Playoffs?

For the Vikings, that’s what will happen if they beat Green Bay on Dec. 30, thanks to Sunday’s 23-6 upset win over Houston. We won’t get too Big Bang Theory on you, but here are three big numbers-behind-the-numbers tied to the Purples’ huge road win:

56

Rookie kicker Blair Walsh kicked a 56-yard field goal Sunday, his ninth from 50-yards out or more. That’s the most in the NFL history. According to the Pioneer Press it also matched Paul Edinger’s 2005 field goal as the longest in franchise history.

222

Newlywed Christian Ponder passed for 174 yards, and ran for 48 more. That makes 222 yards on the day for Mr. Samantha Steele. Ponder told the Star Tribune’s Jim Souhan: “Coach Frazier said I should get married every other day.”

1

The Houston Texans were a paltry 1-for-11 on third down conversions Sunday. More than anything, that kept the Vikings defense fresh and let players like Harrison Smith go full speed ahead all day long.