Early public opinion indicates that fans in New England are split about 70-30 against the trade of Randy Moss to the Vikings, but in Minnesota there is unanimity -- Moss is welcomed back to the fold with open arms after a 5-year absence. Assuming he keeps the bitching and moaning to moderate levels and shakes the team down for a contract fat with zeroes, he could be what gives the Vikes at least a fighting chance in the NFC this season.

It was clear that something had to be done in Minnesota. The Vikings lost their first two games, and only getting the equivalent of a gimmee putt -- Detroit at home in Week 3 -- was able to save them from complete eradication. The arrival of Moss now gives Brett Favre a reason to get up in the morning, should open up tons of space for Percy Harvin’s short stuff over the middle and gives jealous Green Bay fans something to worry about again.

Assuming Moss doesn’t pull a hamstring in any practice that he chooses to attend in the next few days, it also makes the mercurial wideout the answer to a great trivia question -- who is the only player ever to play in back-to-back Monday night games?

But Monday night in New Jersey could bring the Vikings back down to earth. They get 4 from the Jets in a game that has oversized significance to both teams and will definitely impact the developing playoff picture in both conferences. Going 1-2 makes things hard. Starting out 1-3 is another story entirely, and with a schedule created by the devil himself (Dallas at home the next week, followed by trips to Green Bay and New England) the Vikings have to stiffen their spines in this one.

It’s doubtful that the high-flying Jets will make things too easy for the Vikings. New York has already cleaned house in the AFC East with consecutive victories over the Patriots, Dolphins and Bills, and that loss to the Ravens on opening day now seems about at bothersome as a mosquito in mid-January. Plus, any concerns that Mark Sanchez is not ready for prime time have been laid to rest in the wake of three solid performances in a row -- while no one was watching, Sanchez has moved up the QB ladder and now has the 4th-best QB rating in the league (105.3). And there is none of the confusion that was so evident in the middle of last season -- he has thrown 8 TD passes and exactly zero interceptions.

And if the prospect of another Moss/Darrelle Revis matchup is not juicy enough, consider the fun inherent in the return of Favre to New York. Favre’s last effort in New York was marked by a slew of interceptions and the Jets’ lying about his injuries, and it’s not likely he’ll get a warm welcome from Fireman Ed and the other 70,000 or so fans who’ll be on hand.

Favre. Moss. Sanchez. Revis. Harvin. Rex Ryan. Adrian Peterson. LaDainian Tomlinson. Monday night.

Does it get any better than this?