Back to the Minnesota Vikings Newsfeed

Brian Murphy: Reality breaks through Vikings' halcyon Mankato sheen

The Vikings are back at Winter Park, angst mounting as the hosannas of Mankato recede following a trying week of losses, one more profound than the others.

Adversity is all part of the game, from devastating injuries to unexpected scandal, and the Vikings have endured their share of both. They also have ample talent and reason to remain optimistic about ascending into playoff contention.

But their offense suddenly was weakened by the loss of veteran right tackle Phil Loadholt, raising more questions about a suspect offensive line on notice to raise its performance.

This is T.