We’re about to find out what the Vikings are really made of

The Minnesota Vikings are now 6-2 on the season and can enjoy their bye week after a win over the Browns in London. It wasn’t the biggest win by any means, but it’s awfully difficult to get to 6-2 on accident.

Right now, the Vikings are pretty comfortably in first place in the NFC North, ahead of the Packers at 4-3 and the Lions at 3-4. With Aaron Rodgers hurt, and the Lions losers of four of their last five, the Vikings look like they have a real shot at running away with the NFC North.

But it hasn’t been a simple formula for the Vikings, and things might not get any easier. This is what they’ve succeeded in so far this season, and what their road ahead looks like the rest of the way.

Teams can overcome mediocrity or a lack of talent on offense with a good defense. The Vikings are going to have to ride their defense the rest of the season. Of course, that’s hardly surprising with Mike Zimmer, a former defensive coordinator, in charge.

The Vikings’ defense doesn’t really have any big names on it outside of Xavier Rhodes and Everson Griffen, but they play like a defense full of stars.

Griffen has been especially impressive this season. He’s recorded a sack in every game this season, joining Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis as the only three players in NFL history to do so through the first eight games of the season. That’s a career year for a lot of players, and Griffen’s at 10 sacks with half a season left to play.

As a team, they’ve sacked opposing quarterbacks 24 times, good for sixth place in the NFL.

But their run defense has been great too — they have yet to allow a 100-yard rusher in a game. And it’s not just because of Griffen. Nose guard Linval Joseph has been the key to their success, and Griffen will tell you just as much.

“It’s like you have this big cruise ship and they set the anchor right down the middle of the ship. He’s a m-----f------ anchor. Just being honest,” Griffen told ESPN’s Courtney Cronin. “Big cruise ship: 80 tons, maybe 100 tons, 100,000 tons. Big, old cinder block that slides in, and nobody’s moving it.”

The secondary doesn’t give up very many big plays. Harrison Smith has carried the load there for Minnesota — he’s also got a knack for making game-changing plays, like this interception to seal their win over the Chicago Bears.

The safety leads the team with three interceptions on the season. And while Rhodes only has one pick so far, quarterbacks rarely throw his way.

The defense is the one certainty on this Vikings team. They rank in the top 10 in every major category, including total yards and scoring. Injuries pending, their defensive prowess will determine just how far they go this season.

Sam Bradford has been battling a knee injury — one that he aggravated on Monday Night Football against the Bears — and there’s no real timetable for his return. Teddy Bridgewater is also still in the midst of his own recovery, one that’s taken over a year and a half. It’s forced Case Keenum to step in for the Vikings and carry the offense.

After their win against the Browns in Week 8, head coach Mike Zimmer praised Keenum.

“Case has done an unbelievable job,” Zimmer said via the Pioneer Press. “He’s done what we’ve asked him to do. He’s come out and kept things rolling.”

He got off to a rocky start against the Browns, which raised concerns that he could possibly have another horrendous game in London like he did last season with the Rams, when he threw four interceptions and was sacked three times. But he finished the game with 288 passing yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.

“I’ve developed a lot,” Keenum said, via the Pioneer Press. “I think experience is priceless. So anytime I get to play, I use it as a learning experience. I used last year here as a learning experience.”

Keenum is 4-2 in his starts this season, and has seven touchdown passes against three interceptions. He hasn’t been an incredible gunslinger by any means, but he also hasn’t been a detriment. He’s completing a career-high 63.9 percent of his passes and has only turned the ball over three times. Basically, he’s got the whole “game manager” thing down pat.

The offense has been average this season, but the defense is playing at a high level that’s typically good enough to get the job done week in and week out. (Denver would like to be as lucky, especially after Trevor Siemian’s performance this past Monday night.)

Improving their offensive line has played a big role as well. Two of their biggest free agent signings — Riley Reiff and Mike Remmers — have allowed them to be productive on the ground, as well as maximize Keenum’s effectiveness. They also drafted Pat Elflein out of Ohio State, and he has started every game at center.

So far this season, the Vikings have allowed just 10 sacks, the third-lowest number in the league. Last year, they surrendered 38.

The offense took a big hit when it lost rookie phenom Dalvin Cook at running back, but Latavius Murray and Jerick McKinnon have done well in his place. McKinnon has led in rushing yards and touchdowns since, while also providing a threat in the receiving game. In the four games since Cook tore his ACL, McKinnon has totaled 424 yards and four touchdowns. Murray has been inconsistent, and slowed by an ankle injury, but he just had a season-high 113 rushing yards against the Ravens in Week 7.

Combine that with Adam Thielen (second in the league in receiving yards) and Stefon Diggs, who have combined for over 1,000 yards and five touchdowns, and Keenum has some solid weapons to work with.

It’s entirely possible the Vikings could ride their defense as far as they want, similar to how the Broncos and Seahawks have in the recent past. The Seahawks won Super Bowl XLVIII by holding an explosive Broncos offense to just eight points, and two years later, the Broncos did the same by holding Cam Newton and the Panthers to just 10 points in Super Bowl 50. But the defense has to continue to play at an elite level.

The good news for the Vikings? Teddy Bridgewater could be back later this season for the first time since his devastating knee injury in August 2016. There’s no telling how good Bridgewater would be in his return after such a long absence, but either way, it’ll be good to see him back on the field if he indeed makes it.

The Vikings will decide next week whether to activate Bridgewater from the physically unable to perform list to the 53-man roster.

“We’re evaluating him in practice every day, and then we’ll have to make a decision next week, not if he’s going to start or not start, but if he’s going to come up to the 53,” Rick general manager Rick Spielman said this week. “That will be the next step, and from there, the coaches will determine the rest of the way.”

The one thing they can count on moving forward is their defense, which they’ll need more than ever in their next stretch of five games, which consists of:

Based on what we’ve seen through eight weeks of football, those are all winnable games, but none of them are gimmes.

Last season, the Vikings were in a similar spot. They were 5-2 and leading the NFC North. But the offensive line, which used eight different starting combinations due to injuries, couldn’t protect Bradford and they bottomed out.

This year, there are two key differences. One is the improvement of the offensive line, and the other is health. Other players have managed to step up, despite major injuries to big names like Cook and Bradford.

If that holds up, the Vikings will be difficult for any team to face for the rest of the season. But like last year, the second half of the season will be the real test.