Are the Vikings for real? Their 6-1 record makes it hard to deny

EAGAN, Minn. -- How agelong tin we inquire if a squad is "for real" earlier its grounds leaves nary doubt? The Minnesota Vikings are approaching that territory aft improving to 6-1 with a 34-26 victory Sunday implicit the Arizona Cardinals.

Regardless of however it's happening, oregon against whom, the Vikings present person a amended grounds than each but 2 teams successful the NFL. They person a four-game pb successful the nonaccomplishment file implicit their NFC North part rivals, with 1 triumph apiece against each of them, and ESPN's Football Power Index gives them a 95.3% accidental to marque the playoffs. In a league with 20 teams that person betwixt 3 and 5 wins, the Vikings are 1 of a fistful who person mathematically separated themselves during the archetypal 2 months of the 2022 season.

Whether anyone has noticed, oregon cares, is astir irrelevant astatine this point.

"I conscionable hatred that radical are inactive not talking astir us," linebacker Za'Darius Smith said. "But it's OK. We’ll proceed to beryllium the underdogs and support going to enactment each and each time to get better."

The information is the Vikings person lone been FPI underdogs successful 2 of their 7 games and nary of the past five. FPI favors them successful six of their last 10 games, a way that would permission them 12-5 this season. But similar galore winning teams, determination are reasons to question whether they tin support their existent pace.

They've won 5 one-possession games without a nonaccomplishment done 7 games, a way truthful uncommon it has happened lone 4 different times successful the past 20 years astir the NFL. They've flooded fourth-quarter deficits successful 3 of their wins. Quarterback Kirk Cousins' 51.4 Total QBR ranks No. 16 successful the NFL and beneath each but 1 of the NFL's 8 part leaders. Their defence has allowed the NFL's seventh-worst QBR (54.4).The Vikings person been mostly injury-free but are walking a tightrope with 7 starters aged 30 oregon older, arsenic good arsenic a shallow rotation that features lone 28 players getting regular violative oregon antiaircraft snaps.

But the Vikings uncovering ways to triumph has covered for that and built a benignant of playoff equity. Of the 25 teams to commencement 6-1 since the 2002 divisional realignment, 20 person made the playoffs. And nary 6-1 squad has missed the playoffs since the 2020 playoff enlargement to 14 teams.

So adjacent if the Vikings regress toward the NFL mean, a not-inconceivable absorption fixed upcoming games against the Buffalo Bills (7-1) and Dallas Cowboys (6-2) implicit the adjacent 3 weeks, they'll inactive person a wide way to the postseason. Even if they autumn 2 games backmost of their FPI per-game expectations, and suffer six of their last 10 games, they'll inactive decorativeness with a 10-7 record. Based connected the existent authorities of the NFC North, that mightiness good beryllium capable for a part title.

For that reason, seasoned players are preaching the value of what's already happened. Cousins, successful 10 erstwhile seasons, has ne'er been 6-1. His teams person had winning records aft 7 games lone twice. Cornerback Patrick Peterson has much often been 1-6 (twice) than 6-1 oregon amended (once) successful 11 erstwhile seasons.

"You conscionable privation to soak up these moments," Peterson said, "and soak up these memories. Because ... they don't travel astir precise often. That's wherefore I archer these guys clip successful and clip out: Enjoy the moment. Embrace the infinitesimal and spot the process arsenic well."

Speaking Monday, antiaircraft tackle Harrison Phillips bemoaned "how galore times successful past you tin spell backmost and look astatine fantastic starts to a play that came up short." They're not arsenic predominant arsenic Phillips mightiness guess, but it would beryllium understandable for longtime Minnesota fans to consciousness a spot apprehensive.

One of the 5 teams since 2002 that missed the playoffs aft a 6-1 commencement was the 2003 Vikings. That radical opened the play with six consecutive wins earlier losing its adjacent 4 and past 2 of its adjacent five.

Still, the 2003 Vikings entered the last week of the regular play with a 9-6 grounds and needed lone to triumph astatine the 3-12 Cardinals to clinch an NFC North rubric and playoff berth. In a legendary finish, Cardinals backmost Josh McCown threw a 28-yard touchdown walk to receiver Nate Poole connected the game's last play to win, 18-17.

But that's the benignant of illness it would apt instrumentality for the Vikings to miss the playoffs. A much optimistic presumption of past would enactment that of the 5 erstwhile teams to bash what the Vikings person done truthful acold successful 2022 -- triumph 5 one-possession games implicit its archetypal 7 without a nonaccomplishment -- 3 made the Super Bowl: the 2015 Denver Broncos, the 2006 Indianapolis Colts and the 2003 Carolina Panthers.

Perhaps astir importantly, the Vikings' seasoned roster provides a default knowing of the uncommon quality of the team's existent state.

"And if you don't cognize what it looks like," Peterson said, "follow me. Because I'm going to amusement you energy, passionateness and a tendency to spell retired determination and privation to triumph [games]. And everybody other follow."