5 reasons Vikings can win the Super Bowl this year
![Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) fumbled the football late in the fourth quarter, the ball was recovered by Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh (93) at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum Thursday September 27, 2018 in Los Angles, CA. ] The Los Angeles Rams hosted the Minnesota Vikings a the L.A. Memorial Coliseum . JERRY HOLT • jerry.holt@startribune.com(Photo By Jerry Holt/Star Tribune via Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2Feff45317bb4f9fde557233d51a247c724797dd355caf9c9049c62787c1233065.jpg "Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) fumbled the football late in the fourth quarter, the ball was recovered by Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh (93) at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum Thursday September 27, 2018 in Los Angles, CA. ] The Los Angeles Rams hosted the Minnesota Vikings a the L.A. Memorial Coliseum . JERRY HOLT • jerry.holt@startribune.com(Photo By Jerry Holt/Star Tribune via Getty Images)")
3. Keeping up with the contenders
When it came to the heavy hitters in the NFL this past season, the Purple Gang did not fare well in the head-to-head encounters. Yes, the Vikings exacted some revenge for the 2017 NFC title game via a 23-21 victory at Philadelphia in Week 5. And the Eagles would claim a wild card berth by season’s end. But when it came to a total of six other clashes between teams that would wind up in the postseason a year ago. Minnesota had zero success.
Mike Zimmer’s squad would wind up being swept by the eventual NFC North champion Chicago Bears. The Vikings would travel to Los Angeles and lost a wild 38-31 shootout to the eventual conference champion Rams on a Thursday night in Week 4. Four weeks later, the team would lose a 30-20 Sunday night home tilt vs. the New Orleans Saints (Week 8). A humbling 24-10 setback at Foxborough by the eventual Super Bowl champion Patriots (Week 14) was not indicative of New England’s domination. And eight days later, Minnesota was humbled on a Monday night at Seattle, 21-7.
This year’s schedule includes the traditional six divisional tilts with the Bears, Packers and Lions, as well as clashes with the NFC East and AFC West, a return trip to the Pacific Northwest and a home tilt with the Atlanta Falcons in the season opener. Once again, that’s a combined seven games vs. playoffs teams from the previous season. And it’s a real test that the Vikings must fare better at this time around.
Next: No. 2