A month ago, the Minnesota Vikings were coming off a four-point loss to the Los Angeles Chargers that dropped them to 0-3 and gave them two losses at U.S. Bank Stadium.
That type of start buries most teams in the standings and causes fans to root for losses and the best possible draft position. But the Vikings have overcome that start, not to mention losing four of their first five games, and have hope as November nears.
The key was an upset victory on Monday night over one of the best teams in the NFC, the San Francisco 49ers. That win has created optimism and that will only increase if the Vikings can pull to .500 for the first time this season on Sunday when they face struggling Green Bay at Lambeau Field.
So are the Vikings ready to take off or is this just a brief resurgence soon to be followed by a letdown? Let’s take a look at factors working for and against coach Kevin O’Connell’s team.