From last Sunday's Minnesota Viking 24-17 loss to the San Diego Chargers, Viking fans can draw some good and some bad from the game that was played.

The good: Quarterback Donovan McNabb showed that even at the age of 34, he still has the wheels to outrun today's NFL defenders. He looked good running for 32 yards, including a 23 yard first down scramble.

The bad: Quarterback Donovan McNabb passed for a mere 39 yards, barely more than his rushing total in his Viking debut.

The good: Running back Adrian Peterson broke off one of his signature runs, a 46 yarder that set up an easy Viking touchdown. Peterson would finish the day with 98 yards on only 16 carries for an excellent six-yards-per-carry average.

The bad: Running back Adrian Peterson rushed for only 52 yards on his other 15 carries, an average of only three-yards-per-carry.

The good: While the Vikings' first offensive play of the season was a very costly interception (the ensuing Charger touchdown eventually being the difference in the final score) there were no other turnovers committed, and the Vikings actually won the turnover battle two to one.

The bad: The revamped Viking offensive line was dreadfull. The line could not open any consistent running room for Viking ball carriers, and did not give McNabb time to set up in the pocket and go through his progressions, or to look downfield for receivers running deeper patterns.

The good: On the road against an expected playoff contender, the Vikings held a 17-7 lead at the game's midpoint, capped off by an Antoine Winfield interception essentially ending the first half.

The bad: The Viking offense completely shut down in the second half, and despite the most passing yards in NFL history being posted in a single weekend of games, the Vikings could only net 28 of those yards for the entire day! Wow! Repeat... Wow!

The good: Taking away the Chargers initial touchdown - a drive of only six yards being gift-wrapped by a Viking turnover - the Viking defense only yielded 17 points over the final 56 minutes of play against the league's top offense from a year ago. This very modest point total yielded, despite the Viking defense being on the field for nearly the entire second half.

This past Sunday's loss was against one of the NFL's heavyweights. This Sunday's Viking home opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers presents one of the league's lesser imposing squads. This past Sunday was a measuring-stick opportunity for the new-look Vikings, and it was against an AFC opponent. This Sunday will be an opportune chance for a win for the new-look Vikings, and it is against an NFC opponent.

Given the strength of the NFC North this year (everyone is 1-0 except the Vikings), a win in week two for the Vikings is almost subject to that very over-used phrase in sports, "must win". This might not be a "must win" for the Vikings, given that it is only the second week afterall, but if this season is going to be a successful one, then it is mighty close.