Minnesota has found a way to put its fans on a roller coaster of hope and despair this season.
The Vikings started 1-5, which suggested that the playoffs this season would be out of the question. Then, just like that, Minnesota went on a three-game winning streak.
What seemed ridiculous at 1-5 seemed reasonable after the Bears win: the Vikings, at 4-5, could get back to .500 against a Cowboys team without their starting quarterback. But right when it seemed like the team was turning its season around, the Vikings regressed to their 1-5 selves.
Minnesota lost 31-28 to Dallas in Week 11. That makes the playoffs a lofty goal, but it’s still not off the table completely.
The Vikings could theoretically win their next two games, putting them at .500 and making a postseason berth possible if the team beats some good opponents down the stretch.
However, Minnesota has to win these two games against the Panthers and Jaguars. Dropping either one shows that the Vikings can’t beat the teams they are supposed to, if the losses to the Falcons and Cowboys are not indication enough.
I think this 2020 Vikings team will be inconsistent. However, I also think the three-game winning streak showed that this team is capable of taking down decent opponents. If that version of the Vikings can show up for the rest of the year, Minnesota could make the playoffs.
The team needs Dalvin Cook to stay healthy, for Justin Jefferson to stay involved in the offense, for the Vikings defense to not give up as many big plays to teams like the Cowboys and for the Minnesota to shore up its special teams.
Vikings fans have seen all those things happen this year. Now, the team needs to prove that the bad losses were behind them. It starts against the Panthers, and if the team drops to 4-7 with a loss, it will probably end there, too.