Monday (Vikings: Time to worry, but not panic) edition: Wha' Happened?

Before a season begins, fans of good teams tend to exaggerate that team's weaknesses in order to temper enthusiasm and offer a realistic, "worst-case" scenario for the year ahead. Fans of mediocre-to-bad teams go in the other extreme, glossing over weaknesses in search of positive nuggets that could lead to a surprisingly good year.

Which one are you doing, right now, Vikings fans?

Sorry to make you uncomfortable.

There should be a lot more optimism after a 10-6 season and a playoff berth, but through three largely painful preseason games, it feels like the Vikings are right back in if, if, if, if mode.

If Christian Ponder can turn a corner (which he has yet to do in preseason play that is generously described as "uneven"), or Matt Cassel can be an efficient leader of the offense, the Vikings can contend.

If the team's young secondary can hold up against a trio of big-yardage QBs in the division ...

If the wide receivers are, indeed, upgraded ...

If the special teams can continue to be stellar in almost all aspects ...

If the offensive line, which was surprisingly decent last year but suspect in the preseason this year, can get it together ...

And if Adrian Peterson is not merely the best RB in the game right now, but one of the best in history again ...

It's getting, well, uncomfortable? Is that the right word? It's starting to feel like a smaller-scale version of 2009 to 2010, when everything charmed turned to rubble.