Minnesota Vikings vs. the Football Gods
The Minnesota Vikings have clashed with the football gods this season. So far, they remain undefeated.
Riding the high hopes from the preseason, offseason, last season and new player additions, the Minnesota Vikings and their fans took a fierce punch to the stomach. Teddy Bridgewater’s random, non-contact injury turned hope into depression before the season could even begin.
Fans tuned in to the proceeding press conference hoping for good news. Instead, the ugly truth came out that Bridgewater would likely miss the season and maybe even more time after that. What was overlooked in that press conference was Zimmer’s calm resolve and confidence toward the team he had coached over the last few years.
“My wife passed away seven years ago, right, but the sun came up the next day, the world kept spinning and people kept going to work, and that’s what we’re going to do,” Zimmer famously said.
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But the problems didn’t end there. The Vikings started the season without their starting defensive tackle, Shariff Floyd, and cornerback Xavier Rhodes.
Through the first four games, the Minnesota Vikings lost their starting left tackle Matt Kalil, right tackle Andre Smith, and the greatest Vikings running back of all time, Adrian Peterson.
Yes, the football gods responsible for four Super Bowl losses, the 1998 Gary Anderson miss, the 2009 bountygate/Brett Favre interception and the Blair miss project seemed to have struck down the most hopeful Vikings season in almost a decade.
Every week, a new test proved doubtful for the Vikings’ chances:
- Can the Vikings win with Shaun Hill?
- Can the Vikings beat an NFC juggernaut with a barely acclemated quarterback?
- Can the Vikings beat the reigning MVP on the road?
- Can the Vikings’ injured offensive line handle the Giants’ high-salary defensive line?”
Passing every test, the Minnesota Vikings haven’t only shown resilliance; they’ve shown dominance. Using superior depth and coaching, Mike Zimmer and GM Rick Spielman have assembled both a stout, turnover-happy defense and the most effective Vikings passing attack since last decade.
“Overcoming adversity” has been the hype phrase used by commentators and analysts who have never even heard of Adam Thielen or Tom Johnson. They aren’t completely wrong, but Zimmer’s coaching prowess and Spielman’s personnell acumen should have never been counted out in the first place.
Now, with the Minnesota Vikings as one of three undefeated teams in the league, the odds are finally in their favor despite the best resistance efforts of the football gods.
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In NFL history, teams that start 4-0 have an 83 percent chance of making the playoffs. Since 2013, every team that started 4-0 with a top-tier defense reached the Super Bowl. In two of those three years, the better defensive team won it all.