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The NFL is about change on a year-to-year basis. There’s really only one constant in the NFL - the Patriots. Like them or hate them, we all know and expect that NE will be among the top teams in the league year after year. (Pittsburgh is like a poor man’s version of NE. They’re pretty consistently good.)
But look at the 3 other teams that made their conference championship games last year:
Philly, Jacksonville, and Minnesota. None are what they were last year, but Jax and Philly have really fallen from last year to this year. The Vikings at least have a realistic shot at returning to the playoffs. Philly has an outside shot only because they play in a terrible division, and Jax went from leading NE in the 4th quarter of the AFCCG last season to what is now an awful and disfunctional team.
The up and comers from last year - N.O., L.A., K.C. - have arrived. Chicago got the Khalil gift to start the season and with their new KC-style offense, are looking really good.
So the Vikings are not what they were last year, but in a league where change is the rule rather than the exception, they’ve managed to stay relevant.
They have managed to stay relevant. That's ok for now, but not great. I just want them to make the dance.
I don't feel a SB type year is about to unfold. Sorry, that sounds like a real Eor type thing to say and I dont mean to shit on your thread.
The next two road games will say a lot about this team in 2018.
Vikings have the talent to beat any team in the league. But down the stretch it's more about getting healthy and getting hot.
Quote: @purplefaithful said:
They have managed to stay relevant. That's ok for now, but not great. I just want them to make the dance.
I don't feel a SB type year is about to unfold. Sorry, that sounds like a real Eor type thing to say and I dont mean to shit on your thread.
The next two road games will say a lot about this team in 2018.
I was confident the defense would get things turned around, Zimmer is too good of a coach for that not to happen. However, I was really hoping that Flip and the rest of the coaching staff would figure out how to start generating an effective running game over the past 6 weeks. It really hasn't materialized.
However, I think the Vikings need to use the same formula as they did against the Packers. Stick with the run enough to keep the play-action passing game effective. We just aren't the same offense when we go completely pass-heavy. It'll be especially critical with these next two road games... tough to win in New England and Seattle if you can't run the ball and keep Brady and Wilson on the sidelines.
I still have hope that the Vikings can make the playoffs... and if they can find a solid running game over the last 5 weeks, they could be a tough out in the post-season. We'll see what happens.
Yep they win and every year nobody in there division gives them any completion. So I guess thats 4 things that don't change. Next highest team in that division is 1 game under .500.
Every year they rack up division wins and take enough outside to get home field though out. That gets them to the neutral site Super Bowl where they are the .500 team.
Yeah I'm bitter.
Quote: @suncoastvike said:
Yep they win and every year nobody in there division gives them any completion. So I guess thats 4 things that don't change. Next highest team in that division is 1 game under .500.
Every year they rack up division wins and take enough outside to get home field though out. That gets them to the neutral site Super Bowl where they are the .500 team.
Yeah I'm bitter.
this, exactly this. they are basically guaranteed a minimum 5 wins each year by their division alone. meaning they only really need to win about 6 more games of their remaining 10 to have a decent shot at a home playoff game. they are a good team, and brady is a great QB, but their dynasty is a bit tarnished IMO based on how easy it was for them to make the playoffs each year.
It's too bad that we can't know the answer to hypothetical questions... like how many Super Bowls would the Vikings win if they were in the AFC East? Or, how many would the Patriots have if they were in the NFC North?
Overall, though, I do think that that Pats win a majority of their non-conference games vs. teams over .500. They're just good... and sometimes great.
Ill point out that New Orleans was a Miracle away from going to the NFC Championship game. They were excellent last year and are awesome this year, to my dismay. So they have held serve as a top NFC team from last year
Quote: @NorthernCalVike said:
Ill point out that New Orleans was a Miracle away from going to the NFC Championship game. They were excellent last year and are awesome this year, to my dismay. So they have held serve as a top NFC team from last year
Yep. They have Brees and had a monster draft. And Brees is willing to take less than he could make elsewhere in order to get better players so he can win another SB. Who else does that? Tom Brady. Most of the other top teams have young cheap QBs: Goff, Mahomes, Wentz, Trubisky, Watson ...
In that sense, the Packers are pretty unique. Who else has a superstar QB and a middle of the road team? I do not put Stafford in the elite QB class. Andrew Luck is elite but is working his way back from a long injury absence. And they had to rebuild the Colts. Maybe Russell Wilson. But that also seems like an on-the-run rebuild. Wilson just won't let the Seahawks be as bad as they otherwise should be.
Quote: @dadevike said:
@ NorthernCalVike said:
Ill point out that New Orleans was a Miracle away from going to the NFC Championship game. They were excellent last year and are awesome this year, to my dismay. So they have held serve as a top NFC team from last year
Yep. They have Brees and had a monster draft. And Brees is willing to take less than he could make elsewhere in order to get better players so he can win another SB. Who else does that? Tom Brady. Most of the other top teams have young cheap QBs: Goff, Mahomes, Wentz, Trubisky, Watson ...
In that sense, the Packers are pretty unique. Who else has a superstar QB and a middle of the road team? I do not put Stafford in the elite QB class. Andrew Luck is elite but is working his way back from a long injury absence. And they had to rebuild the Colts. Maybe Russell Wilson. But that also seems like an on-the-run rebuild. Wilson just won't let the Seahawks be as bad as they otherwise should be.
I will be curios to see what KC does in 2 years, he will have already made huge bank, so much so that his kids kids would never have to work, but will he make it about himself and his payday, or will he put the team first and sign a deal that puts him back at mid pack salary wise in order to give him better protection and weapons?
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