Just two weeks ago, following a seven-point loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, the Minnesota Vikings' 2023 season looked all but over.
The loss to the defending champs dropped Kevin O'Connell's club to 1-4, leaving them three games back of the Detroit Lions in the NFC North. To make matters worse, All-Pro wideout Justin Jefferson hit the injured reserve list with a hamstring injury, leading many to believe that management might be willing to move several players and simply start over.
Sure, the Vikings notched a Week 6 win over the Chicago Bears, but that's nothing to get overly excited about these days. Besides, there was absolutely no way Minnesota would get past the San Francisco 49ers in Week 7, right?
But at the risk of sounding cliche, that's why they play the games.
In a stunning upset on Monday Night Football, the Vikings handed the Niners their second straight defeat with an impressive 22-17 victory, dominating all facets of the game as the offense recorded 452 yards while the defense forced San Francisco into a season-high three turnovers.
Now 3-4, the Vikings are just two games back of the Lions and are the No. 8 seed in the NFC postseason picture, sitting just a half-game back of the 3-3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
And their schedule is quite favorable over the next five weeks as they face just one team with a winning record before their Week 13 bye. Truth be told, they could easily win all five of these games.
- Week 8: at Green Bay (2-4)
- Week 9: at Atlanta (4-3)
- Week 10: vs. New Orleans (3-4)
- Week 11: at Denver (2-5)
- Week 12: vs. Chicago (2-5)
See what I mean? At this point, Minnesota has to be seen as a playoff contender, which means we may not see GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah make as many moves as we thought we might as the NFL trade deadline approaches, at least not moves to break up the team.
Following Monday night's win, here's a quick look at three Vikings who are likely no longer on the trading block, starting with the most obvious.
Kirk Cousins, QB
Early on against the 49ers, it looked as if Kirk Cousins was in for another prime-time letdown as he threw his fifth interception of the season just three plays into the game.
But that turned out to be his only mistake of the night as he settled in and completed a season-high 77.8 percent of his passes (35-for-45) for a season-high 378 yards with a pair of touchdowns, bringing his league-leading total to 16.
Now, it was unlikely that the Vikings would have dealt Cousins regardless of Monday night's outcome, even if the four-time Pro Bowler would have waived the full no-trade clause in his contract. But had they dropped to 2-5, all parties certainly would have had to consider it.
But with Minnesota now back in postseason contention, the soon-to-be unrestricted free agent isn't going anywhere.
And as a bonus for you, we'll go ahead and say that any Vikings offensive lineman that was on the block is staying put as well. That group was brilliant on Monday night, as Cousins wasn't sacked once by the vaunted Niners defense.
Jordan Hicks, LB
Playing the second and final year of the two-year/$10 million contract he signed with the Vikings ahead of the 2022 campaign, linebacker Jordan Hicks was the subject of several trade rumors during Minnesota's woeful start.
And seeing how the former Texas Longhorn is 31 years old and will soon hit free agency, it made sense. But Monday night's win changes things. And Hicks was certainly instrumental in the victory over San Francisco, recording eight tackles, second only to Camryn Bynum's nine. Bynum, of course, also intercepted Brock Purdy twice in the fourth quarter, the second sealing the win.
But back to Hicks.
Since Brian Flores took over as defensive coordinator, Hicks has arguably flourished more than anyone, which is perhaps why he's the team's green dot on defense and orchestrates the calls on the field.
Hicks, who won a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles a few years back, is widely respected throughout the league and would undoubtedly make any defense better. And the Vikings likely would have gotten a decent haul in return for his services.
But with Minnesota now firmly back in the mix for a playoff spot, his leadership, both in the locker room and on the field, will be crucial for the Vikings over their final 10 games.
Danielle Hunter, EDGE
As three-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Danielle Hunter will be an unrestricted free agent following this season and is likely to command a monster contract, he was the subject of trade rumors before the Vikings' 2023 season even began.
Those rumors have continued to swirl as the campaign has progressed -- and for good reason. Not only is the soon-to-be 29-year-old the best pass rusher in Minnesota, but he's one of the best pass rushers in the NFL, as evidenced by the fact that he leads the league in sacks with nine.
Tied with T.J. Watt coming into Monday night's matchup, Hunter moved into the solo lead with a sack on Purdy early in the third quarter. The sack, the 80th of his career, also moved him into seventh on the all-time franchise list ahead of Everson Griffen (79.5).
One would think Minnesota wouldn't accept anything less than a first-round pick for Hunter. And even that may not be enough at this point. The Vikings have a tough decision to make before the 4:00 p.m. Eastern deadline on October 31, but all signs now point to the eight-year Viking staying put.
