The Vikings Are (Suddenly) a Legitimate Contender
Not many had the Vikings starting 3-0 before the season. Not many people had Sam Darnold being at the top of the NFL in passing touchdowns in that time span. Not many had the Vikings appearing as legitimate contenders after their first three games of the season.
Don’t get it twisted; the season is still extraordinarily young. However, there really hasn’t been a team more impressive through three games than these Minnesota Vikings. At first, it appeared that the New Orleans Saints might give them a run for that money, as they won their first two games of the season at a combined score of 91-29. Unfortunately for them, they would be halted in their tracks in Week 3 against the Philadelphia Eagles in a 15-12 loss.
The Vikings have won two of their three games by at least three possessions, a far cry from what we’ve grown to expect out of the purple team in their wins in recent years. A 28-6 victory over the Giants was very impressive, but the quality of the opponent wasn’t great enough for many in the fanbase to allow their expectations to rise.
A 23-17 victory over the San Francisco 49ers took things to the next level. While it may have finished as a one-score game, it was very apparent to those who watched the entire game that Minnesota dominated the exhibition and was in firm control for all sixty minutes.
In Sunday’s masterclass performance against second-year phenom C.J. Stroud and his Houston Texans, things changed.
Whichever way you want to put it; cover to cover, beginning to end, top to bottom, the Minnesota Vikings completely dismantled a team that is in Super Bowl contendership conversations no matter what media outlet you consume.
In the most complete fashion in the Kevin O’Connell era, let alone the better part of a decade of Vikings history, the Vikings forced their name into the spotlight of the premier teams in the NFL and took no prisoners doing so. Without T.J. Hockenson, Jordan Addison, and we’ll even say Kirk Cousins, the Vikings have appeared as the most dominant team in football to begin the 2024 campaign.
I’ll reiterate that it’s understood that we are only three games into the new season, but we have to remember the conversations surrounding the state of the Minnesota Vikings less than a month ago. Many would’ve had faith that they could make the playoffs if they even went 1-2 in their first three games. Yet, here they stand at 3-0, and their schedule only gets “lighter” from here.
Next week’s game against Green Bay is no gimme. No NFL game is that simple, especially a divisional rivalry game. Looking past them towards the Jets, if they can get through their next two games at least 1-1 and enter the bye week 4-1, you must feel incredibly confident in this team.
Anything can happen between now and then. Injuries, a loss of momentum, teams that we didn’t expect to be good posing tough matchups later into the season, the list goes. But if you want to look at the here and now and take a vacation in the present, the Minnesota Vikings have consistently been the most dominant team in football and may even currently be the best team in the entire NFL.
The Vikings Are More than a Sports Team