Imagine being a Minnesota Vikings fan who fell into a coma before Week 1 and woke up today.
Minnesota is 5-1. They are two games up in the division and have beaten all of their division rivals thus far. They are also among the most statistically likely teams in the NFL to make the playoffs.
Someone pinch me, I must be dreaming.
It’s been a wacky start to the NFL season. Here are a few preseason darlings with worse records right now than Minnesota (in order of how baffling it is to me):
- The Denver Broncos
- Indianapolis Colts
- Miami Dolphins
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Baltimore Ravens
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Dallas Cowboys
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Los Angeles Rams
- San Francisco 49ers
- Green Bay Packers
- And the Kansas City Chiefs.
There are at least three or four teams on that list that I’d argue would be favorites over Minnesota if they were to play them this week. But it doesn’t matter! By hook and by crook, the Vikings have scraped, fought, double-doinked, and fallen ass-backward into five wins to start the season. I can’t wait to spend the bye week savoring it.
And it’s probably best to savor it while we can, because it may be unsustainable.
Are the Vikings fraudulent? Is this a house of cards waiting for a stiff breeze to knock it down? Is Minnesota just lucky that, despite how bad they’ve looked, their division rivals look even worse? Were they infinitely lucky to escape with wins against backup QBs for the New Orleans Saints and Dolphins?
Or is it more nuanced than that? Perhaps this house of cards that withstood the first six games could be growing into a battle-tested squad ready to make noise in January.
This team, more so than any other in recent history, seems to be a Rorschach test for however you choose to go about fandom, whether that be unbridled optimism or reluctant pessimism. In the interest of fairness, let’s step into the shoes of the jaded cynic and the wide-eyed hopeful and see which appeals to your own fandom’s predisposition.
The Glass Half Empty
When it comes to Minnesota sports, I commend the jaded fans who have learned to guard their hearts against the inevitable pain known as hope. They’re usually right. And they’ve got plenty of ammo.
The defense looks uncoordinated. And as we evaluate Ed Donatell, Minnesota’s new defensive coordinator, that’s not a great place to start from.
We spent the past six weeks watching some of his players repeatedly botch the most basic of zone coverage principles. Communication has been abysmal, and it’s shown up on the scoreboard. Meanwhile, some of Minnesota’s franchise linchpins have played grossly below expectations.
Remember when Danielle Hunter was good? I do, and back then the Vikings didn’t have him drop into coverage on third down.
Harrison Smith finally showed signs of life with a disruptive game against Miami, but his play before that was totally forgettable. They’ve slid Harry the Hitman so far back in that two-high shell that I can have whole quarters go by without seeing him on my TV screen. That’s a tremendous bummer for one of the best downhill safeties of his generation.
And all that might be okay if we just depend on steady production from our high-flying offense! Oh wait, they also spend multiple quarters playing totally out of sync.
All it takes is a nice blitz package and some press-man coverage and our entire offense crumbles. You need not look further than this past weekend’s excruciating 10 three-and-outs if you’re still unconvinced.
Justin Jefferson is the offense’s “Jenga Piece,” and the Vikings are still trying to figure out how to keep from falling apart anytime a team devotes the resources to take him away. Adam Thielen isn’t separating the way he used to, and K.J. Osborn disappears too often. Dalvin Cook can’t find anything in the running game, and the tight ends are under-producing and dropping the football.
Meanwhile, the offensive line was finally looking like a complete unit until Ed Ingram decided it was time to do his Dru Samia impression against the Dolphins.
If you’re convinced this is a team that is destined to get curb-stomped by any real contender they play (like we saw on Monday Night Football), hopefully, I’ve represented your perspective well. Because, honestly, it feels like I’m just scratching the surface.
The Glass Half Full
Let’s start with this friendly reminder: Last I checked, ugly wins still count.
And this Vikings team has the incredible luxury of steadily improving while continuing to stack wins.
Kirk Cousins and Kevin O’Connell are still getting in sync, but we’ve seen glimpses of what this could be at peak efficiency. Whether it was the Week 1 frenzy by Jefferson against Green Bay, or the 17-straight completions to kick things off against the Chicago Bears, we’ve seen how lethal this offense can be when it gets in rhythm.
Clearly Cousins is still adjusting, but he’s repeatedly made clutch throws this season when Minnesota’s been backed into a corner. Outside of the Philly debacle, Cousins has played with confidence whenever the moment needed.
Veteran stars like Cook and Thielen have stepped up when needed and remain major threats when given opportunities. Thielen continues to be clutch on third down and red-zone situations, and against the Dolphins, Cook showed us he’s still got plenty of juice if he can find open space.
Perhaps most importantly, this Vikings team may actually have an offensive line! Christian Darrisaw has emerged as a franchise stalwart at left tackle opposite veteran right tackle Brian O’Neill. With those two as building blocks, the “Minnesota Moving Company” is set up for success better than the vast majority of the league — even with some growing pains with rookie Ingram and uncertainty surrounding Bradberry.
Now, did I conveniently pick the grades above from before the Miami defense wreaked havoc? Maybe. But the five games prior is a sample size that counts too.
And even the defense, the recipient of most of my scorn in the pessimist’s case, has shown signs of growth.
The communication has seemingly slightly improved each week, culminating in their most dominating performance by far against Miami. Despite a bit of a rocky start as they attempted to scout rookie Skylar Thompson on the fly in the first quarter, they settled in and proceeded to dominate for most of the game. We saw vintage performances from veterans Patrick Peterson and Harrison Smith, and the defensive line dominated the depleted Dolphins. We saw Hunter play his best game of the season, his first seemingly playing with confidence in Donatell’s scheme.
They played confidant and loose and seemed to be having fun along the way.
Oh, and Jefferson is still really good: 100-yard afternoons are so par for the course with him that his six catches for 107 yards against the Dolphins felt pedestrian. For my money, he’s the best receiver in the league, and any play he’s on the field could be one where he changes the game. Real contenders are often driven by their superstars, and it’s nice to have one of the brightest in football.
So, in conclusion, yes, this new regime is still finding its footing. But in a bizzaro NFL, that sees teams like the Giants at 5-1, why not us?
The next few weeks feature winnable games against the Arizona Cardinals and Washington Commanders. Then we’ll get a true litmus test on the road in Buffalo. But in the meantime, get the most out of the bye week and come out continuing to stack wins and keep getting better.
Thanks in part to their early success and in part the failure of their rivals, this is Minnesota’s division to win. So run away with it. And then let’s see how crazy things could get if they manage to host a playoff game at US Bank Stadium in January.
Maybe this team is a fraud as an NFC juggernaut. But it’s certainly more fun being a fraudulent winner than an impressive loser. Losers don’t get to celebrate with their goofy, church-dad quarterback wearing a dozen chains like an inner-city youth pastor. This rules.