Minnesota Vikings: Is Sunday Night Football a bad thing?
By Adam Carlson
The week 16 game between the Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants has been flexed to Sunday Night Football, but is it a good thing for the Vikings?
The Minnesota Vikings will get another opportunity to impress their critics and fans when they perform on a national stage during week 16 of the NFL season. With the New York Giants win over the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night football, the league has decided that the December 27, 2015 game between the Giants and Vikings will a be prime time match-up.
But what does that mean for Minnesota? Well, it might not be a good thing.
Here are some statistics that show just how bad the Minnesota Vikings have been under the bright lights of NFL night games lately:
- Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has never won a night game in his NFL career.
- Mike Zimmer has never won a night game in his NFL head coaching career.
- Minnesota has lost their last 3 Sunday Night Football games
- Minnesota has lost their last 6 Monday Night Football games
- Minnesota has lost their last 2 Thursday Night Football games
- The last win at night was against the RG3 led Washington Redskins on Thursday Night Football in 2013.
Dec 10, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer and Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (11) talk after the game at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
Looking at that, it is easy to believe that the Minnesota Vikings should be terrified to be flexed to prime time. However, there might actually be some momentum going in their favor.
Although the Vikings didn’t win on Monday Night Football against the Arizona Cardinals during week 14, it was by far the most encouraging effort that we’ve seen in prime time. They stuck in there with the 10-2 Cardinals in a game that came down to the last moments despite injuries that held out three of the team’s best defensive players who now appear to be getting healthier.
Maybe the Minnesota Vikings are figuring out this prime time thing and they can prove to be a team that can win under the bright lights, but that’s something that they will have to prove before people will believe it. A game against the 6-7 New York Giants might be just what the team needs to get their prime time swagger.
But first, Minnesota needs to worry about the Chicago Bears, who they play on Sunday, December 20, 2015.