I marked this game as a loss before the season.
West Coast game. On Monday night. In primetime. Against the Seahawks. Russell Wilson has the Vikings number. Odds do not favor a Minnesota victory.
On the other hand.
Kirk Cousins has been playing his best football as a Viking recently. The running game is humming with the Dalvin Cook/Alexander Mattison one-two punch. The tight-end heavy formations are working with Irv Smith Jr. coming into his own. As is Kevin Stefanski‘s play calling, especially during the comeback win against the Broncos.
As deadly as Russell Wilson can be, the Seahawks’ defense ranks in the bottom half of the league. Couple that with a much improved Vikings offense, and there is hope the Vikings could end up 9-3 on Tuesday.
Still, the Vikings had better be on their blocking assignments because Seattle has a very good front seven, as Ron Johnson points out. (I’ve cued this up to spare you as much of the insufferable Paul Allen as possible).
The Vikings played the Chiefs close, beat a tough Cowboys team and mounted an amazing come-from-behind victory over a tough Denver defense.
Each of the last three games have given me increasing confidence this team can make a run in the playoffs..
A victory against the Seahawks on Monday might finally turn Ray Lewis‘ eternal dismissal of Kirk Cousins and the Vikings around and show the team some respect on Inside The NFL.
But I doubt it.
I’ll be a believer, though.
The 2019 Vikings have some flaws. At the beginning of the year, it sure seemed the fatal flaw as on the offensive side of the ball. But now, we’re all worried about the defensive backfield.
If the Vikings beat the Seahawks, it will be a hell of an accomplishment because, beyond the home field advantage, beyond Russell Wilson’s play, the Seahawks’ offense also Chris Carson at running back (and don’t sleeep on Rashaad Penny), and DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and now Josh Gordon at wide receiver.
That’s a lot of offensive talent to account for.
But if the Vikings pull off a victory on Monday, with the Lions, the Chargers, the Packers and the Bears, they could run the table and finish 13-3.
And wouldn’t that be awesome?
