MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Vikings -- winners of five straight to begin the season, and losers in six of their last seven games -- are hoping they can bookend their season with one more four-game win streak to finish 10-6 and make the playoffs.
Their hope for making that happen rests largely on a defense that appears to be getting back to peak form.
The Vikings' defense played one of its finest games of the season in a 17-15 loss to the Dallas Cowboys last Thursday, holding the league's fourth-ranked offense to a season-low 264 yards and forcing two turnovers.