The Minnesota Vikings currently sit at 7-1 with the second-best record in the NFL, but the thoughts on the Vikings are very 50/50. Some believe that the Vikings have finally put the pieces together to make a deep playoff run while others believe that they still cannot compete with the top tier teams in the NFC.

The offensive side of the ball is stacked with talent led by star wide receiver Justin Jefferson and elusive running back Dalvin Cook. They are joined by Adam Thielen, KJ Osborn, and the newly acquired T.J Hockenson who will look to make this offense even more explosive than before. The question marks lie at the quarterback position and offensive line. Kirk Cousins has been a love him or hate him player to fans. He puts up pretty stats that on the surface should have you as a believer, but his awful play in primetime games and against top teams in the NFL prove the doubters to be on to something. The offensive line on the other hand has been hit or miss, but the one constant is struggling against physical defensive lines. We saw both Kirk Cousins and the offensive line struggle on Monday Night Football against the Philadelphia Eagles, which is the main point of the doubters as our first test against a real contender was a complete failure. The Minnesota Vikings will need Kirk Cousins to show up in these big games if they wanna make some noise in the NFC, and the offensive line will be key in giving Kirk time to get comfortable and in a flow.

The defensive side of the ball shines in some aspects, like creating turnovers and stopping the run. But they are also awful at some things like defending the pass. The defense is one of the worst in terms of passing yards, and that isn’t a good sign if they are looking to compete. If they wanna become serious contenders, they are going to need to find a way to limit the pass game which starts with Danielle Hunter and Za'Darius Smith continuing to get to the quarterback and create chaos in the pocket.

The team has a true test coming in the next few weeks as they travel to Buffalo to face one of the AFC favorites in the Bills. They then have a three game homestand against Dallas, New England, and the New York Jets. If they want to prove the doubters wrong and show they are serious contenders, this 4-game stretch is where they can do it. The Vikings will either solidify themselves as contenders, or will be labeled as pretenders.