3 reasons the Vikings could make the playoffs and be a problem

The Minnesota Vikings might be the sleeper team you don’t want to play.

Believe it or not, the Minnesota Vikings are still in the playoff hunt.

Once sitting at 1-5, two quality wins over the Packers and Lions now have them with three wins on the year, sitting just on the edge of potentially being in the playoffs. What’s crazier is how much better the overall play has been despite injuries.

Eight games can tell a ton about a team’s outlook, but that doesn’t always mean the first eight. Entering the second half of the season, Minnesota will need to stay strong and continue their rebound tour if they hope to be in the hunt for a postseason spot. Throw in the emerging and established talent, it’s easy to see why people will be putting them as a dark horse for playoff football.

Once there, good luck to everyone else. There’s something powerful about hitting your stride and momentum at the right moment. Minnesota certainly will if they finish the season on the right note.

Why the Vikings could make the playoffs and be dangerous

1. Established run game

Teams late in the season might need to trust running the ball over passing. This is due to colder weather impacting the trajectory of the throw, thus leading to more turnovers. For some, this could be a problem. For the Vikings, this is a Sunday.

This past season, the Vikings have realized that Kirk Cousins inconsistencies under center as best used spastically. Instead, relying on Dalvin Cook has been their bread and butter over the past two games. Since his return from a groin injury, the fourth-year running back has tallied 369 rushing yards, 109 receiving yards and scored six total touchdowns.

One of the more well-rounded backs in the NFL, Cook’s number will be called on even more entering the winter months. When looking at all the other playoff-caliber teams in their way, none have an established run game. When they say “pay running backs top dollar” it’s for moments such as these.