Good teams lost to not good teams around the NFL on Sunday and if the trend continues Monday night it’ll be good news for the Minnesota Vikings, who at 2-4 are home underdogs against the 5-1 San Francisco 49ers.
If Minnesota pulls the upset to improve to 3-4, it’ll come after the Lions were blown out 38-6 by the Ravens and the Packers lost a third straight game with an ugly performance against the lowly Denver Broncos. Detroit (5-2) is still well ahead in the NFC North, but the Vikings can get with two games with a win over the 49ers that would inspire hope after Minnesota’s disastrous 1-4 start to the season and keep things within striking distance with two head-to-head meetings with Detroit to come.
If the Vikings lose to the 49ers they’ll be 2-5 and the conversation will be all about a potential fire sale mixed before the Halloween trade deadline. But again, a win changes the entire plot and the Vikings would be feeling good entering next week’s game at Lambeau against the struggling Packers.
Minnesota’s upcoming schedule looks a whole lot more forgiving since the Packers lost to a Denver team that had been embarrassed in three of four games before Sunday. Winning at Lambeau is usually tough, but that might not be the case in the post Aaron Rodgers world.
Let’s say the Vikings beat the 49ers and Green Bay. Suddenly they’re sitting at .500 (4-4) with a stretch of winnable games to come.
- @ Atlanta Falcons (4-3)
- vs. New Orleans Saints (3-4)
- @ Denver Broncos (2-5)
- vs. Chicago Bears (2-5)
- Bye week
- @ Las Vegas Raiders (3-4)
We’re talking about potential for a red-hot stretch for the Vikings. Atlanta leads the NFC South but their four wins are against the winless Panthers, struggling Packers, young Texans, and the Bucs.
Desmond Ridder and company aren’t going to scare the Vikings. That’s for sure.
None of this matters if the Vikings lose to the 49ers. But if the Vikings can pull off the upset, there’s no reason they can’t go on a significant run to keep pace in the NFC North and put themselves firmly in the playoff race over the final 10 games of the season.
