Minnesota Vikings: When Will Their First Loss Come?

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Five games in and coming off of a bye, are the Minnesota Vikings primed to run the board and go undefeated?

The first five games of the season were supposed to be the toughest on the schedule for Minnesota. Yet, hrough all the injuries the team rallied around their one cornerstone to the team, head coach Mike Zimmer.

Zimmer himself will proudly spread the wealth of credit to his coaching staff and players when it comes to their hot start. To me, with no professional biased opinion whatsoever, this team may have the best comradery among their players and coaches in the league.

With the string of injuries this team has endured, the schedule they’ve played early on, and the improbable short notice switch of arguably the most important position in football. The Vikings, as a team, have been able to accomplish what most wouldn’t have with the obstacles dealt to them just a week before the season.

Now the challenge will be to see how exactly this team will respond after there bye week. Is this start just a first quarter fluke? Or are these new purple people eaters of the north the real deal?

As we narrow down the schedule these next five games, can you argue a case to where the Minnesota Vikings may falter or fall to a specific team?

Let’s break down the Vikings remaining schedule to see if/when their first loss will come in 2016.

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Week 7 at Philadelphia Eagles

This is probably the best trap game out of the bye for a potential Minnesota Vikings loss. As a avid fan and a football realist, I’m nothing short of astonished of what Carson Wentz has done thus far this season. The rookie out of North Dakota Stat has been phenomenal out of the gate for the Eagles, having shown great poise in such little time as a professional signal caller.

Philadelphia as a whole has been one of the more pleasant surprises of this young NFL season, with their defense also playing a vital role in their 2016-17 success.

Wentz has a touchdown to Interception ratio of 7-to-1, a passer rating of 99.9, and the defense as a whole is playing like a top five unit. But unfortunately for them, Minnesota will continue their success in Week 7, and here’s why.

For as good as Wentz has been, he’ll be no match for what is considered by many the best defensive unit in football as of right now. Allowing a mind like Mike Zimmer’s a full two weeks to prepare for a rookie, while picking the mind of a quarterback who spent a whole offseason learning the Philly system, it just doesn’t look good for the Eagles except for the fact they will be at home.

The Vikings have terrorized two former NFL MVPs, and a two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback, having defeated three former playoff teams from last year in five games total this season.

Not a single team has scored more than 16 points on this Vikings defense dating back to the end of last season, Minnesota themselves has not turned the ball over on offense this season. Everything has been bouncing Minnesota’s way so far.

An extra week off to get healthy, another for players to get healthy and Bradford to learn the offense more proficiently; a Mike Zimmer led team coming off a bye will not allow a rookie to halt their early success.

First Loss: No

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Week 8 at Chicago Bears

Almost perfect timing for back to back divisional games, the first one heading to Soldier Field versus the inconsistent Chicago Bears.

Have to give it to John Fox and the Bears though, they may have found a perennial stud in Jordan Howard at running back, Jeremy Langford returning should not affect his touches what so ever.

What I don’t like about this Chicago team is the specific quarterbacks on this unit. Jay Cutler and Brian Hoyer are somewhat in the same boat as players. When either are on, they are very, very good. But when they are bad things tread downhill very quickly. Their salaries are vastly different, but the two of them are similar to an extent.

We’ve seen the meltdowns from both on numerous occasions, with Hoyer’s coming in the playoffs when he threw four interceptions against the Kansas City Chiefs. When it comes to Cutler, a multi-turnover game is almost expected every three-to-four games. No I didn’t look it up, but it’s close.

The wide receivers for Chicago are banged up along with their defense. The Bears are already 1-4 on the season, and help doesn’t seem to be coming soon. Cameron Meredith has been a pleasant surprise. Nonetheless, Minnesota has shown no remorse towards wide receivers. If you are going to hit the Vikes, Chicago will need a heavy dose of tight end, Zach Miller.

Fortunately for Chicago, they’ll have a few extra days of rest since they will be playing the Green Bay Packers Thursday night before they play the Vikings the following Monday.

Soldier Field has always been a tough place to play for the Minnesota Vikings, but under Zimmer the attitude has changed. The game may be close, but the result will remain the same from last year, with Minnesota coming out with a victory.

First Loss: No

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Week 9 vs. Detroit Lions

Sorry Detroit, there is just no way you’ll be beating the new version of these purple people eaters at home. Matthew Stafford, Marvin Jones and crew have played well under the circumstances so far in 2016. Even though their record states that they’re 3-3, they’ve stayed competitive in each of the three of their losses and have racked up the points in their two victories. The Lions could have easily wound up at 4-2, or even 5-1, through six weeks.

Despite losing their franchise player and one of the best to suit up in a Lions uniform in former wide receiver Calvin Johnson, this offense under Stafford has become more diverse with multiple players contributing. Theo Riddick was a pleasant surprise until suffering an injury. Moreover, their offensive line has been worlds better than in previous seasons.

As of right now the injury bug is striking the Lions, like it has plenty of teams in the NFL. Minnesota will show them no sympathy, as they have striven through the adversity on the road to an undefeated record.

The Vikings beat Detroit both away and home last season. And with this first game being at home, it’s doubtful Detroit will be able to deal with a defense like this in a noisy U.S. Bank Stadium.

Marvin Jones will be negated by Xavier Rhodes. Golden Tate should be locked down by either Captain Munnerlyn in the slot or Newman on the outside. This seems like a game that Stafford will be running for his life and forcing throws that he shouldn’t. Expect many turnovers, an ugly game from the silver and blue offense and possibly a 30+ point number from the Minnesota Vikings as they thump the Lions at home.

First Loss: No

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Week 10 at Washington Redskins

Another turnover prone quarterback in Kirk Cousins and an up and down running game, I still don’t see a loss in sight for the Minnesota Vikings. Washington is another one of those inconsistent teams that are either rolling or waddling along during streaks.

As of right now, the Redskins are on the up and up, having won their last four after losing their first two to open the season. Do we expect this to continue? Probably not. The Redskins next three games before they welcome Minnesota to Washington are against the Eagles, Lions, and Bengals, respectively. Though it’s possible they come out with a winning record, something tells me they will be an even .500 when they meet the Vikings.

The Redskins have not beaten Minnesota since 2012 and are 1-4 in the last five meetings with the purple and gold. Washington lost their last home game versus them in 2014. The statistics do not favor Washington, either. Nor do the following five games after playing Minnesota.

Their schedule persists of the Packers, Cowboys, Cardinals, Eagles, and Panthers after they host Minny. Time to strap on those big boy pants Washington fans, that stretch of schedule looks extremely brutal.

First Loss: No

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Week 11 vs. Arizona Cardinals

This is it, the kryptonite to the Vikings unblemished record of this 2016-17 season—or maybe it isn’t? The Arizona Cardinals have an incredible roster on paper, and some of the best playmakers on both sides of the ball. In theory, they should be destined for another Super Bowl appearance. But what exactly is going on in Arizona? It’s quite frankly not explainable as to why Arizona has under-performed their way into a 3-3 record, but some could see why.

Carson Palmer hasn’t been the Carson Palmer of old, holding the ball too long and making poor decisions down the field. David Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald have been as advertised, but the likes of Michael Floyd, Carson Palmer, and the Arizona defense has not.