Myth No. 3
Minnesota struggles in division games
While it’s true that Minnesota was winless in 2019 against the rival Packers and Chicago Bears, the Vikings emphatically do not struggle in division contests on the whole.
Minnesota has the 11th-best record in the NFL versus division opponents in the last five years. In fact, they have the same division record as the Green Bay since 2015 at 17-12-1 (.538).
It is more than fair to be upset about the Vikings’ futility in 2019 against the Packers and Bears, but to exalt those four contests as proof of a broader claim is fallacious.
So, since Green Bay and Minnesota share the same division record in the last five years, the Packers should be criticized for their divisional record just as much as the Vikings. People cannot choose one or the other.
Since 2015, the Seattle Seahawks own a 16-13-1 (.550) record against divisional opponents. For a side note, the San Francisco 49ers were not too great before 2019, so a “look at their division opponents” argument is moronic. Do Seahawks fans stomp around decrying the team’s division performance as foul? This seems unlikely.