Injuries are a part and parcel of sport but the Minnesota Vikings have been hit hard in the early stages of the new NFL season. Mike Zimmer’s men lost star quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to a campaign-ending injury in preseason before Adrian Peterson was put on the injured reserve list after suffering a serious knee injury against the Green Bay Packers in Week 2.
But despite these setbacks, the Vikings have somehow managed to win their first three matches of the campaign – and they are a full game ahead of the Packers at the top of the NFC North. While it is still early days, Minnesota’s start to the season has sent shockwaves across the National Football League and many believe that the Vikings could even go on to reach the Super Bowl this season.
Last year, they were a Blair Walsh field goal away from the divisional playoffs but, as we all know by now, the Vikings kicker scuffed his effort and the Seattle Seahawks advanced to the next round. And whilst that defeat could have had negative implications on Minnesota’s preparations for the 2016 season, Zimmer’s men have bounced back stronger than ever and it would be difficult to back against the Vikings on current form.
At the time of writing, you can back Minnesota at 14/1 to win the Super Bowl – odds that will be eagerly anticipated at Betway.com. The Vikings have to be considered genuine title contenders after their phenomenal start to the campaign; beating the Tennessee Titans was no hard feat but toppling the Green Bay Packers and Carolina Panthers takes some doing.
With three months of the regular season remaining, there are still plenty of games to be won and lost along the way; although the Vikings are certainly on track if they continue in this vein. Back-up quarterback Sam Bradford has filled in for Bridgewater and he appears to be back to his brilliant best after struggling at Philadelphia last season.
In his two games as a starter, Bradford has thrown three touchdown passes and no interceptions; with a completion rate of 67.8 percent and a passer rating of a career-high 107.8. If Bradford can continue to keep the offense ticking over, they stand a great chance of winning every time they take to the field.
And that is because their defensive unit is ELITE. The Vikings boast one of the best defensive fronts in the NFL and they have really upped their game in recent weeks. On the opening weekend, Minnesota’s defence scored two touchdowns – and they have continued to hunt down opposing quarterbacks. Prior to their victory over Carolina, Ron Rivera’s men hadn’t lost at home since 2014 – a statistic that shows just how colossal that triumph was…
So watch this space because the Vikings are here to stay. Everybody ruled them out after Bridgewater went down in pre-season but Minnesota had faith in their own ability and they are now showing just how good they can be. With the defence performing better than anybody else in the NFL, they stand a great chance of glory.
After all, DEFENSE wins championships.
Image Credit: Flickr user Matthew Deery, C.C. 2.0
