A huge 37-point loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday dropped the Minnesota Vikings’ point differential to -2 on the season. The New York Giants’ differential dropped to +1 after their 13-point loss to the Detroit Lions.
These are incredibly small point margins for teams with seven and eight wins, respectively. By comparison, the 7-3 Buffalo Bills have a +107 margin. The 8-2 Kansas City Chiefs have a +67 margin.
While both losses were disappointing — because of how it happened for the Vikings, and because of who it happed against in the case of the Giants — the teams’ small point margins suggest they weren’t really that great to begin with.
That’s not to say the Vikings and Giants aren’t good teams, but they were always flawed, and they got lucky to escape a few more close games than most teams.
That luck ran out Sunday, and now they both have quick turnarounds on Thanksgiving. Things could get worse before they get better.