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Bold second-half prediction: The Vikings will have a coaching change.

Things can't stay the same. The only realistic window for Vikings owners to move on from Mike Zimmer, who has two years remaining on his contract, would come after two back-to-back losses to the Chargers and Packers. A loss to Minnesota's division rival at home in Week 11 to further emphasize its inferiority in the NFC North could be what pushes ownership to make a change. In a last-ditch effort to right the ship and save his job, Zimmer could change offensive playcallers and hand Klint Kubiak's duties to running backs coach Kennedy Polamalu (the only other person on staff who has called plays, albeit at the college level) -- though this move feels less likely than the former given the optics of Zimmer moving on from his sixth offensive coordinator since 2016. -- Courtney Cronin

The Vikings are a formidable team with a fatal flaw: They have no idea how to close out games. It happened again on Sunday in Baltimore, where Minnesota kicked away a 14-point third-quarter lead in a crushing 34-31 overtime loss to the Ravens. The Kirk Cousins-led offense remains maddeningly hot and cold, with too many quickly extinguished possessions that put the defense in a bad spot. The Ravens ran 89 plays compared to 52 for the Vikings -- and when Anthony Barr came up with an acrobatic interception in overtime, Minnesota's offense responded with a three-and-out that doomed the team. This has been a season of immense frustration; it's fair to wonder if the Vikings are close to a breaking point.

They've lost a lot of close games, including to the Ravens in overtime Sunday. They need to start winning or the playoffs could be a long shot.

How good was Minnesota's defense Sunday? It gave up 500 yards, 36 first downs, was on the field for more than 46 minutes and had to make 89 tackles in the overtime loss to Baltimore. So basically, not good.

Are they good? The Vikings are extremely good at losing close games: All five losses have been by seven points or fewer, and three have been by three points or fewer. So does that make the Vikings better than their record? Or does it just make them a mediocre team that can't figure out how to win close games? We lean to the latter.