PurplePTSD: Illnesses Vanquished, DET-MIN Preview, Week 14 Picks
The sister-site to VikingsTerritory is PurplePTSD.com, and the guys and gals over there roll out the Minnesota Vikings analysis just as much as we do.
Here is some of their top content from the last couple of days:
1 – The Vikings mystery illness from earlier in the week appears to be resolved.
2 – Josh Frey previews Vikings at Lions in Week 14.
3 – PPTSD‘s Week 14 NFL picks have arrived.
4 – There’s always a chance that former Viking Mike Hughes gets a little revenge this week.
5 – Don’t look now, but Kevin O’Connell is open to using T.J. Hockenson and Irv Smith on the same field in January.
The Vikings defeated the New York Jets, 27-22, in a playoff-style game at U.S. Bank Stadium in Week 13. Minnesota started hot on defense, fell asleep on offense and defense in the 3rd Quarter, and rallied back in the 4th Quarter to win the team’s ninth one-score game of 2022.
Wide receiver Justin Jefferson recorded 7 receptions, 45 receiving yards, and 1 touchdown, grabbing the one paydirt at a time when the Vikings desperately needed points. Jefferson is now on pace for 1,809 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns.
The Vikings are two-point underdogs on the road against the Detroit Lions in Week 14, a team that bashed the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, 40-14. The Lions offense is sometimes pretty nifty, but Detroit’s defense is suspect.
The Packers won in Week 13, a road triumph against the Chicago Bears. But the Packers, Lions, and Bears playoff hopes are all but vanquished. The Vikings are the No. 2 seed in the NFC behind the Eagles and would host a home playoff game versus the Seattle Seahawks if the playoffs started today.
The Vikings will be without Jonathan Bullard on Sunday. He’s been ruled out. Harrison Smith, Christian Darrisaw, and Garrett Bradbury are questionable. Cameron Dantzler can be considered a “probably” to play at Detroit.
A 1-4 or 0-5 record the rest of the way would plop the Vikings in the postseason. Of course, winning the division is preferred, but subpar football, as a worst-case scenario, would net a playoff berth. That’s the perk of a 10-2 start. The Vikings have a > 99% probability of reaching the postseason, per FiveThirtyEight. They can wrap up the NFC North with a win against Detroit.
The Vikings have won 9 of the last 10 matchups against the Lions.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).