Think positively(?)

My Monday column deals with the confusion and raw emotion surrounding the Vikings' loss at Soldier Field, so in this post I'll address a positive:

The Browns come to town next week.

And another positive:

The Vikings get to play the in-decline Steelers in London after that.

And another positive:

The Vikings then get a bye week in which to prepare for an 0-2 Carolina team.

The sky isn't falling. It's just raining a little.

But most of the teams that start 0-2 had little hope before the season began.We're talking about Jaguars and Browns and the like.

The Vikings did win 10 games last year. They stil have the MVP. Their defense started showing signs of life on Sunday, creating four turnovers. And their quarterback played his best half of the season in the second half on Sunday.

More important is who the Vikings play. They didn't figure to be better than 1-1 at this juncture, because they hardly ever win at Chicago. So they're one game behind schedule with the Browns, Steelers and Panthers coming up. If they could put together a three-game winning streak, they'd be in contention.

And while their schedule after that seems daunting, Washington isn't nearly as difficult a matchup as it was considered to be before the season began.

Starting 0-2 leaves the Vikings with little margin for error, but it's not over until it's over, or unless you lose to the Browns.

I'll be on WJON in St. Cloud at 7:15 a.m. to talk about the Vikings game and other stuff. I'll be on 1500ESPN at noon with Judd&Dubay.