The Vikings and Bills played the game of the season so far on Sunday in Buffalo. It was a back-and-forth affair with several huge plays just in the final minutes alone.
Ultimately, Minnesota came away with the overtime victory to improve to 8-1 on the season. Only the undefeated Eagles – who host the Commanders on Monday Night Football – stand in their way. Ironically enough, the Eagles are the team that handed the Vikings their lone loss on the year.
Eliot Shorr-Parks of the Audacy Original Podcast “The Best Football Show” talked about the Vikings’ win in Buffalo and how they compare to the Eagles this season.
“I think the Vikings aren’t given enough credit,” Shorr-Parks said (12:10 in player above). “I don’t think the head coach is given enough credit. I don’t think some of their defensive players are given enough credit. I don’t even think Kirk Cousins gets enough credit.”
Cousins is ranked in the top 10 in both yards and touchdowns through nine games. However, he also has eight interceptions on the year – up there with the likes of Matt Ryan, Davis Mills, and Kenny Pickett. That dichotomy has been there throughout Cousins’ career.
“Kirk Cousins is such an interesting case because on one hand, I think he’s viewed as the definition of average. Some days he’ll have great games, other games he’ll throw you out of it,” Shorr-Parks said. “Then you look at some of the big wins he’s had in his career… He came into Philadelphia (in 2015), won the division on the road in Philadelphia. He’s gone into New Orleans and won a playoff game; that’s never easy to do. Now he goes into Buffalo, he beats the Bills. He has some really, really quality wins on his resume. And to go out and really outduel Josh Allen. It means that the Minnesota Vikings are now officially one of the best teams in the NFL.”
The Vikings and Eagles are the only two teams with fewer than two losses this season. The win in Buffalo should go a long way for the Vikings.
But Minnesota does still have Philadelphia standing in its way. The Eagles beat the Vikings 24-7 on Monday Night Football in Week 2, but Minnesota is a different team now.
“The question now is ‘Can Minnesota catch them?’” Shorr-Parks said. “Can Minnesota become the team that wins that number one seed in the NFC?”
“Comparing the Eagles and Vikings is interesting. Obviously, having beaten the Vikings I think Eagles fans will say ‘Well, they’re clearly better.’ I think the Vikings are playing much better than they were back in Week 2,” he continued. “I’m not saying they would beat the Eagles, but I think saying ‘Oh, the Eagles beat them so they’re definitely better.’ The Vikings have improved. The Vikings are playing at a really high level right now.”
Minnesota is improving, but the Eagles are still the better team at this juncture.
“The Eagles are a better team than Minnesota but if you would’ve told me back in Week 2 that come Week 10 or 11 we’d be debating who’s going to be the top team in the NFC, Minnesota or the Eagles, I would’ve been surprised by that,” Shorr-Parks said. “So credit to the Vikings for holding on and keeping it close in the NFC.”
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