It’s Not Over. Not Even Close.

In the NFL, context matters. So many things happen over the course of the season, many of which we as fans, and even those in the national media, are not privy to. I don’t like to throw out overused internet fan tropes, but when the Minnesota Vikings aren’t doing well, the “armchair GM’s” get their moment in the sun. All of this talk of the team giving up, of Kevin O’Connell losing the locker room, of J.J. McCarthy not being ready, is all speculation. Many times, as fans, we are left to trust our guts and come to conclusions about why things do or do not go well over the course of a drive, game, or a season.

Why does this season feel so weird?

In my first season writing for the Daily Norseman, I have never been so entrenched in all of the different opinions and theories that people in the media and on the internet have about the Minnesota Vikings. I do my best to be an objective observer of what is going on, but I cannot help but get emotional when watching and talking about my favorite football team. Maybe I never noticed it before because I have always been a huge fan of the purple Kool-Aid, but opinions about this team change every single week. And, honestly, I understand why. This is the most inconsistent season I have personally experienced, as a Vikings fan, in a long time.

Part of the reason for this is the fact that Minnesota has not had a single winning streak this season. With the exception of a dominant performance against Cincinnati, the Vikings have struggled mightily in one area or another, and no game has looked the same. First the offensive line is in shambles, then the defense can’t stop the run, then J.J. McCarthy gets hurt, then the offensive line starts to get healthy, then the offense can’t score in the redzone, then the offensive line is no longer healthy, then the secondary can’t stop giving up huge plays to Philadelphia, then Carson Wentz needs a bionic shoulder, then the team travels to a hostile environment and beats the Detroit Lions, then the offensive line looks as healthy as it has all season, and then the offense has eight false start penalties and loses an incredibly winnable game to Baltimore.

We have to go even further beyond.

Seriously, what the heck is even going on? I think there is a simple explanation for what we have been seeing on the field. The Vikings have had terrible luck this season. Now, this might be controversial because I don’t have any stats to back this up, but it seems that, with the exceptions of the games against the Bengals and the Lions, things just haven’t gone the Vikings’ way. It was evident on Sunday when a fumble by Zay Flowers literally bounced right back up into his arms mid-stride. In a game of inches, how the football hits the...