Silver Linings to Take Away from the Vikings Loss
There is certainly plenty of blame to go around for this latest Minnesota Vikings loss, and over the next three days, it will all be dished out. However, even in defeat, there are a few silver linings to take away from this Vikings loss.
It’s tough to go to work on a Monday morning after any loss, let alone one of the worst in franchise history. So, here are a few things to help lift the mood going into Week 12.
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A Wake-Up Call
There’s never a great time to be blown out by 30-plus points, but the Minnesota Vikings have been due for a letdown loss for weeks. They made multiple double-digit comebacks during their seven-game winning streak, and it was inevitable that one of these teams would eventually refuse to let that happen.
If the Vikings had continued to cruise to regular season wins, they may have seen themselves as invincible going into the playoffs. Instead, the Vikings had the snot kicked out of them for an hour straight and now find themselves in a position respond just four days later.
This is when we truly get to see what this team is made of. They’ve responded positively to adversity before, and now, they have a chance to show the world that they can bounce back.
Greg Joseph Didn’t Miss a Kick
It’s all about the little victories, right? Greg Joseph didn’t exactly get a chance to be challenged by a kick, but on a day where nothing went right for Minnesota, it seemed like the cherry on top would have been the Vikings kicker missing a chip shot. Instead, Joseph nailed his 25-yard attempt.
It’s been a struggle for the Vikings kicker in 2022 at times, but if he can continue to pile up these short makes, that should be a confidence booster for him.
We Got to See Some Snaps for Depth Pieces
Even though things didn’t end the way that the Vikings wanted, it at least allowed them to see more of what they have in some of their depth pieces, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.
20 different Vikings saw defensive snaps on Sunday, and rookie LB Brian Asamoah played a career-high 15 snaps on the defense. Of course, it would have been preferable for these snaps to come with Minnesota up by 30 points rather than trailing by 30, but the important thing is that the snaps occurred.
For a guy like Asamoah that seems like a future starter, these snaps matter to get him more comfortable in the scheme.
In the End, the Loss Changes Very Little
The Vikings could have lost by 137 points on Sunday, and at the end of the day, it would have changed nothing in the NFC standings. Minnesota continues to hold a comfortable lead in the NFC North, and they have a multiple game lead over the No. 3 seed Seattle Seahawks.
This is the beauty of the Vikings seven-game winning streak. They’ve now bought themselves a few weeks where they can play it safe with some banged-up starters.
16-1 or even 15-2 would be a cool way to end the year, but the goal for the rest of the regular season should be getting healthy. If that means they lose a couple extra games, it likely doesn’t change the fact that they’ll host at least one playoff game.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. He also earned minors in History, Human Biology, and Journalism. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys marathon training, playing video games, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. For more of his opinions, check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.