more, Jones said.But hopefully its nothing too serious.Were not su

Sent a text Tuesday morning to a member of the Minnesota Vikings coaching staff to compliment the performance in the teams Monday Night Football victory over the?New York Giants. The response?Thanks. Can get a lot better.Some will posit the Vikings 5-0 start as one of the early-season NFL surprises. The Vikings themselves are not surprised. They have believed, through the entire offseason and after major injuries to their quarterback, star running back and left tackle, that they were built to withstand anything and win a championship. The evidence weve seen so far makes it tough to argue.Sunday, the Vikings wiped the floor of their new stadium with the Houston Texans, a 2015 playoff team that has its own designs on the postseason. The Vikings?are 2? games ahead of the Packers in the NFC North, and one of their five wins is a head-to-head victory over Green Bay. The Vikings have a pass defense thats allowing just 210 air?yards per game and a turnover differential of plus-11 through five games.They also have next week off, then a post-bye schedule that starts with?Philadelphia Eagles?rookie quarterback Carson Wentz and either Brian Hoyer or Jay Cutler in Chicago.This is no mirage. The Vikings traded their first-round pick for Sam Bradford a week before the start of the season because they knew they had a team built to contend for a Super Bowl title. Plenty has happened that has offered them opportunity for doubt -- the Teddy Bridgewater injury that prompted the Bradford trade, the Adrian Peterson and Matt Kalil injuries, the injury that kept top wide receiver Stefon Diggs out of Sundays game. But people in the Vikings building say the message from coach Mike Zimmer has been consistent throughout.Zimmer has consistently told his team its good enough to dream the biggest dreams even amid dizzying bad luck. And the way the Vikings are performing makes it clear they believe him.Start with Bradford, who showed up so close to the start of the season that they actually held him out of the first game and started Shaun Hill at quarterback. Since he took over, Bradford has been exactly what the coaches need him to be -- a smart, steady, competent leader of the offense. He has a 70.4 completion percentage with six touchdown passes and no interceptions. The Vikings believed when they acquired Bradford that they could run a play-action game and let him take shots down the field, and he has. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Bradford connected on five of his first six throws of 25 or more yards this season, and two of those were touchdowns.The Vikings thought Bradford could do what they needed him to do, and even though they were crushed to lose Peterson, they had a template in place from two years ago to build a run game around Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata. Theyre pleased with what theyve seen from the offensive linemen who have had to step into larger roles. The offense has not turned the ball over once. It is doing its job.But what makes these Vikings a Super Bowl contender is the defense, especially against the pass. Opposing passers are completing just 55.5 percent of their passes against Minnesota, averaging 209.8 yards per game with four touchdowns and seven interceptions. The Vikings have sacked opposing quarterbacks 19 times for a total of 135 lost yards. The quarterbacks they played before they waxed Brock Osweiler on Sunday were Marcus Mariota, Aaron Rodgers, Cam Newton and Eli Manning.This Vikings start is real, and its sustainable. No, they arent going to win all 16 games or go through the season without a turnover. But you can make a strong case that they have already made it through the toughest part of their season -- the one in which their whole offense fell apart thanks to injuries, and they had to face a run of MVP and Super Bowl quarterbacks. Zimmer doesnt have to keep telling his team its good enough to contend for a title. At this point, theyve figured that out for themselves. Custom Detroit Pistons Jerseys .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Ben Wallace Pistons Jersey . Thousands of fans at Mosaic Stadium will be cozying up to each other in an effort to stay warm in chilly temperatures and block the Prairie wind that locals say can knock your socks off. https://www.pistonsrookiesshop.com/Christian-Laettner-City-Edition-Jersey/ . Lack made 20 saves for his third shutout of the season as the Canucks blanked the St. Louis Blues 1-0 in the first post-Olympic game for both teams night. Derrick Rose Jersey . 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Tony Snell Pistons Jersey .Y. - Jerome Samson scored once in regulation and again in the shootout as the St. Newcastle could be short up to six players when they host Sydney FC this weekend, with Andrew Nabbout and Lachlan Jackson joining the A-League clubs busy treatment table.The Jets overcame a two-goal deficit to pinch a point from Western Sydney at Spotless Stadium on Sunday and continue their unbeaten start to the season.But it did not come without cost to Mark Jones already-depleted squad.Young defender Jackson limped off during the first half with an apparent ankle injury before the exit of in-form winger Nabbout compounded the Jets woes.Nabbout hurt his groin during an off-target shot at goal and was promptly subbed off to receive treatment.Andrews had a tight groin for two or three weeks now and with his last kick hes hurt it a little bit more, Jones said.But hopefully its nothing too serious.Were not sure with Lachy. Its a kick, so were waiting to see the extent of the injury.It leaves the pair in doubt Saturdays tough home clash with ttable-topping Sydney.ddddddddddddFirst-choice goalkeeper Ben Kennedy (Achilles) and Daniel Alessi (knee) are already sidelined for the season while key defender Daniel Mullen (knee) is set to miss almost half the campaign and Finnish striker Aleksandr Kokko (Achilles) remains uncertain to return.Jones said what the Jets lack in manpower against the Sky Blues theyll make up in the same self-belief that helped his Nigel Boogaard and Andrew Hoole salvage a draw from seemingly certain defeat.We were trying to convince them at half-time that it wasnt too bad, Jones said.We had a game plan at halftime to stay in the game.They had to believe and be strong.We knew if we didnt concede again we were a chance of getting back in the game.It is about body language and believing we are good enough, and they got a good reward. ' ' '