The Minnesota Vikings took a step back last Sunday in a disappointing 24-10 loss against the New England Patriots that has put their playoff chances.
It has marked yet another point in the season where the team hasn't quite lived up to the expectations laid before them after especially after the addition with Pro Bowl Kirk Cousins and coming off a 13-3 campaign. This is something that Cousins recently addressed by stating that the team has fallen short of being able to make a high level of play throughout the year, according to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press.
“I do think that we can point to some times throughout the year where we’ve underachieved, not because we weren’t giving effort or preparation, but we just haven’t been able to sustain the level of potential in this locker room, play in and play out,” he said.
The Vikings have had many opportunities to take strides forward this season, but have continued to stumble in those critical moments with tough losses to the Patriots, Los Angeles Rams, Chicago Bears, and Buffalo Bills. Their performance in each of these contests has put them in the position of currently fighting for a wildcard position instead of pushing forward for a first-round playoff bye.
Minnesota possesses a highly talented roster on both sides of the ball that should elevate them into being considered a Super Bowl contender. Instead, the team has had their shortcomings in huge games that primarily come from their offense. In many ways, the Vikings have become a one-dimensional offensive unit with their utter lack of a running game ranking 31st despite having a promising talent in running back Dalvin Cook in place.
That said, there is still four more games left in the season for the Vikings to fine-tune their play to position themselves for a deep playoff run and meet those lofty expectations.
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