Plot twist: Uninspiring win drags Vikings back into NFC playoff hunt
A Vikings season that through five games had the plot of a train wreck has turned slightly in a new direction. They now have the whiff of a movie about a seemingly retired jewel thief being coaxed into one more big heist.
Just when you thought they were out, they pull you back in.
An uninspiring win over a terrible team forced to use a "wait, who is that?" backup quarterback should not do this to us, but here we are. That's what an uninspiring Sunday across the board in the league, a lackluster NFC and frankly a couple of 49ers injuries add up to, as Patrick Reusse and I talked about on Monday's Daily Delivery podcast.
The Vikings continue to have multiple problems, with the biggest concern being the fact that their offense hasn't won them a game this year while their defense has won them two. That's good news for Brian Flores, but it's terrible news for head coach Kevin O'Connell, quarterback Kirk Cousins and any number of other skill position players on the team.
But winning ugly is still winning. At 2-4 and with a slew of winnable games up ahead of them, the Vikings have the potential to play meaningful games into December. I can already see them right in the middle of that "in the hunt" graphic they will inevitably display before the Vikings host the Packers in primetime on New Year's Eve.
The New York Times gives the Vikings a 29% chance of making the playoffs – and that number would surely make a jump up if Minnesota can win next Monday against San Francisco.
That seemed like a laughable proposition until Sunday, when the 49ers lost Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel to injury in the midst of losing 19-17 to Cleveland.
The Browns, by the way, won that game while being quarterbacked by P.J. Walker – a backup who was bad enough that the Bears cut him in the preseason and went with Tyson Bagent, the undrafted free agent who gifted the Vikings their win on Sunday.
Don't get me wrong: The Vikings are not a good team, at least not now. They might be setting themselves up for nothing more than a six- or seven-win season, which arguably would be worse than a three-win season.
But they might be good enough in a mediocre league to pull off a heist and grab a playoff spot.
Here are four more things to know today:
*Reusse and I talked about the Wild's defense and salary cap situation, which are already causing problems after two games. Reusse is also concerned that goalie Filip Gustavsson is due for a significant regression.
*Also, if you missed Phil Miller's excellent Twins roster breakdown go back and check it out. The biggest question is really this: How much will their 2024 payroll be? A lot of other roster answers flow from that.
*Gophers sophomore Jimmy Snuggerud had four goals in two games against St. Thomas over the weekend. The Tommies almost pulled the upset on Friday at Xcel Energy Center, and it sounds like they will get more chances to met in the future. "We're going to try to keep fitting them in," Gophers coach Bob Motzko said of scheduling St. Thomas. "We're going to make that commitment."
*The Vikings' longest play from scrimmage on Sunday was just 21 yards, and their longest run went for just 8. Andrew Krammer and I will talk about the offensive struggles on Tuesday's podcast.
