The Vikings have facts on their side.
They can claim to have accomplished something meaningful.
They played a key home game against a division opponent, and won.
They even won in thrilling fashion, as Greg Joseph kicked a 54-yard field goal as time expired to beat the Detroit Lions 19-17 at U.S. Bank Stadium.
NFL teams can't afford to scoff at victories, and especially not crucial victories, and that's what the Vikings earned.
The Vikings dominated statistically and in time of possession.
Their pass rush was effective. They didn't allow a touchdown until the last minute of the game.
Linebacker Eric Kendricks made a remarkable one-handed interception deep in Vikings territory.
Most important, the Vikings won to improve to 2-3 and remain in playoff contention.
The facts look pretty good.
The game didn't.
The Vikings may have played their worst game of the season. That they played it against the Lions gave them a chance to win anyway.
The Lions fell to 0-5, and it is easy to see why they are winless, and it is difficult to imagine them winning more than a couple of games this season.
What may in retrospect look like a blue-collar victory too often looked like a series of wasted opportunities that the Lions were too inept to capitalize on.
The Vikings didn't try to score at the end of the first half, instead running the ball and killing the clock.
They scored just one touchdown, and it was the result of running back Alexander Mattison running over half of the Lions' defense to force his way into the end zone after taking a short pass over the middle.
The Vikings' run defense allowed 4.5 yards per carry. Adam Thielen had just two passes thrown his way before the game's final drive.
The first was a run-and-catch wiped out by a penalty. The second hit him in the hands and he dropped it.
Playing with their season on the line, the Vikings let the Lions keep the game close all game, until Mattison's inexplicable fumble allowed the Lions to take a 17-16 lead with a touchdown and a two-point conversion with 37 seconds remaining.
That's when the Lions upheld their horrid tradition, allowing the Vikings to complete three easy passes to set up Joseph's game-winning field goal.
The Vikings' season is alive. Whether they deserve it or not.
