The Yearning for Respect and Lingering Doubt Among Vikings Fans
K. Joudry
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Another close win for the men in purple. 10-2 feels pretty good, folks. Nevertheless, would it be fair to say that there is some lingering doubt for Vikings fans? Or, perhaps, is the more dominant feeling one of desire for the rest of the NFL to respect what Minnesota has accomplished? Some combination of both?
Earlier in the day, Sam and I got together to breakdown the recent win over the Jets on Notes from the North. During that conversation, Sam made the important observation that Vikings fans seem to be a touch divided. Many feel like their favorite team doesn’t get the recognition it deserves. After all, a 10-2 record is elite; that’s an ironclad fact.
However, the manner in which the team wins is what leaves many with some doubts. Take a look at a brief thought from Will Ragatz of Sports Illustrated:
In many ways, the win did feel like survival. The defense was once again on its heels, holding on to keep the opposition out of the endzone even though yards were flying off the shelf faster than items in a pre-Christmas sale at the Mall of America. Even the team’s official Twitter account acknowledged this reality:
Now, it’s worth noting that this tweet got sent after the Mike White rushing TD. The review showed that New York’s QB did, in fact, get into the endzone, prompting the Vikings’ social media to acknowledge that they jumped the gun.
Regardless, the overall point remains that we’ve seen a familiar pattern throughout the season, one that Vikings fans can easily see. The team seemingly plays just well enough to snag the win as they sprinkle in a hearty dose of anxiety, doubt, and hand-wringing along the way. The team, in short, finds a way to win:
For some, winning so many games overrides the lack of decisive victories. 10 wins is 10 wins. Give the team some respect. For others, there is a pessimism that pervades their purple mind. Is the team playing with fire? If White just makes one more play, we’re looking at a 9-3 team.
Minnesota is going to be a playoff team. When they get there, what are Vikings fans going to see? Will they see a battled-tested group that is unflappable, one that exudes belief in itself regardless of the in-game circumstances? Will they see a team that finally gets burned by their proclivity for playing with fire, a squad that runs out of magic as the clock marches toward zero?
In the end, we really can’t say for certain. The future hasn’t arrived; all we have is the present moment and then the past.
What we can say with certainty is that Minnesota is unlikely to blowout their opponent. We know they’re more than capable of performing in critical moments. At times, that means their QB1 will stand in the pocket regardless of the pressure as he pushes the ball down field. At times, that means the defense will step up to keep the opposition from scoring a TD.
Add it all together and we have a team that is marching toward the postseason. Along the way, a lot of Vikings fans are looking for some more respect even as they wrestle with their own lingering doubts.
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