We are now five, coming into six weeks into the season and the Minnesota Vikings are 4-1 and hold the top of the NFC North. However, it’s an almost unanimous thought that this Minnesota team doesn’t stack up with the other top teams in the league. The Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, and Philadelphia Eagles have all shown what real contenders look like, blowing out inferior competition on a weekly basis. When these teams face other contenders, they go toe to toe in a clash of the titans, meanwhile Minnesota was handily beaten by the only true contender they’ve faced so far this season. The question then remains, are we good or are we just really lucky with a light schedule?
To test that theory, Minnesota eventually faces Buffalo which everyone knows is no cake walk. Miami taught teams how to beat them, but so far no one’s replicated that effort. Minnesota’s less than desirable defensive woes spell a rather tragic matchup with what many regard to be the best offense in the league with Josh Allen playing like a man amongst boys. It’d be key for Minnesota to at the very least put up a fight against the current Super Bowl favorites. Otherwise, Minnesota’s schedule shakes in their favor with it being seen as one of the easiest schedules remaining throughout the league. If the Vikings want to at least guarantee a playoff spot, they need to take the division, which seems easier now more than ever with Green Bay’s uncharacteristically slow and unpredictable start.
It went as expected in the first 2 weeks but then we saw them take ugly losses and even uglier wins. Simply put, this isn’t the same Green Bay team that went to back to back NFC championship games and managed 13 wins in each of their last 3 seasons. Minnesota must capitalize, and Green Bay’s late season push is going to be Minnesota’s biggest challenge. They’ve become notorious for it at this point, and Aaron Rodgers can’t be counted out until the bell rings. Even with the team’s inconsistencies, they can at least muster a playoff spot.
As for how this team operates in the playoffs, that’s not the current prerogative. They have an inconsistent offense, and defense made out of plywood, and they limp over the finish line after every game. None of these elements spell a favorable fate for the team in a real playoff run, meaning the current objective is getting there and basically hoping the problems figure themselves out along the way. With more than 10 weeks of football left, that’s certainly possible.
What are these Vikings? Are they good? Are they bad? Are they watchable? Answer to all 3; we have no effing idea. Actually, they are kinda watchable the same way a car crash is watchable. As they say, any given Sunday, which has essentially become the antithesis of this Vikings team. The anomaly of this team will unravel overtime, and so will our minds, probably.
