The Broncos and Vikings: Two Improbable Comeback Stories Come to a Head in Week 11

Nov 12, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson (87) celebrates his touchdown against the New Orleans Saints in the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

On Sunday night, two of the hottest teams in the NFL will meet for a primetime Week 11 matchup.

Those two teams are, of course, the Denver Broncos and Minnesota Vikings. Everyone knows about Minnesota’s five-game winning streak, the longest current streak in the NFL, but the Broncos are also on a three-game winning streak of their own, tied for the second-longest in the league.

These Broncos and Vikings winning streaks come to a head on Sunday night, and something is going to have to give for one of these red-hot teams this weekend.

The Broncos and Vikings: Two Improbable Comeback Stories Come to a Head in Week 11

Broncos and Vikings
Nov 12, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell celebrates with quarterback Joshua Dobbs (15) after a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints in the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

A few weeks ago, nobody would have guessed that either of these teams would be in their current situation.

The Vikings began the season 1-4, and following their Week 5 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, they had to place star WR Justin Jefferson on IR.

They suddenly caught fire following Jefferson’s injury, though, and the Vikings rattled off three straight victories from Weeks 6-8. However, once again, all hopes were deflated when Kirk Cousins went down with an Achilles injury, and then Christian Darrisaw suffered a groin injury heading into Week 9 against the Falcons.

None of it has mattered, though. Josh Dobbs has stepped in at the quarterback spot and led the Vikings offense to 31 and 27 points over their past two wins. On top of that, the defense has performed marvellously during this winning streak, allowing just 17.4 points per game during this winning streak and vaulting up the league’s ranks.

Nov 12, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Joshua Dobbs (15) warms up before the game against the New Orleans Saints at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

As for Denver, the Broncos began their season 1-5, and their defense played some horrendous football during that stretch. They allowed 25+ points in four of their first six games, including a 70-20 drubbing at the hands of the Miami Dolphins.

Considering there was already some leftover disappointment from how 2022 ended up for this team, it seemed that Denver was destined to once again sit among the bottom dwellers of the AFC. Instead, the Broncos have rattled off three impressive wins, including victories over the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills.

In somewhat similar fashion to how the Vikings have earned their victories, Denver’s success can attributed to improved play from their defense. They have allowed just 16 points per game over the past three weeks, second in the NFL behind only the Las Vegas Raiders.

Russell Wilson has also been much better about making smart plays at the QB position. He’s passed for 6 TDs during this winning streak and has no interceptions. Then, the running game has been much better as well, averaging 140 yards per game on the ground, the seventh-highest total in the NFL during that timeframe.

Nov 13, 2023; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson (3) rolls out looking to pass the ball against the Buffalo Bills during the first half at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

None of this prior success matters, though. These two teams have done a great job of getting themselves back into the playoff hunt, but they need to find a way to continue their winning ways on Sunday night.

The Vikings hold the No. 7 seed in the NFC by 1.5 games, but the goal should be to catch the Detroit Lions and potentially secure a second consecutive NFC North title and host at least one playoff game. Meanwhile, Denver sits one game outside of the playoff picture in a heated AFC race and another win to get back to .500 would be huge.

We’ll soon find out which team is capable of keeping their winning streak alive on the primetime stage.

Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.

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