As a result of two weeks of the 2022 NFL period, the Minnesota Vikings have one particular extraordinary win…and 1 really large stinker. Regretably, the most new memory we have of this crew is the stinker, and simply because of that, there is a ton of damaging air surrounding the staff this week. So, let us rip off the band-aid ideal away: as of September 21st, 2022, the Minnesota Vikings are not Super Bowl contenders.
Let us Quiet Down
It’s ok that the Vikings are not Super Bowl contenders in September because the Tremendous Bowl isn’t played until finally February. It is also a little bit silly to believe that this workforce would encounter nothing at all but sunshine and roses on Monday Night time Soccer taking into consideration the following things:
- The Vikings played in hostile territory and in 1 of the rowdiest stadiums in the NFL.
- Their head mentor experienced a single sport less than his belt as a engage in caller.
- They used their new offensive scheme for a 50 % of football, maybe 3 quarters.
- There are a number of new starters at key defensive positions.
- The Eagles are genuinely dang excellent.
Wanting at the Vikings timetable to get started the calendar year, with a season-opener against the Eco-friendly Bay Packers and a highway game in Philadelphia, 1-1 is a beautifully fine report, and pretty frankly, really should be the expectation. At 2-, we’d be talking about a potential Super Bowl, and at -2, we’d be incredibly anxious. At 1-1, let us loosen up just before earning way too lots of overreactions.
The Vikings Protection Fought Back
Appear, the defense was horrid in the initial 50 percent of the game towards the Eagles. That claimed, possibly I’m just misplaced in the sauce, but the truth that the Vikings came out of halftime and shut out Philly in the 2nd 50 percent gave me hope.
Most likely the Eagles really did arrive out of halftime and perform conservative soccer, but I have a challenging time believing that Nick Sirianni’s concept was “we’re good” when Dalvin Prepare dinner, Kirk Cousins, Justin Jefferson, and Adam Thielen are taking part in on the other crew.
Faults have been manufactured all through the recreation, but the protection altered plenty of for the offense to have a possibility to get Minnesota again into it. The offense just flat-out unsuccessful, and I don’t anticipate that to be the situation as well normally.
Receiving Punched in the Mouth Is Ordinary
If you glance at the groups that have won the Super Bowl in new years, you’ll be challenging-pressed to locate one that hasn’t experienced video games like the one particular the Vikings had on Monday night.
The 2019 Kansas Town Chiefs went by a stretch the place they dropped 4 of 6 online games. The 2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers got blow out twice by the New Orleans Saints, which includes a 38-3 loss at home on Sunday Night time Football. Then past yr, the 2021 Los Angeles Rams didn’t gain a solitary recreation in the thirty day period of November.
Going by means of tough patches is portion of the process of getting to be a Super Bowl contender. The Minnesota Vikings could not be Super Bowl contenders ideal now, but neither ended up any of the aforementioned teams for chunks of their normal seasons.
The purpose these other groups went on to gain Tremendous Bowls is due to the fact they responded to the tough patches and came again superior than they ended up. Sure, the Vikings received shellacked, but if they respond by shellacking their subsequent few opponents, there’s not significantly to fret about ideal now.
Josh Frey is a Course of 2020 graduate of The Higher education of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Artistic Writing as nicely as minors in Historical past, Human Biology, and Journalism. When he’s not composing about the NFL, Josh can often be identified coaching for a marathon, playing video clip game titles, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. For a lot more of his takes, NFL and normally, look at out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Hen