Heading into Sunday's Week 3 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Minnesota Vikings not only have to attempt to get the best of the opposing offense and defense, but they have to go head-to-head with a wild curse that has resulted in a bunch of losses for more than a decade.
What curse is that you ask? Well, that would be the curse of Jim Nantz. That's right, for whatever reason, whenever Nantz enters the building to do the play-by-play for a game broadcast on CBS, the Vikings typically put together their worst performance of the season, and he'll be calling the action on Sunday inside U.S. Bank Stadium.
Since 2013, Minnesota has a 1-9 record whenever Nantz has been tasked with calling the game from the broadcast booth. In fact, the 2013 season was the last time the Vikings won a game where he was the play-by-play announcer, when they got a Week 4 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in London, England.
Can the Minnesota Vikings overcome the Jim Nantz curse to beat the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3?
Ever since that win across the pond, Minnesota has come up short whenever Nantz is calling the action from inside the TV booth for CBS.
It's been eight straight losses for the Vikings when Mr. "Hello, Friends" has done the TV play-by-play, including the most recent instance that took place back in Week 5 of the 2023 season when Minnesota suffered a 27-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs inside U.S. Bank Stadium.
Below is a list of the last 10 Vikings games that have been broadcast on CBS with Nantz on the call inside the TV booth.
2023 - Week 5: Minnesota Vikings vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Vikings lose 27-20
2022 - Week 17: Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers
Vikings lose 41-17
2022 - Week 11: Minnesota Vikings vs. Dallas Cowboys
Vikings lose 40-3
2019 - Week 4: Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears
Vikings lose 16-6
2018 - Week 3: Minnesota Vikings vs. Buffalo Bills
Vikings lose 27-6
2017 - Week 14: Minnesota Vikings at Carolina Panthers
Vikings lose 31-24
2016 - Week 12: Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions
Vikings lose 16-13
2015 - Week 14: Minnesota Vikings at Arizona Cardinals
Vikings lose 23-20
2014 - Week 5: Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers
Vikings lose 42-10
2013 - Week 4: Minnesota Vikings vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (in London, England)
Vikings win 34-27
It would be great to say that Minnesota should have a better shot at overcoming this curse on Sunday since the matchup will be played on their home field inside U.S. Bank Stadium. However, in the Vikings' last three home games with Nantz on the call, they've been outscored 94-29.
Will Minnesota find a way to end its slump with CBS's No. 1 play-by-play announcer in the broadcast booth on Sunday, or will the Curse of Nantz grow even stronger?