When Goldilocks Goes to U.S. Bank Stadium
K. Joudry
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Too hot, too cold, or just right. That’s the life that Goldilocks lives. One wonders if Vikings fans have been living in a parallel universe to the fictional character.
Last season, the team rattled off 13 wins in Kevin O’Connell’s debut season leading the Purple & Gold. True, there were some mistakes along the way and some forgettable games, but the youthful coach had inspired many with his ability to coax clutch out of Kirk Cousins. Not too many had negative reviews about his 2022 season (even if there were some warning signs for trouble ahead).
Goldilocks at U.S. Bank Stadium
Fast forward a year and things were looking very, very different. Instead of a team that was likely operating above its pay grade, the Vikings were underwhelming.
Falling to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1 set the tone for the opening five games. A sloppy, incoherent offense largely doomed the operation. Sure, there were plenty of explosive plays tossed into the mix, but the inability to run the football with any consistency (or even try to do so) alongside the constant turnovers made wins a scarce commodity in the Twin Cities.
A 1-4 record followed, with the only victory coming over the Puny Panthers, quite possibly the worst team in the NFL in 2023.
A lot can change in two weeks, though. The ice cold Vikings responded to the early adversity by stringing together a pair of wins in Week 6 (at the Bears) and Week 7 (vs. the 49ers), bringing their record to a considerably more respectable 3-4. One has to assume that our fairytale character feels like she is sitting down at a table with porridge that’s just right.
According to The New York Times, the Vikings now have a 57% chance of getting to the postseason. Even more stunning is that there’s a 16% chance of claiming the NFC North once again.
Truth be told, the Vikings aren’t in the same strastosphere as the 49ers. Kyle Shanahan’s team is built to win in the playoffs. The offensive line and defensive line are both tremendous. The skill on offense is vast and varied, and they have some top-tier defenders helping out at LB and DB.
Minnesota, for a week, was better. A rematch in the playoffs is unlikely to work out so favorably for the Vikings, but that’s an eventuality that’s a long way from today.
Coming into the season, I noted on both Notes from the North and Vikings Territory that I viewed the Vikings as a 9-8 team. I’d have gladly kicked them up to a 10-7 record since I recognize that there’s legitimately high-end talent present, but the popularity of that answer prompted me to move a bit toward pessimism. The season isn’t yet to its halfway point, but the Vikings appear to be on track for a record that’s right around that mark.
Goldilocks, it seems, is getting close to finding the happy medium when she goes to U.S. Bank Stadium. Her favorite team gets the chance to climb to .500, but the game will take place at Lambeau Field (which, sources tell PurplePTSD, is home to her least favorite team).
Kickoff takes place at 12 p.m. CDT.
K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and as a co-host for Notes from the North, a humble Vikings podcast.