What a smackdown

One of the most cliched questions in sports journalism is one you'll be seeing and hearing a lot this week:

``Is the bye coming at a good time?"

The usual correct answer to that is: ``Doesn't matter. You don't get to reschedule if you don't like it."

The correct answer for the Vikings today: ``Doesn't matter. We've already proved we don't need to be healthy or rested to be dominant."

The Vikings took apart a pretty talented Texans' offense on Sunday, making Brock Osweiler look like a young Spergon Wynn.

Osweiler is not a high-quality NFL quarterback, but he is surrounded with quality skill-position players and has been able to score points against lesser defenses.

Two teams have beaten him up, and both are run by defensive masterminds - the Patriots and Vikings.

In my column in the Sunday paper, I noted that the Vikings have already concluded the toughest stretch of their schedule. After the bye, they'll go to Philly to face rookie quarterback Carson Wentz. That's one of the tougher games on their schedule, but as good as Wentz has been, how will he handle a truly dominant, head-game-playing defense?

The Vikings may be favored in each of their remaining games. They may be the best team currently in the NFL, with the possible exception of the Patriots now that Tom Brady has returned and Rob Gronkowski is healthy.

This is heady stuff, and the Vikings deserve all of the homer-tastic praise they are receiving because they have done it despite injuries that many coaches and organization would happily use as excuses for poor play.

For the Monday paper, I'm writing about Adam Thielen and Cordarrelle Patterson coming through with Stefon Diggs out.