The Vikings saw their dreams of an unbeaten season go up in smoke Sunday in Philadelphia.
But John Holler of Viking Update cautioned that one loss does not make a season, and that Minnesota is still sitting pretty with a 5-1 record.
Holler wrote:
*The Minnesota Vikings knew they weren't going to finish the 2016 season undefeated. In fact, given the injuries they have sustained on offense, it has been a credit to the defense that the Vikings have helped hide the deficiencies this long. *
*But Sunday's 21-10 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles was akin to Murphy's Law on offense – whatever could go wrong, did go wrong. *
Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer rattled off a list of issues after Sunday's game, particularly on offense, where the Vikings turned the ball over three times. Minnesota's special teams units gave up a kickoff return for a score and also fumbled a punt.
Holler said the Vikings aren't a perfect team by any means, but they're performance through six games of the 2016 season speaks for itself.
*The Vikings are still the same team that started the year 5-0. They got off to a brutal start Sunday, and it steamrolled on them, just like it happens to good teams at some point during every season. *
*Are there causes for concerns? Most definitely. The O-line issues and the lack of a running game are big questions for the long-term ability of the Vikings to make a run. But the trademark of the 2016 Vikings is defense and, even under extreme circumstances, the defense did enough to win Sunday. If the offense and special teams don't take a header, they're going to continue to win. *
Looking ahead to Monday Night Football
The Vikings have an extra day to prepare for an NFC North tilt against the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football.
Andrew Krammer of the *Star Tribune *took a peak ahead to the game, honing in on the matchup between Minnesota's stout defense and the Bears offense.
Chicago announced Monday that quarterback Jay Cutler has been cleared to play with a thumb injury.
Krammer wrote:
Last season, the Vikings finally ended a seven-game losing streak in Chicago, needing a 13-point fourth quarter with a last-second field goal to secure the win. There's something about the Vikings playing there, including in playoff years of 2009 and 2012, that makes it routinely difficult.
Through seven weeks, Chicago is the NFL's worst scoring offense (15.9 points per game) after seeing the departure of tight end Martellus Bennett and running back Matt Forte this offseason.
