Dec 10, 2023; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. (40) celebrates after an interception against the Las Vegas Raiders in the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports.
The Minnesota Vikings play in the Sunday Night Football slot this week. With the Indianapolis Colts in town, Kevin O’Connell’s squad got flexed to the premium game of the day. That might seem a bit curious given the opponent, but the recently-undefeated Vikings have plenty to prove.
Coming into the contest, Minnesota is a touchdown favorite. The line opened at seven points and has since dropped a single digit. On paper, there is plenty of reason to understand why the Vikings would make the Colts a considerable underdog. The homefield advantage is obviously a benefit, too.
That said, this Colts team is not just some bottom-feeder, and Minnesota couldn’t win a game they were supposed to last week in Los Angeles. Indianapolis is 4-4 this season, but no team has really put them away. The two losses to Houston were by a combined five points, and they beat the 6-2 Steelers by three.
There are some very bad teams in the NFL this season, but the Colts aren’t among them. Calling this collection mediocre would be fair, but the Vikings must assert that they are more the 5-0 team of old than the 0-2 team of recent. O’Connell can right the ship for his squad with a solid all-around performance on Sunday, and that could go a long way to determining how the rest of the year goes.
Minnesota is eyeing the trade deadline as an opportunity to improve the roster. A third straight loss and a 5-3 record would give them much less desire to go all in. We have seen that this roster can make noise and be competitive, but it’s clear that the NFC North is a gauntlet among the league as a whole.
This is a game that the Vikings should win, but it doesn’t strike me as straightforward as the better line may suggest. It would be awesome to be proven wrong and see the Vikings pull off something of a blowout. Minnesota’s last convincing win came in Week 3. Since then, Minnesota has let teams back into games, and that doesn’t look great when trying to put away an opponent.
There isn’t room for any more trap games. The Vikings need to come correct each time they take the field, and this can be the start of that.
Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes daily for Minnesota Sports Fan. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.