Defeat can inspire Minnesota recovery

After losing quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to injury at the start of the season and seeing star running back Adrian Peterson limp out of action in Week Two, few would have expected Minnesota to win their first five matches.

The quality of Mike Zimmer’s defence – they are ranked fourth against the pass, third against the run and have conceded just 14 points per game – means they are highly regarded in the Super Bowl market.

But the nature of their 21-10 defeat against Philadelphia last week suggests the Vikings still have questions to answer on the other side of the ball.