Playoffs?!

As a fan I'd take it. To go from 1-5 to a possible playoff berth is amazing for an NFL team. This team was never as bad as 1-5, but also not good enough to be legit playoff threat. Regardless, it's fun to have meaningful games in December after being left for dead.

Hey, if the NFC East can have a representative in the playoffs who “deserves”to go, why can’t the Vikings “deserve” to go too??? Gosh, some of you guys need to renew your fan cards. Sure, we probably go nowhere in the playoffs, but I’ll spin it this way and say that getting some playoff experience for a young team like this would be pretty sweet, especially in light of where they climbed out of to get there. 

@"prairieghost" said: Hey, if the NFC East can have a representative in the playoffs who “deserves”to go, why can’t the Vikings “deserve” to go too??? Gosh, some of you guys need to renew your fan cards. Sure, we probably go nowhere in the playoffs, but I’ll spin it this way and say that getting some playoff experience for a young team like this would be pretty sweet, especially in light of where they climbed out of to get there. 

@"prairieghost" said: Hey, if the NFC East can have a representative in the playoffs who “deserves”to go, why can’t the Vikings “deserve” to go too??? Gosh, some of you guys need to renew your fan cards. Sure, we probably go nowhere in the playoffs, but I’ll spin it this way and say that getting some playoff experience for a young team like this would be pretty sweet, especially in light of where they climbed out of to get there. 

If the Vikes make the playoffs (I'm
not counting on it), it's because they earned it.  Yeah, they've lost a
couple close ones that hurt, but they haven't collapsed into totally sucking
either.  This Viking team isn't looking like a strong force to make a
serious playoff push, but I'm happy to see them contending for that last spot.

They have the Bucs, Bears, Saints,
and Lions left to play.  If 8-8 can earn that last spot, I'll take
it.  If they run the table with 4-0, or go 3-1, I'd say they earned it.  Personally, I see 8-8 at best, but it'd be pretty sweet to be wrong. B)

I dont think they do much damage in the playoffs, I'd be thrilled with one playoff victory actually. At this point though, not making the playoffs and having a draft pick where they're at would suck. Might as well shock the Bucs, get a couple more wins, and get into the damn dance.

@"Hawkvike25" said: I dont think they do much damage in the playoffs, I'd be thrilled with one playoff victory actually. At this point though, not making the playoffs and having a draft pick where they're at would suck. Might as well shock the Bucs, get a couple more wins, and get into the damn dance.

God bless em for Resiliency, but the Buc's arent the Jags and it wont be pretty if the Vikings dont play better. 

Vikings are winning and bumbling along all at the same timeThe Vikings have won five of six. They have also lost to the Falcons and Cowboys at home, and needed to work overtime — and make Dalvin Cook work far harder than is healthy — to beat a one-win team.

If the 2020 Vikings didn’t exist, the ghost of Pete Rozelle would invent them.
After taking the subterranean elevator to play down to the level of the 1-11 Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, the Vikings are the definition of average, whether you consider the word a compliment or slur, and are helping to fulfill the mandate of the NFL’s most important commissioner.
Rozelle fought for parity and economic equality between teams, to maximize the number of games that would matter, the number of teams that would stay in contention, and the number of fans who would tune in because of the league’s enforced unpredictability.
If he were alive in 2020, he would be wearing Helga horns and a Dalvin Cook jersey, because the same team that was often unwatchable on Sunday while pulling out a 27-24 overtime victory over the horrid Jaguars is now in position to make the playoffs.
No, really.
The Vikings are 6-6. They own the NFC’s seventh and final playoff spot for now. The Vikings have won five of their past six games. They have also lost to the Atlanta Falcons and Dallas Cowboys at home, and they needed to work overtime — and make Cook work far harder than is healthy — to beat a team whose ownership was probably rooting for a loss to enhance their draft prospects.
This Sunday, the team that has allowed three return touchdowns in two weeks, that is plus-1 in point differential over the past three weeks against three bad teams, will travel to Tampa knowing that a win would put them in the NFC’s No. 6 position.
No, really.
NFL media love to use the word “resilient.” It’s an empty compliment. What the 2020 Vikings are good at is hanging around while others fail. Which is a skill, just not one you’d put on your résumé.
“We have a lot of stuff to fix,” said rookie receiver Justin Jefferson.
The Vikings picked the right season in which to be average. The NFL has expanded the playoffs by one team per conference, and the middle of their schedule has been soft as flan.
“I have mixed feelings, to be honest with you,” Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said.
The Vikings have paid a price for playing all of these close, almost must-win games, and the bill has yet to come due.
During their 5-1 surge, they have ridden Cook as if he’s a rental car on which you took out maximum insurance.
Until the Vikings came out of their bye week and Cook tore apart the Packers defense in a season-­preserving victory at Lambeau Field, Cook had registered 30 touches twice — once in 2017 and once in 2019.
Starting with the Packers game, Cook has averaged 30 touches a game, touching it 32 times or more in four of those games. On Sunday, the Vikings would have greatly benefited from a blowout that would have enabled them to rest Cook and receiver Adam Thielen for the stretch run.
Instead, Cook had a career-high 38 touches, including eight consecutive runs in overtime to set up the game-winning field goal.
Credit Cook for becoming the Vikings’ most essential player. But if Zimmer had full faith in his quarterback and kicker, would he have wanted to see Cook carrying it eight straight times in overtime?
The Vikings threw a pick-six, fumbled inside the Jacksonville 5, were called for a false start on the opponent’s 1-yard line, missed two extra points and a long field goal and required their overmatched opponent to throw two interceptions, take a safety and commit 10 penalties to have a chance to win in overtime.
For the Vikings, this victory was what golfers call “UBU” — ugly but useful, like a skulled shot that hits the flagstick.
“The whole football team needs to get better,” Zimmer said. “Usually after you win a game, there’s a lot of hootin’ and hollerin’. The last two weeks it hasn’t been like that. … I think right now they feel fortunate to be where they are but they understand — I know they understand and I continue to preach it — that we have to stop doing these things.”
The Vikings are average and ascending. In 2020, that’s not a contradiction.
https://www.startribune.com/souhan-vikings-are-winning-and-bumbling-all-at-the-same-time/573312551/

they should finish 500 and that should back them into the playoffs,  they could sneak a playoff win out of that but its pretty likely they will be on the road and against a mathematically superior team,  but hey,  thats why they play the games.

While I want them to get the best draft picks possible, and to really make a move to build a winner for the future,  I have to be a fan on sundays and if that leads to the playoffs, and  a weaker draft pick,  lets go.... at least on sundays.

@"purplefaithful" said:

@"Hawkvike25" said: I dont think they do much damage in the playoffs, I'd be thrilled with one playoff victory actually. At this point though, not making the playoffs and having a draft pick where they're at would suck. Might as well shock the Bucs, get a couple more wins, and get into the damn dance.

I dont think Zimmer has ever had more than one playoff win in a season has he?  Vikings just finished the cream-puff stretch in the schedule. 

God bless em for Resiliency, but the Buc's arent the Jags and it wont be pretty if the Vikings dont play better. 

@"JimmyinSD" said: they should finish 500 and that should back them into the playoffs,  they could sneak a playoff win out of that but its pretty likely they will be on the road and against a mathematically superior team,  but hey,  thats why they play the games.

While I want them to get the best draft picks possible, and to really make a move to build a winner for the future,  I have to be a fan on sundays and if that leads to the playoffs, and  a weaker draft pick,  lets go.... at least on sundays.

@"Bullazin" said:

@"JimmyinSD" said: they should finish 500 and that should back them into the playoffs,  they could sneak a playoff win out of that but its pretty likely they will be on the road and against a mathematically superior team,  but hey,  thats why they play the games.

While I want them to get the best draft picks possible, and to really make a move to build a winner for the future,  I have to be a fan on sundays and if that leads to the playoffs, and  a weaker draft pick,  lets go.... at least on sundays.

Lol we finally wore you down with positivity bruh 

With no crowds for home field advantage this is the year to make the playoffs as a WC and do damage.

I can see how there will be playoff gonna be upsets.

How on brand would it be to nearly shit the bed  vs the Jags and Panthers, then give the Bucs and the Saints everything they could handle?

@"Mattyman" said: With no crowds for home field advantage this is the year to make the playoffs as a WC and do damage.

I can see how there will be playoff gonna be upsets.

@"Mattyman" said:
With no crowds for home field advantage this is the year to make the playoffs as a WC and do damage.

I can see how there will be playoff gonna be upsets.

The NFC east is such a fucking joke. It's funny and sad at the same time. If they get in, great. If not, oh well.

@"Vikergirl" said: The NFC east is such a fucking joke. It's funny and sad at the same time. If they get in, great. If not, oh well.

Historical note: twice teams with sub .500 record have won a playoff game...

@"BarrNone55" said: How on brand would it be to nearly shit the bed  vs the Jags and Panthers, then give the Bucs and the Saints everything they could handle?

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"BarrNone55" said: How on brand would it be to nearly shit the bed  vs the Jags and Panthers, then give the Bucs and the Saints everything they could handle?

Yep, I could see that. But mostly because of NFL parity, especially this year. Just this week Washington beat the Steelers, Giants beat the Seahawks and the Chiefs had to come from behind to beat the Broncos. You look through the games every week and none of it makes sense. 

@"Hawkvike25" said:

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"BarrNone55" said: How on brand would it be to nearly shit the bed  vs the Jags and Panthers, then give the Bucs and the Saints everything they could handle?

Yep, I could see that. But mostly because of NFL parity, especially this year. Just this week Washington beat the Steelers, Giants beat the Seahawks and the Chiefs had to come from behind to beat the Broncos. You look through the games every week and none of it makes sense. 

I could see it happening too. The area that concerns me is the lack of pass rush vs Brady. I think he will be able to rip our defense apart if he has all day to throw...I hope I'm wrong. I dont think the Saints with Brees are anything to be scared about because we know exactly how they like to run their offense with him as QB. Screw it though, win out