Where do the Minnesota Vikings stand heading into the Bye week
The Minnesota Vikings could easily be undefeated and the lone team at the top of the food chain. But the reality is they’re 3-3 and hold the last spot in the NFC Wild Card race. Let’s dive into what happened and what lies ahead.
Minnesota hit rock bottom after dramatically losing its first two games to the Cincinnati Bengals and Arizona Cardinals.
Losing to the Bengals in overtime was pretty defeating. No one expected Cincinnati to be 4-2 and look as good as they have, but it helps to have a duo like Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase.
Nonetheless, the referees ruling a fumble on Dalvin Cook proved to be the deciding factor in the game.
The game against the Cardinals is pretty simple; the Vikings should have won had they made the field goal. Instead, Arizona is undefeated because Greg Joseph missed a 37-yarder.
There’s no question the Vikings win over the Seattle Seahawks was their most impressive one this season. The offense and defense looked good, and beating Russell Wilson isn’t easy, regardless of how poorly they’ve looked this season.
After dropping 30 points on the Seahawks, their offense against the Cleveland Browns looked like it’s never played football. After a perfect drive downfield, it appeared the Vikings would be rolling all game, but that’s far from what happened. It was a punt fest, and Minnesota had multiple chances to win that game.
At least they were able to defeat the Detroit Lions and Carolina Panthers, but both games were an emotional rollercoaster. I mean it’s the Vikings… you can’t expect to go into a week expecting a smooth ride.
Minnesota’s 3-3 and will play the Dallas Cowboys at home on Sunday Night Football after the Bye. This is the ultimate test, and if Dak Prescott plays, then the defense will have to continue to play as good as they have.
Minnesota can make the playoffs, but they’re going to have to play better than what they’ve shown.
Week 8: Cowboys
Week 9: @ Baltimore Ravens
Week 10: @ Los Angeles Chargers
Week 11: Green Bay Packers
Week 12: @ San Francisco 49ers
Week 13: @ Lions
Week 14: Pittsburg Steelers
Week 15: @ Chicago Bears
Week 16: Los Angeles Rams
Week 17: @ Packers
Week 18: Bears
Man… seeing Week 18 written out looks disgusting.
Minnesota has one of the hardest schedules remaining, and you can realistically pencil in three to four wins. The final stretch isn’t going to be easy, and it’ll depend on how the offense improves and if the defense continues to play well.
According to Pro Football Focus, Minnesota ranks fifth on defense and 19th on offense. The defense was going to improve this year, but I don’t know how many people thought the offense would look this bad. With how many offensive weapons they have, they should not be ranked in the bottom half of the league.
Mike Zimmer and Clint Kubiak have overstayed their stay in Minnesota. The conservative offensive play calling and running on third and long is just a gut punch at this point. Minnesota will not be able to play like this against their upcoming opponents (Chargers, Packers, Ravens, Rams).
The Vikings have had some unfortunate turn of events go the wrong way this season, but they could easily be 6-0. How they finish the year determines the fate of the coaching staff and maybe even Rick Spielman. Will they make the playoffs? Time will tell.
