PurplePTSD: It Happens Every Year, Folks

Press release from the PurplePTSD:

K. Joudry

2021-10-14

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on Oct. 5, 2021. We are re-posting since it still applies to where the Vikings are currently at.

If you’ve followed the NFL for multiple seasons, you’ll likely be familiar with a certain pattern. Every year, some teams play excellently in the opening weeks of the year. Other teams play poorly. Inevitably, some who initially do well fade into the background. Some who start poorly emerge as playoff teams. This season will be no different.

Let’s just start at home. Not too long ago, a certain purple team began their season 5-0. Well respected voices prophesied about a truly special 2016 season. I was certainly feeling optimistic. Those feelings of hope were quickly undone. We finished the year at 8-8, missing the playoffs in the process.

If we consider the broader NFL over the past several seasons, we can find many more examples. After Week 5 of the 2020 season, the Chicago Bears were sitting at 4-1. They had just beaten the eventual Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bears went on to have a magical season, right? Nay, they finished with a modest 8-8 record, losing in the opening round of the playoffs.

On the opposite end is Washington. I get that they didn’t exactly dominate the rest of the season, but few would have chosen them as a playoff team after dropping to 1-4 in Week 5. After Week 6 it was 1-5. They ended up winning their division, though, with a 7-9 record. Like Chicago, they didn’t have any playoff success. Even still, it’s notable that they could climb out of this hole and get into the playoffs.

Go back to 2019 and find a similar scenario playing out. The Tennessee Titans were a modest 2-3 after their opening five games. They ended their season at 9-7, snagging a playoff spot in the process. Heck, they even made it all the way to the AFC Championship Game. On the other end were the Cowboys. The Cowboys began fairly solid at 3-2; they missed the playoffs at 8-8.

Perhaps the most dramatic example from recent memory is the 2018 Colts. They emerged from a 1-5 start to make the playoffs. Though unusual, it’s clearly possible for a team to start horribly and still get in.

I won’t continue with the tedium because you likely see the point. Previously, I’ve argued that teams can’t win the Super Bowl in September, but they sure can lose it. The basic idea is that you can dig a hole so big that it’s impossible do get out (or very nearly so). I still think that idea is true, but our Vikings aren’t in that hole.

We have very winnable games coming up against the Lions and Panthers. Neither opponent should be overlooked, and yet we can’t help but think our Vikes are the favorites. As it stands, Minnesota is a pretty large favorite on Sunday. Of course, there’s a reason why they play the game. Prognosticators and bettors don’t really matter; what the players do on the field is what matters.

The basic point that I’m trying to drive home is that our season is far from over. We can make the playoffs; we can go on a playoff run. The ball is in our court. If we take care of our own business, we’ll find ourselves in a nice spot by the end of the season.

This press release was produced by the PurplePTSD. The views expressed here are the author’s own.