Kevin O’Connell has worked hard to instill confidence in his players throughout his tenure as Vikings head coach. He has worked even harder to make sure it doesn’t turn into overconfidence with the Vikings off to a 4-0 start.

The messaging has been exactly the same regardless of how the Vikings have looked in wins over the New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers, Houston Texans and Green Bay Packers. Most likely by design. After celebrating his players for their success, O’Connell has reminded pretty much anybody who will listen that the Vikings haven’t done anything yet.

That’s exactly what he should be doing as the head coach of arguably the best team in the NFL. It’s his job to make sure the Vikings continue to play with a chip on their shoulder. Especially with all of the talking heads suddenly singing their praises.

Now to the reality of the situation at hand.

As much as O’Connell might want to downplay it, the Vikings look like a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

They turned heads with a dominant win over the Giants in Week 1, forced everybody to pay attention with an upset win over the 49ers in Week 2, proved this wasn’t a fluke with an emphatic win over the Texans in Week 3, and showed the ability to handle adversity with a nervy road win over the Packers in Week 4.

Maybe the most telling part is that the Vikings have unquestionably outplayed their opponent in every game.

Never mind that this is the same group of players that prognosticators picked to finish at the bottom of their division. They have made clear amid a 4-0 start that they have what it takes to win their conference.

Justin Jefferson #18 of the Minnesota Vikings catches a pass for a touchdown against Keisean Nixon #25 of the Green Bay Packers during the second quarter of the game at Lambeau Field on Sept. 29, 2024 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

Seriously. Who in the NFC has looked better than the Vikings so far?

The other perceived Super Bowl contenders have underwhelmed, with the 49ers struggling to stay healthy, the Detroit Lions figuring out how to navigate expectations, the Dallas Cowboys looking exceedingly average,and the Philadelphia Eagles falling apart in real time. Meanwhile, as impressive as the Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington Commanders have been, none of them has been more impressive than the Vikings.

Though the typical Minnesota Sports Fan traumatized by past heartbreak is already preparing for the clock to strike midnight on this Cinderella run, there’s no reason to think the Vikings are going to turn back into a pumpkin.

There’s simply too much talent for that to happen with no obvious weaknesses on the roster.

Those still waiting for the other shoe to drop with quarterback Sam Darnold need to realize that he has never had these type of weapons at his disposal. He gets to play in an offense that features running back Aaron Jones doing damage out of the backfield, with receiver Justin Jefferson making spectacular catches along the sideline, and tight end T.J. Hockenson coming back soon. That makes life a heck of a lot easier.

As for the other side of the ball, defensive coordinator Brian Flores is going to continue to confuse opponents, and he has playmakers ready to step up when their number is called. That’s been a consistent theme whether it’s been edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel, linebacker Blake Cashman, safety Josh Metellus or anybody else on the defense.

The hype train is already on the tracks, and if the Vikings take care of business next against the New York Jets in London, it’s going to continue to pick up steam.

You can’t blame people if they start to let themselves dream of Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans at some point. A round-trip ticket from Minneapolis to New Orleans during the Super Bowl is already hovering around $1,350, for the record, so it might be time to at least start thinking about saving up.

Related Articles

Vikings running back Aaron Jones still got his Lambeau Leap even though he didn’t score

Five takeaways from Vikings’ 31-29 win over Packers

Vikings hang on for 31-29 win over Packers thanks to late drive by Sam Darnold

The Loop Fantasy Football Update Week 4: Last-minute moves

Charley Walters: Vikings’ Darnold on verge of cashing in big time