FanPost

A Reason for Hope

Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

I always struggle with rooting for the team to lose so we get a better draft pick. You never know when the team will get on a hot streak and start playing well. I realistically don't have much hope for this year, but there is still that glimmer of hope. We've had one of the toughest schedules to open up the season. We have a winless team coming up and then a bye. There is a chance Zim somehow pulls some unexpected magic out of his rear and we go on a run. There is slightly extra hope this year with the addition of the 7th playoff team in each conference. The third Wildcard spot could be ours. Let me breakdown the scenario in which this plays out.

I took a look at the last 5 years to see what it would've taken to be the #7 seed.

2019: LA Rams 9-7

2018: Minnesota Vikings 8-7-1

2017: Detroit Lions 9-7 (tied with Cowboys & Seahawks, but had a better conference record)

2016: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9-7

2015: Atlanta Falcons 8-8

As you can see, 9-7 would've done the deed in the last 5 years. That means we realistically need to go 8-3 in the last 11 games. Is it likely? No, but it isn't as impossible as it seems? (Also, why couldn't we finish games against TN and Seattle? We would be a lock!) Through the first 5 weeks we've played 3 teams that are still undefeated (Packers, Titans and Seahawks). We also played the tough Colts defense that has been one of the tops in the league. We smacked the Texans, but they are a good 1-4 team similar to us that have played a tough schedule. That's a 73.9 win % for those keeping track. The rest of the year? Using the current records it is .500. That is a big drop off.

Who do we have left?

  • Week 6 - Home Atlanta Falcons (0-5) This is a game we obviously need to win. Atlanta just fired their GM and Coach. That can be dangerous as some teams seem to get a interim coach bounce. If we have any shot I have to call this a WIN
  • Week 7 - BYE Dalvin rest up and get healthy. Same to you Danielle.
  • Week 8 - Away Packers (4-0) The Packers look good, like really good. They might be the best team in the NFC. They might be the best team in the NFL. I have to realistically chalk this up as a Loss
  • Week 9 - Home Lions (1-3) The Lions aren't a good football team. If we have any hope at becoming a playoff team this has to be a WIN
  • Week 10 - Away Bears (4-1) Away against the Bears is almost always a loss. There is something about that Soldier Field. This is a LOSS
  • Week 11 - Home Cowboys (2-3) Dak just went down and so did their starting NT. They also needed a wild onside kick to beat winless Atlanta. I see this as a WIN
  • Week 12 - Home Panthers (3-2) The return of Teddy. This would've been a great game to attend. Hopefully some of you will be able to make it. Two of Carolina's three wins came against winless Atlanta and one win LA Chargers. This is a game we should WIN
  • Week 13 - Home Jaguars (1-4) The Jaguars are who we thought they were. They have a run every 10 years that gives their fanbase hope. This is not one of those years. This needs to be an easy WIN
  • Week 14 - Away Buccaneers (3-2) Tompa looks ok. They are very beatable. Tommy is getting older and Gronk does not look the same. They just lost OJ Howard and Vita Vea for the season. Their RBs and WRs have been beat up all year. This is a winnable game, but for conservative reasons, I will chalk this up as a Loss
  • Week 15 - Home Bears (4-1) The Bears don't have a good QB on the roster. Foles has had two good seasons his entire career and Trubisky is a BUST. I think we take care of the Bears at home and get the WIN
  • Week 16 - Away Saints (3-2) This is another winnable game. New Orleans should've lost to the LA Chargers at home this past week. They beat the Lions the week before that. This is another winnable game I will chalk up as a Loss
  • Week 17 - Away Lions (1-3) The Lions will be done at this point and we need to take care of business. This might be the game we need to make the playoffs. Let's hope we don't blow it like we did in 2018. This should be a WIN.
For those of you keeping track at home that is 8 wins and 8 losses. That leaves us with needing to get a win against the Packers, Bears, Bucs or Saints. 3 of those 4 sound very winnable.

However, for those of you who know me, I am not a glass half full kind of person when it comes to the Vikes. We always blow an easy game. Last year we almost did it in Denver and had a miracle comeback. Remember when we got smoked by Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills a few years back at home? Remember losing to the Bears on Week 17 needing a win to make the playoffs? Every year there is a game we should win that we lose. Sometimes it costs us seeding and sometimes the playoffs all together. I remember not that long ago needing a win and losing to the Washington Football Team week 17. That is the reason why I think we might beat the Bucs or Saints, but also think we might lose to the Jags or Lions.

I am preparing myself for the worst case scenario. 8-8 record with a crappy draft pick and the nemesis Packers as the #1 seed. Zimmer and Rick get to stick around because the team "finished strong" and played hard for their coach. We'll pick another first round CB that is ok, but not worthy of their draft position. We'll keep putting off drafting OL help because there are so many other needs or good players high on our draft charts fall to us. Cousins will still be Cousins. The Vikes will always be the Vikes.

2021 will come and Reiff will be gone and replaced by Ezra Cleveland, who is almost certainly not going to work out. Anthony Harris will be gone and replaced by a DB that needs 5 years in Zim's system to understand how to play it. Thielen will be another year older. Cousins will be fully locked into his contract. We'll overpay for Yannick Ngakoue who without a doubt will then immediately tear a ligament. We'll do enough to be right back in the same spot this time next year. We'll be deciding do I cheer for them to win or cheer for them to lose enough to finally start over? I started this off with hope. I think I'm now depressed.

This FanPost was created by a registered user of The Daily Norseman, and does not necessarily reflect the views of the staff of the site. However, since this is a community, that view is no less important.