Not every 5-2 record is equal.
A year ago, two straight losses dropped the Vikings to 5-2 after they were the NFL's last unbeaten team. That's where the slide started, ending with the team out of playoff contention.
Now the Vikings are in the same spot entering their eighth game: a two-loss team atop the NFC North.
But the 2017 Vikings, winners of the last three games, this time carry an air of optimism.
"I'd say so," running back Jerick McKinnon said. "We've got a good thing going right now, and we're just trying to feed off the momentum.