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As the team prepares to host division rivals, the Minnesota Vikings (11-2) were paying close attention to the Detroit Lions’ loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, in addition to the injury that is filling up worryingly in Michigan.
For the Vikings and Sam Darnold, this misstep by the dangerous Lions opens the door to taking the lead in the northern division of the National, Monday evening, against the Chicago Bears (4-9) in defeat and excluded from the playoff picture.
With a 4-1 career record against the Bears, will coach Kevin O’Connell seize the opportunity?
Among the Bears, it is with a streak of seven consecutive defeats that we will visit the Vikings in front of their thunderous supporters. Last week’s game, a tepid performance against the San Francisco 49ers, threw cold water on the team’s aspirations despite a sometimes reassuring performance from top pick Caleb Williams.
The Vikings already know that they will be in the playoffs in January, but we are playing for more than that on Monday when the lead of the division and the possibility of a match without tomorrow at home are very concrete.
Sam Darnold and the Vikings beat the Lions earlier this season in the surprise move from the New York Jets, so the tiebreaker belongs to Minnesota in the event of a stalemate at the end of the campaign.
The former first-round draft pick doesn’t do it alone on offense, far from it. While Justin Jefferson is still the target of choice for his new quarterback this year, it is Jordan Addison who is doing well with five touchdowns and 410 yards in the team’s last four games.
While he arrived with the Vikings as an insurance policy for the team, Sam Darnold has now placed himself in a good position for a nice contract during negotiations in the spring in addition to entering the playoffs with a young dynamic team and ambitious.
He was already having the best season of his career, but for four games, Darnold has been virtually perfect. 1158 yards and 11 touchdowns without any interceptions are exceptional numbers. With six consecutive victories, including one against the Bears in overtime just three weeks ago, the Vikings have the wind in their sails.
