Just how tough of a position have the Vikings put themselves in by falling to 2-5 with Sunday's loss at New England?
Since the NFL adopted its current 12-team playoff format in 1990, only three teams that opened with that record were able to rebound and make the postseason.
The list includes the 1990 New Orleans Saints; the 1995 Detroit Lions; and the 2002 New York Jets. The Saints and Lions lost in the wild-card round and the Jets beat the Colts after winning the AFC East but then lost to the Raiders.
The Vikings started 2-5 in 2007 under Brad Childress but rebounded to win five in a row at one point and six of their last nine. Childress' team, however, fell short in its bid to make the postseason losing 22-19 at Denver in overtime in the regular-season finale.
