The Vikings lost their second straight game and third game in the last four weeks against the Cardinals in Week 14, dropping their record to 8-5 and leaving them behind the Packers in the NFC North.
After the 23-20 loss to the Cardinals, coach Mike Zimmer said that he liked the team’s fight in Arizona and hoped that it would be a good learning experience for them. Veteran cornerback Terence Newman echoed the coach’s words this week while saying that the team wasn’t panicked by their recent change of fortunes.
“We’ve got three games left, and at the end of the day, we still have a chance to do what we set out to do,” Newman said, via the Pioneer Press. “Nobody’s in a panic mode. ... I hate to use this, but I think that the way we came out and played last week let us know that, ‘Hey, we’re able to play with good, quality football teams.’ But we just didn’t get it done. So moving forward we know we’ve got to play with the same emotions and the same attitude, the same chip on our shoulder, and seal the deal.”
The losses have pushed Vikings out of first place in the division, but they are still in good shape when it comes to earning a Wild Card berth come January. Only a total collapse against the Bears, Giants and Packers in the final three weeks will put that standing at risk, which doesn’t leave the Vikings much reason to panic or feel desperate at this juncture of the season.