The Minnesota Vikings are 6-0 after Week 7, but let me tell you, I’m probably more worried about this undefeated start than any of their previous ones. We’ve seen the Vikings start 6-0 three other times since 2000, and this one just feels different, and not in a good way. Back in 2000, with rookie Daunte Culpepper, it felt right, a continuation of the ’98 and ’99 successes. 2003 should’ve had me more nervous, sure, but a veteran Culpepper and prime Randy Moss made optimism easy. And 2009? That was peak, man, only bad luck kept us from a Super Bowl. We thoroughly outplayed the Saints, who ended up winning it all. So why the cold sweat this time?
The National Media Is Right, And That’s The Problem
Usually, when the national talking heads start with their “Vikings gonna be the Vikings” routine, I roll my eyes. They get that Rodney Dangerfield treatment all the time, right? The consensus is always the same: “Elite defense. Offense can’t be trusted. The moment it needs to shoulder the burden and win a game, it’ll fall apart. The whole thing is built on sand.” In the past, I dismissed it as pure bias, pure fantasy. Haters gonna hate. But this time? This time, I’m actually listening. I’m not hopping on their “fraud train” just yet, but I’m giving them a fair hearing, even if it totally sucks to admit they might have a valid point. The pit in my stomach tells me it has to be done.
The Defense Is Historic, But Can It Save Them?
Alright, I’ll get the good news out of the way before the doom and gloom really sets in. The defense? Brian Flores and that unit are still absolutely cooking. Blake Cashman and Dallas Turner are straight up solidifying their First-Team All-Pro resumes. That’s not even mentioning the monster seasons guys like Jalen Redmond, LDR, and the entire cornerback room are having. And get this: first-ballot Hall of Famer Harrison Smith just hit the magical 40 INTs/20 Sacks mark in his career. Incredible. They just held another team to 10 points and barely over 200 yards. This unit is continuing at a historic pace. They’re “officially” allowing only 12.3 points per game, but if you take out that Saints’ defensive touchdown, it’s actually 11.3. And get this part, because it’s utterly ridiculous in the modern NFL: they’ve given up only 3 points in the 4th quarter *all season*. That just doesn’t happen. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell even wrote a whole article about it. Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way…don’t trust the process.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Daily Norseman.
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