FanPost

4 Downs to 7-1: Changing Narratives

1st Down: For many years—one could potentially argue the entire existence of the franchise—the Minnesota Vikings have been known for failing in moments that matter most. The kicker will shank one, the QB will throw a horrible pick, the offensewill no-show, the defense will fold, etc. Four Super Bowl losses and multiple devastating NFC Championships bolster this thought process. In 2022, however, the team has completely flipped that narrative. No matter how poorly the team seems to perform in the 1st-3rd quarters, when the final 15 minutes roll around they always get the job done. I think that is a large part of the reason why many Vikings fans are struggling to fully embrace the ’22 squad. After years—decades—of collapsing during endgames, it is almost incomprehensible that a Vikings team can legitimately be "clutch". But this team is—and it showed again in the Washington victory.

2nd Down: On a day in which he passed Daunte Culpepper for most touchdowns thrown in Purple, Kirk Cousins showed the type of toughness he has possessed his entire career. Cousins did not play particularly well and was routinely pummeled by an offensive line that lost its starting center and was sieve-like all game long. At one point—after another brutal knockdown—Kirk was very slow getting to his feet and removed from the game for the mandatory one play. He immediately returned and led the game-winning comeback drives. Throw all the stats and metrics aside—such resilience is the reason Kirk got to swag-out with the chains on the team flight back to the Twin Cities.

3rd Down: As has often been the case during the Cousins Era of Vikings football, the Achilles Heel of the offense continues to be a lack of consistent pass protection. That—more than anything—is the monster-in-waiting (see: 1st Down) that could derail this season in the biggest of games. Against the Commanders, Cousins and the rest of the team were able to overcome such horrific o-line play. This will likely not be the case when the opposing QB isn’t Taylor Heinicke floating easily-intercepted ducks in crucial late-game situations. A very real playoff matchup could be 49ers @ Vikings, and Minnesota will lose that game if the o-line performs like it did in the nation’s capital.

4th Down: For me, there have always been certain seasons that I’ve been more invested in Vikings teams than others—and it doesn’t track by win/loss record. For example, I was more locked-in on the ’15 Vikes than the ’17 Vikes. The Washington comeback cemented 2022 as "one of those years" for me. After the Harrison Smith interception, I didn’t sit down the rest of the game—pacing back and forth across my living room. No matter how things ultimately turn out, I’m all-in (emotionally invested) on all of it now. The new vibe instilled by KOC is probably the biggest reason for the renewed enthusiasm.

Up next: @ Buffalo Bills (6-2). The Vikings will be underdogs—potentially large ones—in this contest and I have no issue with that. But…but…Buffalo is not an impenetrable fortress (the New York Jets proved that in Week 9). Super-QB Josh Allen may also be a bit banged up. It will certainly take the most complete/clean game of the season for the Vikes to have a chance at upsetting the Bills in front of their own mafia—but it looks slightly more do-able than it did even a few weeks ago.



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.