Carmen Vitali
NFL Reporter
Are the Minnesota Vikings the best team in the NFL right now?
Headed into their Week 6 bye at a perfect 5-0, they have an incredible case.
Quarterback Sam Darnold, in the year 2024, is currently sixth in odds to win MVP, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. He has the second-most touchdown passes (11) behind only Joe Burrow, ranks third in air yards per completion and ranks in the top 10 in both success rate and quarterback rating, according to Next Gen Stats.
Meanwhile, the Minnesota defense has the second-most pressures of any team, the third-most sacks and, so far, has been un-figure-out-able. Yes, that’s the technical term.
The Vikings have trailed for just 3:26 of game clock through the first five games. That mark is only bested by the Greatest Show on Turf 1999 Rams, the 2023 49ers, the 1984 Dolphins and the 2009 Saints, per ESPN.
Each of those four teams made the Super Bowl and two of them won it all.
What’s ironic is that since 1990, six teams that started 5-0 have missed the playoffs and the Vikings account for two of those six.
But I’m not here to be pessimistic.
Minnesota is just one of two unbeaten teams left in the NFL. The other? The defending champion Kansas City Chiefs, who don’t look super “Chiefs-like” at this current moment.
Darnold is the latest example of how much situation matters for a quarterback, in particular. He was drafted third overall in 2018 by the New York Jets. Todd Bowles was the head coach. Jeremy Bates was the offensive coordinator. Darnold is now on his fifth head coach and his sixth offensive coordinator in Minnesota. None of his previous coordinators still currently hold that title (except in the case of Kyle Shanahan, who was both Darnold’s head coach and offensive coordinator while he was a backup in San Francisco last year). Darnold was battered and many believed, broken.
But when the Vikings needed a bridge quarterback, they went and got Darnold,…
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/best-team-nfl-resides-north-why-vikings-real
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Publish date : 2024-10-08 16:14:26
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