Vikings should have no trouble improving to 7-1 after bye
Minnesota's 5-1 record should turn into 6-1 and then 7-1 when they return from the bye and face the Arizona Cardinals and Washington Commanders. That's far from a bold statement, but the point of this story is to identity the latest good fortunes in what has become a season of good luck for the Vikings.
Arizona gets DeAndre Hopkins back from a six-week PED suspension this week, but they just lost Marquise Brown to a foot injury and he's unlikely to play when the Cardinals visit Minneapolis.
To make up for the loss of Brown, the Cardinals traded future picks to the Panthers for receiver Robbie Anderson. The very same Anderson that was just kicked off his now-former team's sideline in the middle of the game. Hopkins and Anderson are a solid duo, but Arizona hasn't been able to run the ball and Kyle Murray is having an awful season.
Robbie Anderson has been sent to the locker room by his own team 😳pic.twitter.com/KqsKadRLv4
— PFF (@PFF) October 16, 2022
The Cardinals are also facing injury issues on their offensive line. Starting center Rodney Hudson will have missed their previous three games due to injury by the time the Cardinals travel up to Minnesota on Oct. 30. They also likely just lost starting left guard Justin Pugh for the season with a knee injury.
Those are huge advantages for the Vikings, who are almost 100% healthy.
The #AZCardinals likely lost their starting left guard: Sources say the fear is that Justin Pugh suffered a season-ending knee injury. He’ll have additional tests to confirm.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 17, 2022
The Washington Commanders, to say nothing at all of the years long turmoil brought on by having Dan Snyder as their owner, are facing 4-6 weeks of recovery for starting quarterback Carson Wentz. Taylor Heinicke is set to take over at QB, which again should favor the Vikings.
Look, another upcoming Vikings opponent https://t.co/Sy91OCerVR
— Matthew Coller (@MatthewColler) October 17, 2022
It's a continuation of good luck for the Vikings and bad luck and play by their opponents. Minnesota is 5-1 not simply because they're a great team but because their opponents keep screwing up in key situations.
The Week 1 narrative changed when Christian Watson dropped Aaron Rodgers's first pass of the season that would've gone for a 75-yard touchdown. Minnesota cruised to a win after that.
In Week 3 Lions coach Dan Campbell tried a 54-yard field goal rather than go for the dagger on fourth-and-four when they were already successful on four of five fourth downs in the game. Minnesota scored the game-winning touchdown 25 seconds after the kick was missed.
Week 4 in London saw the Saints lose their starting quarterback, top receiver and running back and it still took a double doink to avoid going to overtime.
In Week 5 the Vikings got a key fumble from former teammate Ihmir Smith-Marsette when the Bears were driving and trailing by 7 late in the fourth quarter.
And last week in Miami the Vikings were gifted third-string QB Skylar Thompson and after he injured his thumb he was replaced by Teddy Bridgewater, who didn't practice most of the week.
Minnesota has had good fortune and it will likely continue Weeks 8 and 9 against the Cardinals and Commanders. Then it gets real when they travel to Buffalo in Week 10.
