Yep, "we're still havin' fun and we're 4-and-1!"

I have been slow to judge the Minnesota Vikings on style points through the first part of the season because coming off two buzzkills and nine combined wins the theme is just win and don't listen to any negatories bitch the defense is due a regression, the deep game is non-existent and the KID KICKER and all his tiouchbacks is fluky.

After today's dismantling of the overmatched Titans and watching the first quarter of the NFL season I am treating the team like a squad that legitimately is upper-echelon and should be considered a bonafide playoff contender from here forward. We have stayed relatively healthy, haven't trailed in a game in nearly a month and can beat you many ways offensively.

Seriously, we handled the 49ers, validated it by winning on the road against the game's number-one passing offense, shut down CALVIN and today were expected to beat a bad team and crushed it. What else needs to be done? And all that with JEROME SIMPSON waking up with a bad wheel and having his playing time cut.

I meant what I said late in the game -- PERCY HARVIN is the best overall player in the NFL. Obviously that includes all facets of the game, and he is the NFL's best kick returner, a top-five-ish receiver and scored from the tailback spot. Mega' is a better receiver, ADRIAN a better full-game tailback and there are good kick returners, but none do it all like 12 and if there is one who does -- JOSH CRIBBS? -- he's not in Percy's class.

Team-first around here and we attacked an undisciplined, struggling defense many ways and lived up to the hype. To wit, Tennessee was worst in show at allowing first downs (26) and we achieved 25. Tennessee was allowing a million YPG and we went for 433. The Titans had permitted seven TE TD's and KYLE RUDOLPH scored. Yeah, we can judge this team on style points and treat it like a playoff-type team after another effort of exposing a foes' weaknesses like the good teams do.

WINFIELD tomorrow at 9:35 a.m. -- he had a pick.

PONDER Tuesday at 9:20 a.m. -- he bounced back from two picks and looked the part again as a quality NFL QB. His recognition of where sub-standard players are defensively has improved so much. If he sees MICHAEL JENKINS on JASON MCCOURTY, he goes there. If he sees a WR checked by a S, he goes there. If he senses DEVIN AROMASHODU has found an opening in the defense, he trusts him. The game is coming more naturally for Christian Ponder and we all are better for it.

OC BILL MUSGRAVE tomorrow at 9:05 a.m. and he had some cool mixers today. No RHETT ELLISON catching passes on film, so he puts him on two catches for 35 yards. We threw a single-coverage fade for 40 to Percy, who did it outside the numbers. We went five-wide, empty more today than at any time this year. Bill is on a roll with his playcalling, and having a quality running game opens many things in the passing game

ERIN HENDERSON in studio Tuesday at 10:55 a.m. -- he returned from concussion symptoms, lost his "nickle" job and played professionally, registering two TFL's and forcing a fumble. And speaking of the LB's, after the game JASPER BRINKLEY (five tackles/FF) said this is the best LB group with whom he has played at any level. He was a rookie in 2009 with GREENWAY, EJ and LEBER. That's a big statement and there's no disputing it through five. Once considered a weakness and question mark defensively, the LB's are playing lights-out FB, and Chad led the team in tackles again with nine. That means he has 64 tackles this season and 40 the last three games.

He dropped an easy pick when he jumped a route in front of TE CRAIG STEVENS and we'll tease him about that Friday at 9:20 a.m. This defense is playing so well we haven't trailed since we lost at Indy. Twelve consecutive quarters of winning football and a share of first place. Pulling upsets. Winning divisional games on the road. Killing bad teams. This is terrific, and this tightly knit team is making its mark on the NFL landscape.