Two games against NFC North rivals and the Minnesota Vikings are off to a 2-0 start after wins over the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears. Moreover, the team could reach 3-0 as they face the 0-2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 3.
Nonetheless, with a 2-0 start that gives the Vikings good odds of reaching the postseason, the team has shown signs that give former wideout Adam Thielen confidence that it can be a contender.
Minnesota has shown through two games that their defense is among the best in the league, as the Packers’ and Bears’ offenses had trouble scoring points against the unit led by defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
“Number one, and I hate to say this as an offensive player, but defense wins championships, and the way the defense is playing right now is unbelievable,” Thielen said during a Sept. 21 appearance on KFAN about the team’s 2-0 start. “Just the energy, the togetherness. It’s not like you can just look at the defense and be like, ‘Oh man, that one guy is dominating, and that’s why they’re playing so well.’
“It’s like everybody’s playing so well together, so locked in. You don’t see busted coverages, especially in a defense that’s pretty complicated, and there’s a lot going on. There are a lot of different schemes, but you don’t see a lot of busts, and I think that’s really impressive.”
Vikings Offense Does Have Room for Improvement
Moreover, Thielen believes the Vikings still need improvement ahead of Week 3. Despite that claim, Minnesota pulled off two impressive wins in their division, and at the end of the day, it’s all about winning games more than personal stats.
“Then the offense, they got some ways to go,” Thielen added. “Obviously, [against the Bears it] was not a game that you could showcase what you can do on offense, but I think it’s a work in progress. They also know what it takes to win. It was really cool to hear on the game that Kevin, the night before, told them that he’s learning to just call the plays to win the game, not to have the stats and to get everyone a thousand yards or all these things, and it was really cool to hear that because that’s really difficult to do.
“At the end of the day, I think everybody on the team wants that, not necessarily sometimes as individuals, like, man, my goal is I want 100 yards or this or that. But at the end of the day, if you win a football game, who cares? And everyone feels that way. So, it was cool to hear that. And that’s exactly what has happened so far.”
Justin Jefferson on Minnesota’ 2-0 Start to 2026 Season
That mindset of just winning games and setting aside personal stats is what Justin Jefferson echoed when talking about the team’s 2-0 start. After missing the playoffs last season, Minnesota appears to want to do everything possible to return to the postseason.
“Any means necessary,” Jefferson told reporters after the win on Sept. 20 about how the team has looked in this 2-0 start. “Whatever it takes to come in here with a dub and us celebrating with that victory. That’s all that matters. Doesn’t matter if it was 6-3 the entire game. As long as we come out with a dub, that’s all that matters and being 2-0 in the division is very big for us to start the season.”
Vikings’ 2-0 Start Sparks Candid Thoughts From Adam Thielen