Sep 15, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jalen Nailor (83) celebrates his touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers in the third quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
Jalen Nailor believes.
The Minnesota Vikings’ WR3 has absolutely bought into his team’s Super Bowl stakes, claiming this week that his club can beat the Detroit Lions in 11 days and set a path to February for Super Bowl LIX.
“We have the right guys in our building to get the things done that we have to this year, and that’s win a Super Bowl,” Nailor told Kay Adams on Tuesday. “I think we have what it takes, and winning that game [against the Lions] will show that we’re not to be played with.”
The Vikings are 5-0 heading into Week 6, beating the New York Giants by 22, the San Francisco 49ers by six, the Houston Texans by 27, the Green Bay Packers by two, and most recently, the New York Jets in London by six. Minnesota also holds the NFL’s top point differential at the moment — usually a sound indicator of the league’s most dominant teams.
Nailor personally is on pace for 10 receiving touchdowns in 2024.
The young wideout also talked about his personal growth this season. “My technique in and out of my breaks and just finishing the route. The route’s never won at the beginning, it’s won at the end, it’s throughout the whole route,” he revealed. “Working with Keenan McCardell, he’s been helping me so much just to be a more complete receiver. He played 17 years in the league, so just learning from him, everything that he’s telling me, just trying to put it into my game.
Through five games, the Vikings showcase the NFL’s top-ranked defense per EPA/Play and 14th-ranked offense, a relatively balanced operation, particularly the first 3.5 games.
Meanwhile, Minnesota has scripted the pristine start amid a brutally tough schedule. Four of the five wins occurred against teams ranked in the Top 12 per Super Bowl odds. After an “easy” Week 1 triumph at the New York Giants, the Vikings have beaten four would-be Super Bowl contenders.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell joined The Pat McAfee Show this week and deflected personal credit for the flawless start. Instead, he applauded his players. “You can draw up a bunch of lines on a whiteboard and think you’re scheming it up, but the players are the ones that make it come to life. I just sit myself over there on the sidelines and call the plays. Those guys make it come to life,” O’Connell told McAfee 12 days before his team takes on the Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium.
These are the Vikings’ live odds to win the chip in four months:
And according to Nailor, the Vikings can do it.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.