Broncos and Vikings have had ridiculous turnarounds

The Denver Broncos looked totally dead this season. Then the Minnesota Vikings looked totally dead.

If you saw the Vikings-Broncos Sunday night matchup for Week 11 a few weeks ago, you were probably hoping the networks were on their way to flexing it out. Now, it’s a game between two fascinating turnaround stories.

The Broncos were 1-5 after a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Oct. 12. They competed hard on defense in that loss, but before that they looked like perhaps the worst team in football. There should be no revisionist history; there were zero signs at 1-4 that the Broncos were even a competent football team. Then it just turned, starting with that Chiefs loss. They’ve won three in a row since, including wins over the Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills. It’s one of the more stunning turnarounds you’ll find.

The Vikings’ turnaround was easier to see coming, but that came in a weird way too. The Vikings, who won every close game last season, lost every close game early this season. That usually turns around, but injuries seemed like they’d be too much to overcome. Justin Jefferson went down with a hamstring injury. Then Kirk Cousins blew out his Achilles. Despite the injuries the Vikings went from 1-4 to 6-4, including two wins in a row behind Joshua Dobbs and his amazing story, and look like an easy pick to make the playoffs in the NFC given their remaining schedule.

This matchup of two teams that went from drawing dead in the first third of the season to the playoff race perfectly exemplifies the 2023 NFL season. When you think you know something about any team, it’s bound to change.

The Broncos are 2.5-point favorites at BetMGM, and the line seems weird because it’s still the Broncos and it’s hard to shake how bad they were early this season. I buy that the Broncos’ turnaround is real. They figured out a lot of things on defense. But I’m still taking the Vikings. This is a really well-coached team that has a ton of confidence. But it should be an intriguing game…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-picks-against-the-spread-broncos-and-vikings-have-had-ridiculous-turnarounds-173623047.html

Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2023-11-16 17:36:23

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