http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000...le-in-loss

Yes I know they were missing two big players on D.  But still, this is my general thoughts on the team

Quote:Former NFL general manager Michael Lombardi described the Seahawks' defense Monday as "a former boxing champion that knows how to fight but does not have any fight left in them."

can survive an injury to their starting QB?

In the NFC:
Philly without Wentz? No.
N.O. without Brees? No.
Rams without Goff? No.
Carolina without Newton? No.
Atlanta without Ryan? No.
Seattle without Wilson? No.
Detroit without Stafford? No.
Washington without Cousins? No.
(G.B. without Rodgers? - just had to throw that one in for fun)

In the AFC:
NE without Brady? Hoyer? I say no.
Pittsburgh without Big Ben? No.
Tennessee without Mariota? No.
Jags without Bortles? (is it Henne? Whatever, they do not lose much.) Yes.
KC without Smith? (Mahomes may be a player soon but I doubt he is now.) No.
Ravens without Flacco? No.
SD without Rivers? No.
Houston without Watson (we are seeing what that is like) No.

Then you have the Vikings without Bradford. Keenum has kept it going. But if he goes down, Teddy comes in. Nobody would be throwing in the towel in that case. Cannot even say for sure that we wouldn't be better at the position.  

There is still a lot of football to play this season. A lot can still happen. But the Vikings' depth across the board, but especially at the most important position, is impressive.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/201...-thoughts/


I think this is spot on and why the NFL teams who spend huge money analyzing QBs cant figure it  out is beyond me.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/27453...e-tying-fg

After the Rams game this team seems to have a different attitude and as a fan I think I am changing my attitude as well.

Before the Rams game I was looking at the schedule, as I do every year, and our division and conference rivals, and just hoping and praying that the Eagles lose or the Saints choke or the Lions get beat, so we can sneak into the playoffs just in case we have a meltdown.

I am really beginning to believe in this team and that this coaching staff and players can beat anyone.  The Vikings need to take this division because they are the best and beat the Lions not because the Lions choked but the Vikes are dominant.  The Vikings are going to play their way into a a first round buy not because the other teams lose but because the Vikings are going to beat the teams they need to beat to take that first round buy and get a home game.

I am really relaxed about the rest of the season the Vikings will finish at least 12-4 and get that first round buy and home game!

No position group on any NFL team has improved more than the Purple's big guys up front.Case Keenum dropped back in the pocket and waited, then rolled to his right and waited some more. He surveyed the field like a sailor searching for land.
He looked at his first option. Nothing. Looked at his second option. Nothing there either. Looked at his third option. No dice.
“I didn’t know what to do back there,” Keenum joked.
As his offensive line fended off the pass rush, Keenum had enough time to count his blessings that he didn’t play quarterback for the Vikings in 2016.
Finally feeling pressure, he dumped the ball to tight end David Morgan for a 5-yard completion. Keenum released the ball 9.4 seconds after taking the snap. By NFL pass rush standards, that was the time equivalent of driving across country instead of flying.
That singular play in the third quarter of a 24-7 victory against the Los Angeles Rams perfectly captured the 180-degree transformation by the Vikings offense line.
http://www.startribune.com/vikings-rejuv...458961903/

It took millions of decisions, opinions and steps to make this considerably weird 2017 NFL season go. Some of the essential figures off the field made moves that are decades old: Think back to Jerry Jones buying the Cowboys in 1989, or Bill Belichick resigning as coach of the Jets to take over the Patriots in 2000. Others choices were made as recently as this week, like a certain team benching a certain quarterback under brutally flawed logic.
There's still a lot of time left on the docket for 2017, but in light of a Week 11 in which the league's four best teams -- the Eagles, Patriots, Steelers and Vikings -- each pulled away from the pack with statement victories, let's examine 17 of the most meaningful moments from the past 12 months and break down how they impacted Week 11 and will continue to impact the playoff race to come. This is in relative order of importance, and let's start with that benching to which I alluded:
http://cdn.espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/page/...-decisions

14. Alshon Jeffery turns down a multiyear deal from the Vikings to sign a one-year deal with the Eagles.Has a free-agent decision ever made two teams as happy? While the terms weren't disclosed, the Vikings made a run at signing the former Bears wideout to a long-term deal this offseason, only for Jeffery to decline his shot at staying in the NFC North. The Vikings presumably would have pushed Jeffery into the lineup at the expense of Adam Thielen, who was entering a one-year deal with the Vikings as a restricted free agent. Two weeks later, Minnesota re-signed Thielen to a four-year, $19.2 million extension that looks to be a bargain, as Thielen's 916 receiving yards rank second in the league behind Antonio Brown.
Jeffery eventually decided to take a one-year deal to try to rebuild his value with the Eagles, and he's rounding into shape as a No. 1 receiver on the league's only nine-win team, though he's not hitting the heights of his Bears heyday. An impressive touchdown catch against the Cowboys on Sunday marked Jeffery's third consecutive game with 60 receiving yards and a touchdown, as the 27-year-old has racked up 321 yards and four scores in his past five games. Crucially, Jeffery has been able to play every game this season, which will only help his résumé in free agency next offseason.

Did you know there has only been ten 8-2 or better Viking teams in its 56 year history?  Maybe that's a lot, but I thought there'd be more.  It's really an eye opener to realize how many years between successful teams like this go by.  After losing Bradford, there's no way I would've thought we'd be seeing one of best records in team history.  We know things could turn on us; we've seen that before, but this team seems different.  This defense is about as tough as I remember seeing a Viking D, and is comparable to any going way back to the 70s and 80s.  

2017 8-2

Here are the other teams in the 2000s:
2009 9-1 (Conference Championship)
2000 8-2 (Conference Championship)

Going back a bit further you'll see there were only two in the 90s:
1998 9-1 (Conference Championship)
1992 8-2 (Wild Card Playoff )

In the 80s not once did they sniff 8-2.

Mid 70s and earlier.  Those were the "glory" years.  The '73 team is the one that hooked me as a kid.  Man, those games were so much fun back then.
1976 8-1-1 (Super Bowl)
1975 10-0 yeah, baby! (Division Playoffs)
1973 9-1 (Super Bowl)
1970 9-1 (Division Playoffs)

The 60s started rough but ended strong
1969 9-1 (Super Bowl)

The way this team is playing on both sides of the ball, I'd say maybe the 1970s teams are the only ones that are better.  The 2009 and 1998 teams had better offense, but the defenses on those teams weren't like this years. 

I think this team does have NFC Championship potential.  We still have December, but so far this is a historically great season.  Let's sit back and enjoy every moment of this ride!  B)

Urging Following the Minnesota Vikings’ 24-7 win over the Los Angeles Rams, three different national postgame shows declared that head coach Mike Zimmer should announce Case Keenum as his starting quarterback for the rest of the year.Um. Why?

Sure, Keenum has been good. He’s won six games in a row and totaled 11 touchdowns, five interceptions and a 92.6 quarterback rating. And he’s done so in the midst of a national debate over whether the Vikings should bench him for Teddy Bridgewater.
Keenum was made for this type of situation. Questions about whether he should be the starter – whether it’s from the head coach or the fans, who some Tweeters reported to have been chanting, “Teddy! Teddy” on Sunday – are Keenum’s norm. Ask a hockey player if he’s distracted by the cold or a baseball player if the sun is in his eyes. Yep, but that’s how it always is.
The locker room isn’t split. Bridgewater’s been Keenum’s biggest supporter. And Zimmer’s lukewarm endorsements haven’t dimmed Keenum’s beaming confidence.
Naming him the starter for the rest of the year only sets up for Zimmer to look silly if he has to bench Keenum.
http://www.1500espn.com/vikings-2/2017/1...rest-year/