Good Teams Find a Way to Win as Vikings Squeak by Jags

Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images

Sunday’s 12-7 win by the Vikings in Jacksonville reminded me of my first year as President of the Tennessee Titans in 1999. In my prior season with the 1998 Vikings, we set a then-NFL record for scoring and regularly blew out opponents but lost a heartbreaker in the NFC title game to Atlanta in overtime.

The ’99 season with the Titans was so different. We had a lot of close wins, and our excellent defense carried us past lesser teams. The fan base and the media would call them ugly wins, but I would tell our players and coaches that good teams find a way to win, and in the final analysis, all that matters was to get the win. Style points are nice, but ultimately, they are meaningless.

Good Teams Find a Way to Win as Vikings Squeak by Jags

Our Titans team of 1999 ended up in the Super Bowl, where we were one yard shy of sending the game against the St. Louis Rams into overtime. I’m not saying this year’s Vikings team is Super Bowl-bound. I’m just saying they found a way to win a road game with great defense and a new kicker while their quarterback threw three picks. They are 7-2, which is far better than anyone predicted. Let’s reserve final judgment until we see how this season winds up.