The Minnesota Vikings would like to run up the score again.
“As coaches, we’d like to just blow everyone out if we could – the [least] stress possible,” offensive coordinator Wes Phillips said before the Indianapolis Colts game. “I know the fans want to see a good game and all that, but we like to sometimes take a breath in the fourth quarter. It doesn’t happen very often, though, in the NFL.”
Phillips said that in response to a question about Minnesota’s 33-point comeback over the Indianapolis Colts before they faced Indy in Week 9. The Vikings coaching staff didn’t want to reminisce about the historic win, primarily because of how poorly Minnesota played in the first half.
Ironically, the Vikings played a similar game, albeit with lower scoring and less of a comeback. Minnesota had 29 first downs to the Colts’ 13, 415 yards to Indy’s 227, and led them in time of possession 36:54 to 23:06. Still, Indianapolis led the Vikings 7-0 at the half, mainly because Minnesota lost the turnover battle 3-2.
The Vikings played Indianapolis at home but got similar results on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Minnesota had 28 first downs to the Jags’ 10, 402 yards to Jacksonville’s 143, and led in time of possession, 42:19 to 17:41. Still, the Vikings never scored a touchdown, and Jacksonville led until 7:14 in the fourth quarter.
On Sunday, the Vikings took a 16-3 lead in the first half and beat the Tennessee Titans 23-13. However, they benefitted from a controversial fourth-and-one call in the end zone and gave up a 98-yard touchdown pass. Minnesota would have won 16-13 without the Addison call.
As Bill Parcells said, “You are what your record says you are,” and Minnesota is 8-2. Still, it’s worth asking what is going on with the Vikings. They have swept the AFC South. However, their biggest win over a team from that division was 34-7 over the 6-4 Houston Texans in Week 3. That was also Minnesota’s last blowout.
The Vikings suffered their first loss in Week 7 after the bye. Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson created a blueprint to beat Minnesota in Detroit’s 31-29 win, and Sean McVay used a version of it to beat the Vikings five days later. The Los Angeles Rams got Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua back in that game, and they’re 5-5 after starting the year 1-4.
However, there were so many Vikings fans in Los Angeles that it felt like a pseudo-home game. The same is true in Jacksonville and Nashville, where many fans either moved to Florida or Tennessee or used those games as an excuse to escape the cold November rain. Playing in front of a stadium half-full of purple may not feel like a bona fide home game at U.S. Bank Stadium. Still, LA, Jacksonville, and Nashville aren’t hostile environments like Philadelphia, Seattle, or Green Bay.
Every Vikings coach repeatedly compliments Minnesota’s fans at home games and tells you it’s hard to win on the road. The Vikings players will tell you that the players on the other side also get paid. However, Minnesota had a pretty favorable schedule coming out of the bye. They played three of their past five games on the road but in front of purple-heavy stands.
Given the proximity between the two cities, there may be a lot of Vikings fans in Chicago. However, the Chicago Bears are a botched Hail Mary and blocked kick away from being 6-4, and fans still get to watch Caleb Williams under center. Therefore, there may be less purple in the stands than in the past three home games.
Minnesota’s run of playing in front of favorable crowds likely ends in Soldier Field. It’s also a historically challenging place to play. So, a lower-score, typical away game is more understandable this week.
The Vikings will enter Soldier Field 8-2 because they picked up three wins in the softer spot of their schedule. Ultimately, that’s what matters. They also beat the spread in every game except Jacksonville. Still, the three wins did little to inspire confidence that Minnesota is ready to face stronger competition, starting with Sunday’s game at Soldier Field.
Their games in Seattle and Detroit will feel like bona fide road games, and the Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, and Green Bay Packers will beat them if they play like they did against the Colts and in Jacksonville.
Minnesota is 8-2 and has positioned itself to make the playoffs. However, people will remember how the season ends more than anything else that happens, and the Vikings must execute better in crucial spots to build off their strong record through 10 games.
