback Jimmy Hitchcock of the Vikings’ disappointing start, “I’m antsy, I’m losing sleep, because the team’s not having success.”

When former UCLA quarterback Cade McNown makes his first NFL start Sunday for the Chicago Bears, it will be at the expense of Shane Matthews, who is sidelined because of a pulled hamstring.

And nobody has to tell Matthews that his days as the Bears’ No. 1 quarterback may be over, even though he has a higher passer rating than anybody else in the division, including Brett Favre of the Green Bay Packers.

“The truth is, if you’re a starter and you get hurt and somebody steps up and plays phenomenally well, the odds are that you will end up losing your job,” he said. “It’s our business.”