Patrick Reusse joins Michael Rand for a look back at the weekend in sports. Among the key topics discussed:
*The Vikings were in position to beat Baltimore despite a huge disparity in several key categories. The Ravens held the ball for twice as long as the Vikings and had almost three times as many first downs (36 to 13) in an overtime win. Still, if the Vikings could have done more with a two-touchdown lead or an overtime turnover, they would have won. Instead, questions about their season are fresh again with their record at 3-5.
*The Gophers football team might have been caught looking ahead to Iowa. A 14-6 home loss to Illinois put them at 4-2 in the Big Ten, tied with three other teams in the West. Reusse wondered, and it's a good question: Why does a two-touchdown deficit against a bad team feel insurmountable?
*What happened to the Wolves and Karl-Anthony Towns? They went 0-4 on a recent homestand and were outscored by 97 points when KAT was on the floor. Reusse's answer: That's the Wolves.
*The Wild and Loons saved the weekend with clutch performances. The Wild rallied for a in improbable win at Pittsburgh then used a four-goal surge to beat the Islanders. The Loons hung on for a tie against the L.A. Galaxy to make the playoffs.