Why the Vikings are still playoff contenders despite snakebitten season

Despite only getting wins in two of their first five games this season, the Minnesota Vikings should still be viewed as a playoff contender in the NFC.

Believe it or not, the Minnesota Vikings are one of the better teams in the NFL.

Sure, their 2-3 record is disappointing, and inconsistent performances on the field have cast a dark cloud over the season for many Vikings fans.

However, the fact remains that there are still 12 games left in the season for Minnesota to prove they are one of the top 14 teams in the league, and punch their ticket to the 2021 playoffs.

It’s also absolutely crucial to keep in mind that the Vikings have suffered one of the most ridiculously comical heartbreaking starts to a season in NFL history.

Minnesota Vikings have had an eventful 2021 season so far

In Week 1, a controversial and uncharacteristic fumble from stud running back Dalvin Cook ended the Vikings comeback bid that likely would’ve resulted in a win over the overachieving Cincinnati Bengals.

Fluke plays like this happen, but for Minnesota, it’s been almost every week so far.

In Week 2, after nailing two 52-yard field goals throughout the game, Vikings kicker Greg Joseph missed a 37-yard game-winner against the undefeated Arizona Cardinals.

Joseph has been one of the better kickers in the NFL to start the year, having made each of his 50-yard attempts so far.

Week 4 brought even more ridiculousness.

Against the Cleveland Browns, Minnesota held their opponents to only one touchdown and a couple of field goals. The Vikings would fall to one of the best teams in the NFL by a score of 14-7, but they could have pulled out a victory with a little bit of luck and an unlikely call for pass interference on the Hail Mary pass to end the game.

Finally, in their most recent bout against the hapless Detroit Lions, Minnesota controlled the game for most of the match. But somehow, Joseph came up short on a 49-yard field goal in the final four minutes of the contest.

Leading by 10, the Vikings prevented the Lions’ offense from doing anything worth noting, and they got the ball back only for backup running back Alexander Mattison to replicate Cook’s Week 1 mistake and fumble the ball away.

Minnesota escaped with a win, but fans were rightfully unsatisfied with how they earned their second victory of the season.

The Vikings have been in close contests basically all year, but the defense has looked sharp over the past two weeks, and everyone in the NFL knows what the offense is capable of.

The flurry of freak plays should come to an end and they shouldn’t keep occurring as frequently as they have been throughout the first five games of the year.

Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, and K.J. Osborn haven’t lost a step and will continue dominating opposing defenses as long as the offensive line can keep Kirk Cousins on his feet.

Cousins is looking every bit like the quarterback the Vikings are paying him to be, and he will likely see a slight improvement once Cook is back on the field.

If Minnesota’s defense continues its upward trend of looking like a dominant defense like it has against the Browns and the Lions, the upcoming slate of opponents will be more manageable and could open the window for some statement wins in the second half of the season.

The Vikings have a tough schedule for the remainder of the year, but every team in the NFL has shown signs of weakness that could play in Minnesota’s favour.

It may not seem like it to some people, but the Vikings have proven that they are an opponent that should not be underestimated.

This team will most likely be fighting for a playoff spot in December, and if they can be better than the bottom nine teams in the NFC, they will punch their ticket to the postseason.