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Are you ready for some story lines?

If you are the kind of person who cringes when you hear the monotonous voices of announcers shoving trite stories down your throat during games, you better wear a mouth guard for the Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys game Sunday in Minneapolis.

Did you know that Dallas just won a playoff game for the first time in over a dozen years? How about that Miles Austin, who became a number one receiver this season after the departure of Terrell Owens? And the lovable and humble Wade Phillps … Bum’s kid just got off the snide as being the winnningest coach to never win a playoff game. And what about ol’ number 4 over on the Vikings sideline? Brett Favre is still kicking, looking to quiet the naysayers who say he has struggled late in seasons here in the autumn of his career. And over on the other sideline stands, Tony Romo, a boy who grew up in Wisconsin idolizing Favre. And don’t forget about the running backs: Dallas has the two-headed monster of Jones and Barber while Minnesota has arguably the best back of this generation in Adrian Peterson. Oh yea, and Vikings coach Brad Childress and Favre seem to be at odds. And why does the camera keep panning up to that Michael Jackson look alike in a suite? Oh, that’s Jerry Jones. Whew. Tired yet?

And that’s before the game on the field even kicks off.

While there are storylines that would make any producer or color analyst drool, the action on the field should be equally compelling for the fans at home.  With the New Orleans Saints struggling of late and the Arizona Cardinals streakier than a drunk Brit at Wimbledon, the winner of this game will likely have a leg up on making it to the Super Bowl in Miami.

Following the first month of the season, when the Cowboys couldn’t decide if they were a running team or a passing team, it seems the team finally figured out what kind of offense they were: a balanced one. They have shown the ability to cram it down people’s throats, bust open long runs and strike over the middle and downfield with Romo. They will need to keep that balance against the Vikings, and stay inside themselves, but they will likely be tempted to go after the Vikings with the pass, as the Vikings secondary has proven to be porous all season.

All year people have said that Brett Favre is benefiting from his best running attack ever and that his MVP candidacy should be mitigated by the fact that he has Peterson in the backfield. There is truth in these myths, but not much. While Peterson is one of the most explosive and dangerous backs when he is not fumbling the ball, the Vikings running blocking has been rather miserable this season. Favre may in fact deserve more credit than he was getting this season. While the Vikings pass rush led by Jared Allen has been getting a lot of praise this year, the Cowboys have been almost as formidable. Look for DeMarcus Ware to expose Bryant McKinnie and lead the Cowboys 3-4 defense to some sacks of Favre. Their ability to get to the old man and put pressure on him to make plays out of the pocket could determine this game. That and how much leeway Childress gives to the old gunslinger.