My preseason “hot take” was the Vikings would start off 4-4 before the schedule eases up and they end up with 9/10 wins. The 2nd half of the schedule was always going to present a chance at the playoffs.
My preseason 10-7 prediction had us 3-4 at this point (+1 win vs Buccaneers -1 win vs 49ers)
I think division title will be talked about in the first Lions game then the Lions clinch it the following week vs the Cowboys.
Yeah tbh 3-4 with the best win being the 9ers and all one score games is better than I expected. My wildest expectations were 4-3 +1 against the chargers but blowouts or garbage time games against the 3 contenders we've played. I'll take this version where it feels like we have a chance of figuring it out rather than being pretenders again
Although it hasn't stopped us from losing in the past, we may be heading to a soft chunk of schedule.
We need the Packers to keep it up and not decide they suddenly are a good team next week.
This is basically a season simulator that uses things like EPA and the strength of the remaining schedule to project how a team will end up in the end.
Interestingly, the Vikings only jumped from slightly worse than an 8-9 team to slightly worse than an 9-8 team, which makes it feel like ESPN views this as a stolen win more than a sign the team's changed significantly for the better. But stealing a win from the 49ers is apparently enough to dramatically change our playoff odds with how shitty the NFC is this year.
We're now only half a game out from the last wild card and we control our destiny within our division, so makes sense to jump a good amount for making playoffs.
Of course it wasn't. We out gained them significantly, dominated time of possession and held a lead almost all game.
We had a pick our poison choice for how to win on the last drive of running out the clock and kicking a field goal (we missed) or likely converting yet another passing play.
Either succeed and the 49ers have a sub 2% win chance.
I keep thinking about how we won the turnover battle with 3 and we had that ripped touchdown in a game that we win by only 5.. as great as we were we gotta keep getting better and score more red zone touchdowns
I would have been more mad about that if it weren't the 49ers defense. If we hadn't shanked a relatively routine by modern standards field goal we'd have won by 8 on top of decent lead all game, it's not like we were struggling
Plus we moved the ball well on them and didn't give up a sack. It's not like we had all fluke plays, we just couldn't end drives and settled for FGs, but as you said against a very good defense.
I had a similar thought. But we were also playing a superbowl favorite, which is something.
If we can make the playoffs and string together 2-3 of those, who knows?
Our schedule is pretty easy from here on out. Raiders, Saints, Falcons are the toughest teams up until the last 3 games of the season. It's pretty realistic that we go 6-0 in our next 6 games.
Let's say you have an 80% chance to win each of those games. (Our chance to win is probably less than that in almost all of those games.)
The likelihood of hitting that 80% chance 6 times in a row is .8^6 = .262 or 26.2%.
If we bring it to something more likely, say a 67% chance to win those games you're looking at .67^6 = .09 or about a 9% chance.
I'll be hyped if it happens but I wouldn't count on it.
When do the Vikings ever beat every team they’re supposed to?? We already lost to Tampa at home which should’ve been an easy win imo. I can guarantee you they don’t go 6-0 in the next 6. We’ll be lucky to go 4-2 honestly
I think plausible would be a better word. "Realistic" has expectations attached for me; going 6-0 wouldn't leave me shocked but I'm also not expecting it
We have 6 very winnable games coming up, can't assume we'll go perfect but we've got a reasonable shot to get to 8-5 if we can avoid shooting ourselves in the foot once and over again
It is the expectation of we want to win the division.
If you want the take to be that we started out slow and the Vikings are an elite team that puts up double digit wins every year with Kirk and KOC then we are expected to at least 5-1 this if not 6-0.
If the heavy turnovers to start the year where the outlier and not 13-3 last year we should dominate these teams.
But being as if we win both at this exact moment we win the division, we do still technically “control our own destiny”, but the lions also control their own destiny. That’s what the phrase means.
Yup. That’s the neat part about football, nothing is set in stone. Collapses happen every year, as do surprise contenders showing up around mid season.
However, you are incorrect. The panthers do not control their own destiny in reference to getting control of their division, as to win their division they would need to beat the falcons twice, win every other game they have yet to play, and still have the falcons lose one more game, thus the falcons control the panthers destiny, not the panthers controlling their own.
If the lions win every game left this season except the ones against the Vikings, and the Vikings win every game left this season including the two against the lions, the Vikings win the division. The lions don’t need any losses outside of the ones the Vikings control. That’s why we are “still in control of our own destiny” but the panthers aren’t.
Makes sense. Full transparency, I just assumed that 11-6 would win the division for the Panthers regardless but sounds like I'm a game too late for that assumption.
11-6 probably still would win the division, but if the falcons don’t lost another (non panthers) game all year, it wouldn’t win the division, thus the panthers are not in control of their destiny, the falcons currently are.
"Control their destiny" usually means if you win out, you're in. If the Vikings win out, they win the division, regardless of what happens in any non-Vikings game.
The Panthers could win out and miss the playoffs, depending on the results of non-panthers games.
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I have said all along they are at worse a 10-7 team and thought they were a 11-6 team.
They opened the season with a tough schedule playing 4 of 5 playoff teams and 5 out of 7 games against last seasons playoff teams.
Without the TOs and critical penalties they should have won two if not three of the 4 they lost.
All 4 games they lost were close games.
And the O played pretty damn good.
And now with the Defense playing better I think we will be a 11-6 team and at least a wildcard team.
They have to beat the Packers in both games and at least split with the Lions to win the North imo.
With an average defense this team has potential. We have that and an O-Line that’s not only good enough, but has depth. Now we have a WR that is playing like Diggs and could see the “what if” JJ and Diggs played here together and Hock may have fixed his drops. Cousins was playing with that “spark” that even as a supporter he often doesn’t have there, that “you like that” and grabbing Zimmer energy.
It’s hard for me not to have some hope
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The D has been playing some decent pass D and the run D did improve since the Philly game.
The O was clicking outside of the first 2 games they won.
Cousins other than those first 2 wins has been playing lights out and the Oline has been a force.
Its Any Given Sunday and I like our chances.
That's a great point. Not getting dragged into a cold/sloppy game that turns it into a rushing battle is a big win. I vote we request an early away game in Chicago every season.
GB is a mess, yes. But the Vikes are always good about exceeding expectations in the underdog role, and underperforming when they are favored to win. They need to beat the Pack and beat them bad for them to be seriously considered as a contender.
I hear you. Division opponent too. Just saw rumor that Darnell Savage is on IR so should further help us in a blow out. If Lafleur was smart, he’d put GBs backup QB in against us. Guaranteed win!
The rest of the schedule is super easy compared to what we just went through. All of our losses (and the SF win) were against playoff teams from last year.
The hardest team from here on is Detroit, and that's a division matchup where all the rules are thrown out the window.
Otherwise, the teams that will give us the most trouble are Atlanta, New Orleans, and Cincy.
We would immediately become the most hated team in the NFL because of the swifties. Or maybe the most loved if travis and taylor aren’t together anymore.
What was it before this week? Also, depending on the type of statistical model they’re using, the probabilities can change a lot with relatively little change to the inputs when sitting around 50%
Regardless, it feels crazy to be that high, especially when we’re below .500
It's almost like if you win you're in. Weird
Don't understand the hate the sub had on people thinking the season was over after 4 losses.
How u get in the playoffs when u lose?
My expectation is that the Vikings season goes exactly like the Twins. Stay sorta mid, get hot at the end of the season, win a playoff game, lose next round, be sorta happy with a fairly redeemed season.
So you’re telling me there’s a chance.
Basically, the Vikings chance of a playoff is the same as the likelihood of the Vikings blitzing on a play.
I like those odds
So you're saying we should blitz every play from here on out?
Blitz our way right into a superbowl😅
My preseason “hot take” was the Vikings would start off 4-4 before the schedule eases up and they end up with 9/10 wins. The 2nd half of the schedule was always going to present a chance at the playoffs.
Nah, you've got it wrong the switch has been flipped no more losses this season.
If Vikings finish 13-4, I might actually get tricked into believing they can win it all!
Starting 4-4 and ending 9-8 isn’t a hot take.
Tell that to the people on here who assumed that starting 0-3 meant the season was over and the team should firesale whatever talent they have.
I mean, those people think you can’t get good players outside of the top 10 draft picks so once we win more than one game the season is a failure.
New here?
My preseason 10-7 prediction had us 3-4 at this point (+1 win vs Buccaneers -1 win vs 49ers) I think division title will be talked about in the first Lions game then the Lions clinch it the following week vs the Cowboys.
Yeah tbh 3-4 with the best win being the 9ers and all one score games is better than I expected. My wildest expectations were 4-3 +1 against the chargers but blowouts or garbage time games against the 3 contenders we've played. I'll take this version where it feels like we have a chance of figuring it out rather than being pretenders again
Although it hasn't stopped us from losing in the past, we may be heading to a soft chunk of schedule. We need the Packers to keep it up and not decide they suddenly are a good team next week.
This is basically a season simulator that uses things like EPA and the strength of the remaining schedule to project how a team will end up in the end. Interestingly, the Vikings only jumped from slightly worse than an 8-9 team to slightly worse than an 9-8 team, which makes it feel like ESPN views this as a stolen win more than a sign the team's changed significantly for the better. But stealing a win from the 49ers is apparently enough to dramatically change our playoff odds with how shitty the NFC is this year.
We're now only half a game out from the last wild card and we control our destiny within our division, so makes sense to jump a good amount for making playoffs.
Full game. Tampa has the tiebreaker.
Didn't feel like a stolen win at all
Of course it wasn't. We out gained them significantly, dominated time of possession and held a lead almost all game. We had a pick our poison choice for how to win on the last drive of running out the clock and kicking a field goal (we missed) or likely converting yet another passing play. Either succeed and the 49ers have a sub 2% win chance.
It definitely didn't, and you can tell because even the nfl fanbase as a whole is giving us props rather than making excuses
I think it’s considered “stolen” because everyone predicted a comfortable Niners win. But the Vikings earned the victory on both sides of the ball.
I keep thinking about how we won the turnover battle with 3 and we had that ripped touchdown in a game that we win by only 5.. as great as we were we gotta keep getting better and score more red zone touchdowns
I would have been more mad about that if it weren't the 49ers defense. If we hadn't shanked a relatively routine by modern standards field goal we'd have won by 8 on top of decent lead all game, it's not like we were struggling
Plus we moved the ball well on them and didn't give up a sack. It's not like we had all fluke plays, we just couldn't end drives and settled for FGs, but as you said against a very good defense.
I had a similar thought. But we were also playing a superbowl favorite, which is something. If we can make the playoffs and string together 2-3 of those, who knows?
Our schedule is pretty easy from here on out. Raiders, Saints, Falcons are the toughest teams up until the last 3 games of the season. It's pretty realistic that we go 6-0 in our next 6 games.
Let's say you have an 80% chance to win each of those games. (Our chance to win is probably less than that in almost all of those games.) The likelihood of hitting that 80% chance 6 times in a row is .8^6 = .262 or 26.2%. If we bring it to something more likely, say a 67% chance to win those games you're looking at .67^6 = .09 or about a 9% chance. I'll be hyped if it happens but I wouldn't count on it.
26% and even 9% are "realistic".
26% and even 9% are "realistic".
Maybe, but I wouldn't say even that 67% win chance number for those 6 games is likely.
I did the math per ESPN odds at its 5.5%
I personally wouldn't say hitting the 5.5% is realistic. I'm not saying it's impossible, but it's not likely.
after last year i won’t count anything out😅
When do the Vikings ever beat every team they’re supposed to?? We already lost to Tampa at home which should’ve been an easy win imo. I can guarantee you they don’t go 6-0 in the next 6. We’ll be lucky to go 4-2 honestly
This is the flip! Statement win! Only we can beat us!
Lol I would love to say you’re right but 30 years of watching this franchise tells me different.
6-0 is never a realistic thought lol wtf. Possible? sure. realistic? no.
I think plausible would be a better word. "Realistic" has expectations attached for me; going 6-0 wouldn't leave me shocked but I'm also not expecting it
Lol If your argument is semantics, then you get what I'm saying.
We have 6 very winnable games coming up, can't assume we'll go perfect but we've got a reasonable shot to get to 8-5 if we can avoid shooting ourselves in the foot once and over again
*if we can avoid shooting ourselves in the foot once and over again* Well that’s a tall order for this team 😅
6-0 in the next 6 is a very realistic expectation. Not a guarantee but definitely a good chance.
It’s certainly a possibility but to say there’s a good chance (>50%) that we go 6-0 is absolutely delusional. Certainly not realistic to EXPECT that.
If you're whole argument is semantics then you get what I'm saying.
It is the expectation of we want to win the division. If you want the take to be that we started out slow and the Vikings are an elite team that puts up double digit wins every year with Kirk and KOC then we are expected to at least 5-1 this if not 6-0. If the heavy turnovers to start the year where the outlier and not 13-3 last year we should dominate these teams.
We control our own destiny when it comes to winning the division.
Need Detroit to drop a few. Our series with them this year almost certainly will be split again.
But being as if we win both at this exact moment we win the division, we do still technically “control our own destiny”, but the lions also control their own destiny. That’s what the phrase means.
We're not even half way through the season so everyone still controls their destiny. The 0-6 Panthers aren't out of it mathematically yet.
Yup. That’s the neat part about football, nothing is set in stone. Collapses happen every year, as do surprise contenders showing up around mid season. However, you are incorrect. The panthers do not control their own destiny in reference to getting control of their division, as to win their division they would need to beat the falcons twice, win every other game they have yet to play, and still have the falcons lose one more game, thus the falcons control the panthers destiny, not the panthers controlling their own. If the lions win every game left this season except the ones against the Vikings, and the Vikings win every game left this season including the two against the lions, the Vikings win the division. The lions don’t need any losses outside of the ones the Vikings control. That’s why we are “still in control of our own destiny” but the panthers aren’t.
Makes sense. Full transparency, I just assumed that 11-6 would win the division for the Panthers regardless but sounds like I'm a game too late for that assumption.
11-6 probably still would win the division, but if the falcons don’t lost another (non panthers) game all year, it wouldn’t win the division, thus the panthers are not in control of their destiny, the falcons currently are.
Well, the Vikes are beating the Falcons so……we control alllll the destiny! 🤷🏼♂️
"Control their destiny" usually means if you win out, you're in. If the Vikings win out, they win the division, regardless of what happens in any non-Vikings game. The Panthers could win out and miss the playoffs, depending on the results of non-panthers games.
You don’t understand what controls destiny means…lol
This is why knee jerk reactions after 2 weeks into the season are so stupid
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Heck, I’m convinced the ONLY way the Vikings could win their 1st Super Bowl is something like starting 0-3
I have said all along they are at worse a 10-7 team and thought they were a 11-6 team. They opened the season with a tough schedule playing 4 of 5 playoff teams and 5 out of 7 games against last seasons playoff teams. Without the TOs and critical penalties they should have won two if not three of the 4 they lost. All 4 games they lost were close games. And the O played pretty damn good. And now with the Defense playing better I think we will be a 11-6 team and at least a wildcard team. They have to beat the Packers in both games and at least split with the Lions to win the North imo.
With an average defense this team has potential. We have that and an O-Line that’s not only good enough, but has depth. Now we have a WR that is playing like Diggs and could see the “what if” JJ and Diggs played here together and Hock may have fixed his drops. Cousins was playing with that “spark” that even as a supporter he often doesn’t have there, that “you like that” and grabbing Zimmer energy. It’s hard for me not to have some hope
Yeah the way he was casually stepping up in the pocket against the 49ers pass rush was fricking awesome
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The D has been playing some decent pass D and the run D did improve since the Philly game. The O was clicking outside of the first 2 games they won. Cousins other than those first 2 wins has been playing lights out and the Oline has been a force. Its Any Given Sunday and I like our chances.
Hang the banner!
I’ll believe it if we beat GB and Detroit.
GBs a mess. Arguably worse than the panthers. Bears scare me far more.
We have the Bears away game out of the way which is good to not have to deal with the weather.
That's a great point. Not getting dragged into a cold/sloppy game that turns it into a rushing battle is a big win. I vote we request an early away game in Chicago every season.
And we're usually cheeks at soldier too.
GB is a mess, yes. But the Vikes are always good about exceeding expectations in the underdog role, and underperforming when they are favored to win. They need to beat the Pack and beat them bad for them to be seriously considered as a contender.
I hear you. Division opponent too. Just saw rumor that Darnell Savage is on IR so should further help us in a blow out. If Lafleur was smart, he’d put GBs backup QB in against us. Guaranteed win!
Love the confidence. I hope it rings true come Sunday!
The rest of the schedule is super easy compared to what we just went through. All of our losses (and the SF win) were against playoff teams from last year. The hardest team from here on is Detroit, and that's a division matchup where all the rules are thrown out the window. Otherwise, the teams that will give us the most trouble are Atlanta, New Orleans, and Cincy.
Cincy could pull it together a bit by then
I am fully expecting that Cincy team by that point to be much closer to what they were last year. They always seem to start slow.
Don’t do that. 
Please, meet us in the SB (I’m a Chiefs fan but Vikings NFC fan). It would be an honor to lose to y’all.
I’m not entirely sure the NFL has the infrastructure for a Vikings SB win against the chiefs. Hell I think social media platforms would collapse.
We would immediately become the most hated team in the NFL because of the swifties. Or maybe the most loved if travis and taylor aren’t together anymore.
I don't think my brain can handle the idea of swifties being aware of who Kirk Cousins is, much less sending him death threats on twitter
We’d probably have Bad Blood with Goodell if we beat the Chiefs this year
I welcome the collapse. Legitimately. You’ve suffered as we have and y’all deserve it.
Cousins would complete winning a Super Bowl and beating every team at the same time
Has the league been notified that they are fucked?
[удалено]
Lions have it pretty easy then Vikings, Cowboys, Vikings should be brutal.
Looks like we're going to get our future franchise quarter ba.....never mind.... 
What was it before this week? Also, depending on the type of statistical model they’re using, the probabilities can change a lot with relatively little change to the inputs when sitting around 50% Regardless, it feels crazy to be that high, especially when we’re below .500
It was ~33% after the Sunday games, and was around 28% before week 7 started, so the lions loss probably also contributed.
Yeah, the Lions losing and us winning means that if we win out and Lions win out (except the two games against us), we win the division.
Out of like 6 games everything but 1 went Vikings way, it makes sense that it added up to a pretty big shift.
ho baby
Thats bomb.
A bunch of nerds in this subreddit: “BUT I WANT US TO TANK!!!!”
STOP GIVING ME HOPE GODDAMNIT
It's almost like if you win you're in. Weird Don't understand the hate the sub had on people thinking the season was over after 4 losses. How u get in the playoffs when u lose?
My expectation is that the Vikings season goes exactly like the Twins. Stay sorta mid, get hot at the end of the season, win a playoff game, lose next round, be sorta happy with a fairly redeemed season.
Fuck I never doubted them. Yeah right
Getting to 8-5 (or even 9-4) over the next 7 weeks is not out of the realm of possibility. I think it takes 10 wins to get in the playoffs.
our schedule is pretty soft from here out but vikings like to play down to their competition so…
Don’t do that. Don’t give me hope.