Minnesota was thought to be in a rebuilding year, especially after a loss to Atlanta.
The then-winless Falcons blew out the Vikings heading into their bye. That left Minnesota with a 1-5 record, with Green Bay at Lambeau Field for its next game.
There did not seem to be a lot of hope. The Vikings traded Yannick Ngakoue and it didn’t seem surprising if the team became even more of a seller.
In order for the Vikings to turn their season around, they didn’t just have to beat teams like the Falcons. They had to beat teams that are contending for the playoffs this year, teams that have proven to be better than the Vikings have been in 2020.
That’s exactly what the Vikings did in Week 8. Minnesota upset Green Bay and restored some hope to its nightmarish season. The victory moves the Vikings to 2-5.
If there is any hope for this season, Minnesota has to continue to beat divisional opponents. That’s why this game vs. Detroit is so important for them.
The Vikings will take on the Lions in Week 9. Detroit is coming off a 41-21 loss to Indianapolis. To be fair, the Colts also made the Vikings look pretty bad earlier in the year.
Minnesota ended up only trading Ngakoue before the NFL trade deadline, and the team did that before the Green Bay game. With the roster relatively locked in, the Vikings look to be too good of a team to land the No. 1 overall pick. They might as well keep winning in that case.
A loss to the Lions relieves all doubt that this is not a Minnesota team to take seriously. A victory, however, is another step in the right direction — another much-needed win for an unlikely turnaround.