Four things the Minnesota Vikings should be thankful for this Thanksgiving
The Vikings are back.
Minnesota defeated Green Bay in Week 11 to move to 5-5 on the year. I’ll be honest: I thought the team was not good just two weeks ago. The Vikings have turned things around and proved me wrong.
So Minnesota fans have a few things to be thankful for on this holiday. Here are a few:
Kirk Cousins' 2021
Photo: AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn
Cousins has been on a tear this year. He has a PFF grade of 90.2 to go with 2,775 passing yards, 21 touchdown passes and only two picks. Based on his efficiency and turnover ratio, Cousins might be having his best year in the league.
The Vikings' aggressive play style
Photo; AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn
Minnesota is dialing up the downfield passes as of late. The Vikings are passing more and putting the game in the hands of their quarterback. Minnesota has an EPA/play that ranks it 11th in the NFL. The Vikings are moving the ball down the field with ease, especially in these last two games.
The Vikings' two consecutive upset victories
Photo: Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA TODAY Sports
Things were looking bleak after the bye. The Vikings lost to the Cowboys, a good football team that had their backup quarterback, Cooper Rush, starting. Minnesota followed that up with another loss to Baltimore on the road. The Vikings’ season looked pretty much over, unless the team could start pulling off upset victories. Well, the Vikings just won two in a row to get back to .500. They beat the Chargers and Packers in surprising fashion in Weeks 10-11.
A shot at the playoffs
Photo: David Berding/Getty Images
The Vikings have raised their playoff chances to 59%, according to FiveThirtyEight.com. The team making the playoffs could be concerning for the long-term build of this roster, based on the moves it could make to stay in a short-term window for longer.
However, let’s ignore all that for just a moment. Let’s consider how the Vikings had high expectations this year, and they have the potential to make the postseason with seven games remaining. Vikings fans, your team is currently in contention.
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