Vikings Fans Cling to Hope after 1-4 Start
Dustin Baker
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The Minnesota Vikings slipped and fell into a 1-4 hole Sunday, losing to the world-champion Kansas City Chiefs after a relatively competent battle with Patrick Mahomes’ team.
Vikings Fans Cling to Hope after 1-4 Start
Next up? Minnesota travels to Soldier Field for a date with the Bears, a building where the purple team has a 7-15 (.318) record since 2000.
Of course, fans will cling to hope until mathematical elimination from postseason contendership — that’s what sports are about, hope — but the outlook is grim. Still, these are three key reasons to keep the faith.
1. The Schedule Eventually Lightens Up
Here’s the Vikings schedule (home games in red):
- Week 1: Buccaneers (9/10) — LOSS
- Week 2: at Eagles (9/14, TNF) — LOSS
- Week 3: Chargers (9/24) — LOSS
- Week 4: at Panthers (10/1) — WIN
- Week 5: Chiefs (10/8) — LOSS
- Week 6: at Bears (10/15)
- Week 7: 49ers (10/23, MNF)
- Week 8: at Packers (10/29)
- Week 9: at Falcons (11/5)
- Week 10: Saints (11/12)
- Week 11: at Broncos (11/19, SNF)
- Week 12: Bears (11/27, MNF)
- Week 13: BYE
- Week 14: at Raiders (12/10)
- Week 15: at Bengals (TBD)
- Week 16: Lions (12/24)
- Week 17: Packers (12/31, SNF)
- Week 18: at Lions (1/7)
Depending on one’s opinion of the Packers — perhaps more will be known after Green Bay’s Monday Night Football date with the Raiders — the Vikings schedule truly softens from Week 8 to Week 14. That’s six games in seven weeks, and if Minnesota can subtract the silly stuff, like fumbles, rattling off wins over the Falcons, Saints, Broncos, Bears, or Raiders wouldn’t be weird at all.
The problem, however, is the Vikings actually have to subtract the silly stuff at some point.
2. The Turnovers Probably Have to Stop Soon
The Vikings have turned the ball over in every game during the 1st Quarter this season. Every single game — no exaggeration.
It’s dastardly and is the sole undoing of Minnesota’s season to date. If the Chiefs or 49ers were turning the pigskin over in the 1st Quarter of every game, their record would likely be 2-3 or 1-4. This is not supernatural — turnovers lose football games. Turnovers like clockwork to start games, especially, cause losses.
The quasi-good news? The Vikings didn’t have a major turnover problem in 2022, meaning a streak of zero fumbles in a handful of games is probably afoot. The concern, though, is that fans have been waiting for the fumble-less streak to begin for weeks.
3. No NFC North Games Yet
For all anyone knows, Minnesota could fire up a 6-0 record in NFC North games. They haven’t played the Lions, Packers, or Bears yet. Oh my. The Vikings turnover problems and general consistency suggest they will not go undefeated in division games, but stranger things have happened.
Facing a 1-4 start, with a trip to Soldier Field on tap, Minnesota can fix its errant ways and start winning more than it loses. The schedule relents, the turnovers will likely reduce, and the actual meat of the schedule vis-a-vis division games has not begun.
That’s about all die-hards can cling to in early October.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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