Take it from me, sometimes by this time of yr, virtually nothing is scorching in Minnesota.
You place your children in snow pants earlier than they shuffle to the bus cease within the morning. You begin to see ice-fishing tents pop up on the frozen lakes throughout. Some days, you put on gloves to drive as a result of the steering wheel is just too chilly to the touch together with your naked fingers.
This yr, nonetheless, the Minnesota Vikings are bringing the warmth.
After the Vikings’ 30-12 beatdown in opposition to the Chicago Bears on Monday evening, Minnesota improved to 12-2. They pulled even with the Detroit Lions for one of the best file within the NFC North, and so they stayed two video games forward of the Inexperienced Bay Packers (10-4).
It was the Vikings’ seventh win in a row. They’ve outscored opponents by 117 factors on the season, which trails solely the Lions (plus-177), the Buffalo Payments (plus-135) and the Philadelphia Eagles (plus-122).
Is it time to declare that the Vikings are critical contenders to win the Tremendous Bowl?
Let’s begin with the argument that the Vikings are professional contenders.
For one, Minnesota has defied the chances all season. Many exterior observers picked them to complete at or close to the underside of the NFC North, partly as a result of the division was so stacked with expertise and partly as a result of the Vikings have been going by large modifications.
Longtime quarterback Kirk Cousins left for Atlanta, and the Vikings used their first-round draft decide to pick out J.J. McCarthy out of Michigan. However they didn’t need to rush McCarthy, in order that they signed veteran journeyman Sam Darnold to a 1-year deal to assist present a bridge between the previous (Cousins) and the longer term (McCarthy).
Then, McCarthy sustained a season-ending knee harm within the preseason. That meant this yr belonged to Darnold, and he proceeded to blow the doorways off all expectations.
Severely. Not even Viktor the Viking would have anticipated the staff to be this good.
The excitement round Darnold is warranted. It additionally helps that the Vikings have one of many recreation’s finest coaches in Kevin O’Connell, one of many recreation’s most dynamic receivers in Justin Jefferson, and one of many recreation’s most bodily defensive models led by coordinator Brian Flores.
Now for the glass-half-empty argument.
To not be a frozen blanket right here, however the Vikings have been taking part in out over their skis all season lengthy. They’ve escaped with greater than a few shut wins, which is a testomony to O’Connell and his gamers, however sooner or later their luck is because of run out.
Doing this within the common season is one factor. Doing it within the playoffs is one other.
The Lions are beat up, however they’re so robust. They fell to 12-2 after a heavyweight matchup in opposition to the Payments this weekend, after they went swing for swing in opposition to one of many high groups within the NFL. Any person needed to lose that recreation.
In the meantime, the Packers are a few video games again of the Lions and Vikings within the loaded NFC North, however Inexperienced Bay could be the scariest staff of the three come playoff time. Jordan Love is feeling wholesome once more, and the Packers are taking part in with terrific momentum after profitable eight of their previous 10 video games.
The Vikings management their possibilities. Their last three regular-season video games are in opposition to the Seattle Seahawks on the street, the Packers at house, and the Lions on the street.
If the Vikings win out, they take the NFC North, and so they would possibly even earn the highest seed within the convention relying on how the Eagles end.
Simply the potential for the Vikings capturing the No. 1 seed is superb. This has been a magical yr for a staff that began coaching camp with so many questions.
However let’s be sincere. It’s arduous for something to remain scorching within the winter in Minnesota.
That features the Vikings.
Can this yr’s squad break the mould?