4 Stats That Prove the Vikings are Still Super Bowl Contenders Despite Their Week 16 Loss to Packers

The Minnesota Vikings had an opportunity to prove that they're legitimate Super Bowl contenders in Week 16. Unfortunately, the offense largely fell flat, and the Vikings lost to the Green Bay Packers, 23-10, on "Monday Night Football."

However, one bad game shouldn't cause Vikings fans to panic too much, as there's plenty of statistical evidence that suggests Minnesota is still among the league's best. With that in mind, here are four stats that prove the Vikings can still be Super Bowl contenders.

1. Scoring Defense

Danielle Hunter has 14.5 sacks this season. / Harry How/Getty Images

The Vikings own the league's sixth-best scoring defense. In fact, Minnesota is surrendering just 18.8 points per game (PPG) and that's actually the best mark among all six NFC playoff teams. With the San Francisco 49ers' defense currently mired in a pretty significant slump, Minnesota might actually have the best defense in the NFC.

2. Turnover Differential

Anthony Barr takes the field against the Detroit Lions. / Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

Winning the turnover battle is undoubtedly one of the most important factors in building a successful team. While Kirk Cousins has historically struggled with turnovers, he's been much more reliable this season, having thrown just six interceptions, and the Vikings actually have the second-best turnover differential in the NFL. The Vikings' plus-13 turnover differential is second only to the New England Patriots (plus-23). If you need evidence of just how important winning the turnover battle is, Minnesota is 2-3 in games that Cousins throws at least one INT, and 8-2 when he does not. If Cousins can continue taking care of the ball, this team is going to be tough to beat.

3. Quarterback Hits

Danielle Hunter has five sacks across his last three games. / Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

Minnesota has 96 QB hits this season, which is tied for the sixth-best mark in the NFL. Interestingly, the New Orleans Saints are the only other playoff-bound NFC team ahead of the Vikings in this category. This fearsome pass-rush, led by Danielle Hunter (14.5 sacks, T-No. 3 in the NFL), has the chance to swing some postseason games for Minnesota.

4. Adjusted Yards Per Attempt

Kirk Cousins threw for 122 yards against the Green Bay Packers in Week 16. / Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

Kirk Cousins is mired in a bit of a slump, but he's still enjoying the most efficient season of his career. He's averaging 8.7 adjusted yards per attempt (AY/A), which is tied for the sixth-best mark in the league, and is the highest such mark of his career. In fact, he's currently got a better AY/A mark than names like Aaron Rodgers, Deshaun Watson and Dak Prescott. The Vikings' defense has also excelled in this category though, as Minnesota is surrendering 6.4 AY/A, which is the sixth-lowest mark in the league. Minnesota is one of the league's most efficient teams on both sides of the ball, and that could make the Vikings a dangerous postseason opponent once January rolls around.

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Max Staley is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Max Staley also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username mstaley1212. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.