Assuming they get smoked in Philly, I think their season is going to hinge on that Charger game in week three.
The Chargers are probably better, but they also are a team that historically chokes. If the Vikings lose that game, they're going to be playing catch up all year, because even if they beat the Panthers, nobody's going to bet on them beating KC the week after.
If they start off 1-4, it's over, I don't care if they have a softer spot in the middle of the schedule.
Gross, 7, 8, 9 or 10 wins is such an awful position to be in. They'll feel forced to re-sign Cousins, which means there's no championship in sight. And they failed to sign Jefferson this summer. Is he even going to want to stick around on a team that has no chance to be a real contender during his prime? I'm getting sick to my stomach thinking about this front office desperately trying to salvage an average season. It'll set this franchise back a half decade at least.