An eight-game winning streak was born
The momentum stemmed from squeaking by the Bears on the road propelled the 2017 Minnesota Vikings to an unanticipated stretch of triumphs. For the Vikings, it was the longest winning streak since 2002.
In each of the games, there was a sense that the success was “too good to be true,” yet the Vikings kept mowing down opponents–most of them in a decisive manner. The team finished best in the league in both points allowed and yards allowed.
At the time, the defense’s opposing third-down conversion rate of 25.2 percent was the best in recorded history. That feat has since been edged by the 2019 New England Patriots.
The victory over the Bears and ensuing win streak navigated the Vikings to an NFC Championship in the end. Although that contest was lost, the appearance alone in that NFC Championship game caused one vital and overlooked thing to occur: it made the allure of the Minnesota Vikings the top landing spot for Kirk Cousins’ impending free agency.