The Vikings’ latest victory has given players confidence that this team is ‘special’

Aaron Jones has played on some very good football teams. He spent the first seven seasons of his NFL career with the Packers, winning 13 games three times and appearing in two NFC Championship games. So when he says there’s something different about this Vikings team, it comes across.

“This is different than anything I’ve ever been a part of,” Jones said after Sunday’s 34-7 win over the Texans. “I can’t put my finger on what’s different, because I’ve been a part of some good teams, but this is a special team. I had that conversation with my mom, I said, ‘Mom, I don’t know what this is, I can’t put my finger on it,’ but I’m just happy to be around this group of guys. We’re going to continue to do what we’ve been doing, keep pushing ourselves every day, and keep getting better.”

Jones said he started feeling that way after the Vikings’ first game, a blowout road win over the Giants. Since then, they’ve beaten the 49ers and Texans at U.S. Bank Stadium in impressive fashion. Heading into the Week 4 game against Jones’ former team, the Vikings are 3-0 with a +55 point differential that ranks second in the NFL.

In his locker room speech after that latest win, head coach Kevin O’Connell had a similar message, telling his team that “special, special things are going to happen” if they keep doing what they’ve been doing so far.

It’s not just the fact that the Vikings are undefeated this season, it’s the way they’ve done it. They’ve won two blowout games and were just a few red zone turnovers away from a much more comfortable win over the 49ers last week. The offense, with guys like Sam Darnold, Justin Jefferson and Jones leading the way, is executing efficiently. Brian Flores’ defense has been absolutely dominant, allowing just 30 total points so far with 16 sacks and six takeaways.

Outside expectations for this Vikings team were low heading into the season, but they always believed they had the makings of a very good group. This is a well-coached team with talent, experience, and a hunger to win on all sides. The results they have recorded over the last three Sundays are a reflection of how they prepared throughout the offseason and how they have continued to work throughout the week since the games began.

“I love these guys in the locker room, the way we’ve been able to prepare throughout the week and the looks we’re getting from scouts, it’s all high-level football right now,” Darnold said. “I think we’ve got to continue to push each other on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, so we can go out there on Sunday and perform at a high level, because there’s still room for improvement. Even the scoreboard doesn’t tell the whole story. There’s a lot of room for improvement, and we’re going to continue to look to get better.”

Harrison Smith, a 13-year veteran and the team’s longest-tenured player, described how much fun he has playing on this team and this defense with the group of guys the Vikings have assembled.

“We do things every week,” Smith said. “We’re motivated, with joy and determination. It’s not like we have to practice, we have to go to meetings. There’s none of that. Because we’re doing things that we all believe in and we enjoy working together. I get up and I enjoy going to work, and I think almost everybody does. It does something in the long run. We just have to keep doing what we’re doing and try to get a little better every week.”

If the Vikings keep playing like this, there’s no limit to what they can accomplish this season. The entire team has bought into the coaching of O’Connell and Flores and their teams. They believe in each other. And on both sides of the ball, you see a team that plays hard and plays consistently. This is a talented group that still has a lot to improve on, even after a 3-0 start to the season.

The key for the Vikings, as O’Connell has stressed every week, is to focus on each day individually and continue to prepare the same way every time.

“I’m having a blast coaching this team,” O’Connell said. “And I think we’re made of what it takes. And we have to continue to prove that. Because that’s what this league is all about. As great as it is for our team to start 3-0 and beat really good football teams and win at home, every week is going to be a challenge. How disciplined can we be to have the best practice we can next Wednesday and then worry about next Thursday. It might sound cliché, but if your players are willing to commit to that process and demand it of each other, you’re going to be fine.”

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