Entering the 2011 NFL season, many people figured the Minnesota Vikings would struggle, but they also viewed the addition of Donovan McNabb as enough to get them to at least a mediocre level. Through three games however, the Vikings are struggling in numerous areas and suddenly find themselves 0-3 with a tough NFC North schedule of games coming up soon. The Vikings had a chance to get their first win against the Lions but blew a 20-0 first half lead en route to a 26-23 overtime loss. Those kinds of losses will only help in the Andrew Luck Sweepstakes.
The Suck For Luck campaign is already heating up as the Indianapolis Colts and Kansas City Chiefs are the current front runners. They both attempted to get that elusive first win on Sunday but couldn't quite make it happen. The Colts gave the Pittsburgh Steelers all they could handle, but cam up just short. The Chiefs worked hard to fight back from 10-0 and 20-10 deficits but could not quite make it happen and fell 20-17.
The most interesting development in the Suck For Luck campaign was the change in quarterback in Indianapolis. Kerry Collins reportedly suffered a concussion in the loss and was replaced by Curtis Painter. Late in the fourth quarter, Painter drove the Colts down for a game-tying touchdown with 2:06 remaining. The Steelers got the game-winning field goal on the ensuing drive, but one has to wonder how Painter could impact the Colts. He has struggled in preseason performances but Reggie Wayne came out in favor of the young quarterback. If he can get some level of success moving forward, the Colts might not be so Luck-y.
The Seattle Seahawks remain a prime candidate for Luck but they managed a home win over the Arizona Cardinals. The NFC West is struggling to the point that the Seahawks might find themselves the unintended beneficiaries of a few wins just due to the state of their division.
Miami dropped to 0-3 as well with a tough 17-16 loss to the Cleveland Browns. They've shown enough that I'm not sure they have what it takes to stink up the joint all year long. Of course, at the beginning of the season I also said that I thought Indy would do decently with Collins. Shows what I know.
This week features our first Suck For Luck showdown between the 0-3 Minnesota Vikings and 0-3 Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs are entering what could be a pivotal two-game stretch as they host the Vikings and then travel to face the Colts. This could be make-or-break time for the Chiefs in that battle for the number one pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.