It’s Time to Take the 2022 Vikings Seriously

The State of the Vikings
Vikings Patrick Peterson celebrates as Bills quarterback Josh Allen walks off the field. Minnesota scored when Allen didn’t handle the snap at the goal line and the Vikings recovered the ball in the end zone.

I’ll be completely honest; I’m still trying to figure out how the heck the Vikings won that game. Unless you live under a rock, you’ve heard about the Minnesota Vikings latest comeback victory. This time, Kirk Cousins and the gang surmounted a 17-point deficit in the second half to upset the Buffalo Bills at home. And as a result, it’s time to take 2022 Vikings seriously.

Despite a multitude of injuries that occurred both prior to the game and throughout, Minnesota found a way to keep the winning streak going. They’ve now won seven straight games, and all of them by one possession.

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Coming into this game, the Vikings were already going to be missing a starting cornerback in Cameron Dantzler, who went to IR with an ankle injury. Losing two key defensive pieces was going to be tough enough for the Vikings to win, but they were just getting started.

Rookie CB Akayleb Evans eventually was forced to leave the game with a concussion, and he was replaced by fellow rookie Andrew Booth. He had to guard Stefon Diggs for much of the time in his first career defensive snaps. Then minutes later, Christian Darrisaw left the game with a concussion of his own. In his place, Blake Brandel stepped in to try and stop a ferocious Bills pass rush, and he did a great job.

At the start of Week 10, the Buffalo Bills were the betting favorite to win the Super Bowl. With all this in mind, it’s absolutely absurd that the Vikings went into Buffalo, were trailing by 17 late in the third quarter, and they still found a way to win.

Now at 8-1, the Vikings are inching ever closer to their first NFC North title since 2017. They are playing strong football in all aspects of the game, and the scariest part is that they can get even better.

There were multiple opportunities squandered throughout this game. Kirk Cousins threw a pair of bad interceptions, and then threw a pair of incompletions on 3rd and 1 as well as 4th and 1 towards the end of the first half.

Ultimately, though, this team continues to make plays when it matters most. Those are the most dangerous groups come playoff time, and this Vikings team should be taken seriously when January arrives.

They have three opportunities at home in the coming weeks to continue to prove themselves. These games take place at U.S. Bank Stadium against the Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, and New York Jets

Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. He also earned minors in History, Human Biology, and Journalism. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys marathon training, playing video games, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. For more of his opinions, check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.

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