The Minnesota Vikings are the only undefeated team left in the NFL, which obviously makes them the biggest surprise in the league so far. After a season ending injury sidelined quarterback Teddy Bridgewater during the preseason, most people thought the team would have a tough time making the playoffs. After Adrian Peterson also suffered a season ending injury, online sportsbook and fans thought their playoff hopes were over, which makes what they have achieved so far even more impressive.
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Despite all their injuries, the Vikings believe they have a good chance of making a deep playoff run because they have one of the best defenses in the NFL.
After the team’s dominating victory over the New York Giants on Monday Night Football, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer was sent a text congratulating him on his team’s performance. Zimmer replied to the text saying the team still has room to get better.
Even though the rest of the NFL is surprised by Minnesota’s start, the players and coaches aren’t. The Vikings believe their team was built to withstand significant injuries, and with the way their defense is playing, they believe they have what it takes to win the Super Bowl.
Thanks to their hot start, the Vikings are now two games ahead of the Green Bay Packers, who is their main competition for the division title, and since they have a win over the Packers already, they are in a great position to win the NFC North.
One of the reasons the Vikings find themselves in their current position is the play of quarterback Sam Bradford.
Bradford, who was a last minute addition to the roster after the Bridgewater injury, has been playing very well and is one of the brightest spots on the team. When the Vikings traded for Bradford, they gave up a couple of high draft picks, which led to the team being ridiculed for giving up so much for a journeyman quarterback that can’t stay healthy.
However, Bradford has proved his critics wrong, completing over 70 percent of his passes with six touchdowns and zero interceptions in the four games he has played in. In reality, if Bradford continues playing well and leads the team to the Super Bowl, Teddy Bridgewater might not be the starter when he returns from injury next season.
Matt Asiata and Jerick McKinnon are also two players that deserve recognition for their play so far. After Adrian Peterson went down, most people assumed the Vikings running game would be non-existent because Peterson left some big shoes to be filled.
McKinnon and Asiata have done a good job picking up the slack in the running game, and the Vikings now find themselves with a well-rounded offense to compliment the defense.
With their 5-0 start, the Vikings look like a very dangerous playoff team, but fans need to keep things in perspective. Last season, the Atlanta Falcons won six of their first seven games, but faltered down the stretch, finishing with an 8-8 record.
The Vikings can’t afford to read too much of their own press at this point because it will make the team complacent, which will likely lead to a lot of losses. If the team stays hungry and focused, they may finally end the franchises Super Bowl drought.
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