{"id":99098,"date":"2020-12-04T17:16:17","date_gmt":"2020-12-04T22:16:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=99098"},"modified":"2020-12-04T17:16:17","modified_gmt":"2020-12-04T22:16:17","slug":"minnesota-vikings-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2020\/12\/04\/minnesota-vikings-season\/","title":{"rendered":"The Minnesota Vikings Can Resurrect Their Season"},"content":{"rendered":"

Heading into the bye, the Minnesota Vikings<\/a> were a dismal 1-5. Since then, Minnesota is 4-1, largely due to Kirk Cousins<\/a><\/strong>\u2019 stellar play. The Vikings can invert their initial 1-5 record by beating the Jacksonville Jaguars<\/a>; if they are successful on Sunday, the Vikings will be 5-1 since the bye. With a 6-6 record, the Minnesota Vikings would be in a strong position to resurrect their season.<\/p>\n

The Minnesota Vikings Season<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s been a rollercoaster ride, folks. The Vikings began their year with three-straight losses. After losing to the Tennessee Titans<\/a> in Week 3, we wrote<\/a> that \u201c[u]nless they pull off a miracle, the Vikings will look back at Week 3 as the turning point in their season.\u201d Minnesota is on the cusp of pulling off their miracle. The biggest reason for their turnaround has rested in the improved play from Cousins.<\/p>\n

Minnesota\u2019s playoff hopes live and die with Cousins. If he continues to play well, then the Minnesota Vikings will have a chance to resurrect their season. Cousins has repeatedly demonstrated tremendous poise over these past five weeks. He is moving a lot better in the pocket, extending plays by shuffling around while keeping his eyes downfield. It has made a massive difference for the Vikings.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/twitter.com\/LukeBraunNFL\/status\/1333925484590088193<\/p>\n

The defense has certainly had their fair share of both good and bad moments. Against the Carolina Panthers<\/a>, though, the defense played admirably. Though Carolina accumulated twenty-seven points, the defense only really allowed ten points. The Panthers’ defense had two fumbles recovered for touchdowns, and one of their field goals came off of the Chad<\/strong> Beebe<\/strong><\/a> fumbled punt. In other words, seventeen of Carolina\u2019s twenty-seven points came directly off of turnovers.<\/p>\n

Looking Ahead to the Jaguars<\/h3>\n

The hapless Jacksonville Jaguars come to town on Sunday. Their current plan<\/a> is to start Mike Glennon<\/strong><\/a> at quarterback. Mike Zimmer<\/strong> should be thrilled. Even still, Minnesota needs to respect the Jaguars. They aren\u2019t good enough to look past their opponents, and they\u2019ve proven that they aren\u2019t immune to losing against awful teams (see Falcons, Atlanta).<\/p>\n

The Jaguars have some sneaky talent on offense. James Robinson<\/strong><\/a> is having a strong season. Robinson is PFF\u2019s 18th<\/sup> best running back; he has 890 rushing yards, 280 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns. Anyone who has watched the Vikings this season knows that they\u2019ve often struggled to contain the run, so it’s fair to expect the Jaguars to ensure Robinson receives his fair share of touches. Otherwise, the Jaguars will rely on their underrated receivers.<\/p>\n

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Teddy Bridgewater gets intercepted by Eric Kendricks on his old stomping grounds! <\/p>\n

@EricKendricks54 | #SKOL<\/a><\/p>\n

(via @NFL<\/a>) pic.twitter.com\/n58PErSYNA<\/a><\/p>\n

— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) November 29, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n