Philadelphia is the perfect place to turn the Vikings season around

No beatdown will erase the 38-7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles last January, but a win could jump-start the Minnesota Vikings heading into a nice stretch.

For many fans of the Minnesota Vikings, the mere thought of going back to Philadelphia invokes bad memories. Last January, the Vikings came into the city of Brotherly Love with all of the momentum in the universe after the Minneapolis Miracle propelled them into the NFC Championship Game.

As Vikings fans organized a massive SKOL Chant at the Mall of America and dressed up the Rocky statue in purple and yellow garb, it just seemed like it was their time. Instead, it was a 38-7 defeat that gave Minnesota a beatdown on the field and in the stands.

The months that have followed that loss have given a certain emotional tie to this game. Eagles fans, who launched a full-blown assault on Vikings fans at that game, turned into a delusional fanbase who would rather celebrate taking Minnesota’s soul than their Super Bowl championship they claimed two weeks later.

With 38-7 being plastered on every social media channel available, the urge to pound the Eagles into the turf is still there. The issue is that no victory on Sunday, no matter dominant, will erase the pain (and the next wave of 38-7 tweets) that was caused by last January’s debacle. However, it’s the perfect place to turn the season around.

At 1-2-1, the Viking fan base has reached DEFCON 1, especially after the Los Angeles Rams hung 38 points on Mike Zimmer’s vaunted defense last week. The rushing attack is dead last in the NFL with 252 yards through four games and the offensive line has looked like a dumpster fire trying to protect Kirk Cousins.

However, these situations are ones that could be solved in the near future. When it comes to the defense, Mike Zimmer’s track record has to come into play. With nearly almost two decades of experience under his belt, there’s a good chance that he can not only find what’s wrong with his defense, but get the most out of his younger players — especially in the secondary.

The offensive line also has the benefit of gaining some continuity. The Vikings have had their starting lineup (minus left guard Nick Easton, who was injured in training camp) for a couple of games. With Pat Elflein beginning to round into form, the Vikings should be able to stop switching everyone around on a weekly basis and begin to take off soon. (It would also help if Rashod Hill was sent to the bench, but let’s stay positive here.)

Both of these key issues could mesh with the positives this team has going for it, such as the sixth-ranked passing attack behind Cousins, Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen. They also have seen defensive lineman Danielle Hunter take another step forward — and he hasn’t reached his 24th birthday.

Perhaps that means that the Vikings can turn things around to an Eagles team that has failed to capture the mojo they had a season ago. While they’re getting key pieces (Carson Wentz, Alshon Jeffrey) back on offense, the defense hasn’t been the same with Jalen Mills and Ronald Darby looking to find their footing.

If the Minnesota Vikings can take advantage, they’ll be 2-2-1 with a stretch coming up against three teams under .500 (Arizona, New York Jets, Tampa Bay) and three of the next four games coming up at home (including NFC South leader New Orleans). A win in a hostile environment like Philadelphia could be just what this team needs to jump-start this season.

Oh, and exorcize a couple of demons while they are at it.