Only 5 weeks into the 2016 NFL season, there is only one team left that has not suffered a single defeat: the Minnesota Vikings, who have a week 6 bye.
In the past, there are usually a handful of teams in the National Football League that make it pretty deep into the season without experiencing a loss. This year, it only took 5 weeks for every team in the league to lose a game…every team except the Minnesota Vikings.
Through 5 weeks, the Vikings have defeated the returning NFC Champion Carolina Panthers, AFC South leading Houston Texans, division rival Green Bay Packers, explosive New York Giants, and up-and-coming Tennessee Titans: an impressive assortment of squads to have beaten to this point.
That isn’t saying there aren’t some great teams out there. The New England Patriots would likely be undefeated if they had the services of Tom Brady. The Philadelphia Eagles came within one fumble of still being perfect. The only team to beat the Packers so far is the Vikings. And the Falcons, Cowboys, Broncos, and Seahawks are all impressive.
Still, being the last team standing with a goose egg in the loss column is something that the Minnesota Vikings and their fans should be very proud of.
Being able to have this kind of success says a lot about this football team. Losing the starting quarterback, running back, and left tackle as well as finding other players to fill in during injuries says a lot about the framework this team has.
While the Minnesota Vikings are built around a strong defense, the special teams unit has been instrumental in these wins to allow the offense to develop as a unit, as quarterback Sam Bradford should continue to improve as he learns the tendencies of his receivers and offensive linemen.
Minnesota is impressing some of the most notable figures in sports media, with Colin Cowherd going on record as saying that the Vikings are “the best team in the league by a long shot” during a recent appearance on Undisputed:
"Minnesota is the best team in the league by a long shot." — @ColinCowherd favors the Vikings in the NFC and the NFL pic.twitter.com/OiQUGGSRnE
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) October 10, 2016
But not everyone is on the Minnesota bandwagon quite yet. Analysts like First Take’s Stephen A. Smith see a dominant defense, but believes the big special teams plays and conservative offense aren’t the formula for long-term success.
Next: Full game-by-game 2016 Vikings season preview
Whether people believe the Minnesota Vikings are the real deal or not at this point doesn’t matter. The team is 5-0 heading into their week 6 bye and have been able to find a way to defeat every opponent on their schedule so far. Up next will be the Philadelphia Eagles in week 7, which should be another big test for a Vikings team with one goal in mind: the Super Bowl.