GREEN BAY, Wis. — For all the Vikings' stirring victories in a 12-3 start — their last two the result of a NFL-record 33-point comeback and the longest field goal in team history — the gnawing questions about their legitimacy had been stoked by the manner in which they'd lost three times.
They turned the ball over three times in a 24-7 loss to Philadelphia in Week 2. A week after their win in Buffalo in November, they were whipped 40-3 by the Cowboys in the second-most lopsided home loss in team history. And despite Justin Jefferson's 223-yard day at Ford Field, the Vikings' defensive issues led to a 34-23 loss in Detroit in December.