History says Vikings should win NFC North after Monday night’s loss

The results of the first two weeks of the 2022 season for the Minnesota Vikings have been eerily similar to their last two NFC North title reigns.

So far this season, the Minnesota Vikings have won a game on their home field, and they’ve suffered a 17-point loss on the road. Coincidentally, this is exactly how the 2015 and 2017 campaigns began for the Vikings before they eventually went on to win the NFC North.

In 2015, Minnesota suffered a 17-point road loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1, and then they recovered in their second game with a win on their home field over the Detroit Lions. Then in 2017, the Vikings opened up the season with a victory inside their home venue over the New Orleans Saints and a 17-point road loss in Week 2 to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

With Minnesota beginning their season like this once again, will it lead to the team winning the division just as they did during the two previous instances?

Week 2 loss won’t prevent Minnesota Vikings from winning the NFC North in 2022

Despite getting trampled by the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night, the Vikings should still be viewed as a contender for the top of the NFC North this season.

Minnesota’s biggest competition for the division title, the Green Bay Packers, is a team that they just destroyed in Week 1. The Lions could be a sneaky contender for the NFC North championship this year, but their chances still aren’t as high as they are for the Vikings or Packers at this point in the season.

Now, is Minnesota guaranteed to win the division just because they won a home game and lost on the road by 17 points in the first two weeks of the season just like they did in 2015 and 2017? Obviously not, but if anything, the outcomes of those two seasons show that the Vikings still have plenty of time to turn the 2022 campaign into a success.

Monday night’s loss to the Eagles was definitely very disappointing for Minnesota, especially after the way they performed in Week 1 against Green Bay. But now the Vikings have the perfect opportunity to take the loss in Philadelphia as a wake-up call to fix some of their flaws.