Vikings Have Clear Chance To Unseat Packers And Rule Division

Let’s face it, the NFC North lacks the competitiveness of the NFL’s better divisions. Suddenly, the NFC East is the standard bearer with the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles leading the way followed closely by the New York Giants (what!) and the Dallas Cowboys.

The AFC West is largely a glamour division with the most gifted quarterback in the game in Patrick Mahomes, followed by Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers and Derek Carr of the Las Vegas Raiders. Russell Wilson? He is on a downhill slide with his new team in Denver that may be impossible to reverse.

The AFC East is home to the NFL’s best team in the Buffalo Bills. There’s a dull protest coming from the fans in Philadelphia, but the Bills have them beat on flat-out talent, explosiveness and intensity. Suddenly, the Jets are respectable, the Patriots have found a new hero in Bailey Zappe and the Dolphins may return to their early-season success as quarterback Tua Tagovailoa returns to action.

But the NFC North may feature just one team that has a chance to deliver a memorable season. The Minnesota Vikings have a new approach under rookie head coach Kevin O’Connell, and the Vikings are neither chasing games nor giving them away – as was the case in the last two seasons under former boss Mike Zimmer.

O’Connell may not measure up to Zimmer in experience and defensive expertise, but he understands today’s players and has a superior idea of how to get the most out of them and how to manage games. The latter factor is completely unexpected for a rookie head coach.

The rest of the NFC North has fallen below expectations. The Green Bay Packers have ruled the division for years, but suddenly they are devoid of talent at the wide receiver position and sulking Aaron Rodgers has not been able to create the magic that he has delivered for years. The once explosive offense is now reminiscent of a unit that is stuck in the mud and unable to create much havoc for the defense.

The Chicago Bears continue their relentless march to nowhere. After changing regimes for the umpteenth time in the last two decades, the Bears continue to falter when the game is on the line. They put together a huge comeback against the Vikings in Week 5, but when it came time to win the game, they spit the bit with a game-ending fumble that allowed Minnesota to come up with a win.

The Detroit Lions were supposed to be the team that stepped up in the division this year, if you believe preseason expectations. They had a great summer under head coach Dan Campbell on Hard Knocks, and they appeared to have the foundation of a competitive team. Instead, they are in last place in the division with a 1-4 record.

All of this leaves the Vikings in an excellent position to make a significant run at the division title and put themselves in a position for a long playoff run. The Vikings have to improve in several areas, most notably pass coverage on defense and consistency on offense.

The stars on the Vikings offense have looked brilliant at times, with Kirk Cousins, Dalvin Cook, Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen all making key contributions. However, the Vikings can go cold for no apparent reason and without warning. That unit failed in its first four possessions against the Dolphins, going three-and-out each time. That’s obviously the wrong way to start a game.

O’Connell’s clear strength to this point has been game management and motivation. Now he has to show that he has skill in self-scouting during the bye week. Knowing what the Vikings did not do at the start of the game against the Dolphins will help him fine-tune the game plan to the point where they can consistently get off to strong starts.

Once that happens, the Vikings will become a stronger team than they have shown to this point, and perhaps one that is good enough to rule the NFC North and make a major statement once that achievement is accomplished.