The Vikings are Trending in the Right Direction

Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty ImagesThe Minnesota Vikings have reached the bye week, sitting with a record of 5-3-1, a half-game back of the Chicago Bears in the division. Earlier in the season, when it seemed as if the wheels were falling off the wagon, getting to the bye week in decent shape seemed like a pipe dream. But, they made it - and in pretty good shape. Around the conference, the Saints have all the momentum right now - coming off of good wins versus a pair of Super Bowl favorites in the Vikings and Rams. Speaking of the Rams, they seem to be a team - at least until the loss versus the Saints - that can hang with any team in the league offensively. But, on the defensive side of the ball they look like a team that can be beat. In the East, Washington looked like the team to beat, but lost a pair of starting offensive linemen for the season on Sunday. That could open the door for a dangerous Philadelphia Eagles team. The Carolina Panthers are finding a groove in the NFC South, and could make some noise down the stretch, and certainly look to be at least a Wild Card favorite at this point.

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