Minnesota Vikings are 5-1, but how good is this ‘resilient’ team? It depends on the day | Opinion
had 11 three-and-outs on offense, and it had just two conversions on 12 tries on third down. Minnesota was nearly doubled in yards gained (458-234), playing against two backup quarterbacks, Skylar Thompson and then Teddy Bridgewater.
But it didn’t matter until there were about four minutes left in the game.
The Vikings defense recovered a game-deciding fumble, running back Dalvin Cook scored a 53-yard touchdown in his return home to Miami to ice the game, and Minnesota beat the Dolphins 24-16 at Hard Rock Stadium.
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The Vikings are 5-1, and one of four teams in the NFL with five wins this season. And they have a two-game lead over their rival Green Bay Packers (who lost at home to the Jets) in the NFC North.
Somehow, some way, the Vikings are among the league’s elite.
Yet, Minnesota – under the 11-year veteran Cousins and new coach Kevin O’Connell – leaves so much to be desired on the field every week.
Maybe, that’s by design.
“Sometimes it may feel like to Vikings fans, depending on what Sunday it is, but what I would say is we’ve got a tough resilient group that maybe doesn’t always play the most consistent, but they are willing and able to have each other’s backs in all three phases,” O’Connell said.