It was a great upset when the Minnesota Vikings defeated the San Francisco 49ers in Week 2. The following week, the Vikings defeated the Houston Texans, and it developed into a fascinating early-season tale.
There is no denying what is occurring to the Vikings at this point. Based on the early findings, they’re not just among the greatest NFL teams—they might be the best team in the league.
After a 3-0 start, the Vikings dispelled any doubt about their position in the NFL hierarchy with their performance at Lambeau Field. The Vikings had a 28-0 lead over the Green Bay Packers at halftime. Although the Packers made a comeback in the fourth quarter, Minnesota’s dominance during the first three quarters made it irrelevant. On Sunday, the Vikings defeated the Saints 31-29, putting on a much better show than the result suggests.
The Vikings’ resume now has a somewhat different appearance. The Vikings have three wins of this kind that no other team can match, and each one was beyond doubt. Potential Super Bowl candidates included the 49ers, Texans, and Packers; the Vikings performed admirably against all three.
The Vikings must now be considered Super Bowl candidates.
QB Sam Darnold of the Vikings has excelled. On Sunday, he had three touchdown passes before halftime. Despite Jordan Addison missing two games and tight end T.J. Hockenson being out of the lineup, he is off to a scorching start. Sunday, Addison made a comeback and scored two touchdowns in the first half.
Early in the fourth quarter, the Vikings’ lead was trimmed to 28-22 by the Packers thanks to a pick by Darnold and a fumble that he lost in the second half. Given Darnold’s history of turnover throughout his career, that may be cause for concern. However, there’s no solid evidence to suggest that he will collapse.
Although Darnold had a difficult beginning to his career, his rise this season makes sense when considering the past. Coming out of USC, he was a great prospect. He left the New York Jets in a terrible circumstance, then the Carolina Panthers put him in even another terrible one. He played with the San Francisco 49ers for a season under some capable coaching before moving on to another outstanding coaching staff in Minnesota. He simply never had the circumstances or the patience to allow his skill to grow. When plays are called by head coach Kevin O’Connell, he appears to be a brand-new quarterback. Since he is only 27 years old, there is still time for a quarterback to have a comeback.
Darnold has been playing as well as any player in the NFL, and the offense has been excellent. The defense has outperformed everyone’s expectations, and defensive coordinator Brian Flores deserves a lot of credit for his mind-boggling schemes, which this season have rendered every quarterback appear unlikable. Even with Jordan Love back in the starting lineup, the 49ers led the Packers in points through three quarters of the previous week, the Texans were shut out until late in the third quarter, and the Packers had no points until the Vikings mishandled a punt just before halftime, setting up Green Bay at Minnesota’s 3-yard line. The Packers only managed a single point during the first three quarters. The greatest reason why Green Bay’s offense suddenly looked respectable in the fourth quarter was either the Vikings’ collapse or the Packers’ apparent weaknesses in ball movement.
It appears that this Vikings club is more than just an anomaly and could be a huge surprise. A highly effective offense lead by a quarterback who should receive early MVP talk would be matched with what has been perhaps the top defense in the league if the preseason expectations were eliminated and the team played from scratch in the opening game. Additionally, this team has defeated three strong opponents in a row with decisive victory. That appears to be a contender for a championship.
