RandBall: This week is a big test for the Vikings — and their fans

Sunday’s 31-9 loss to the Lions played out like a materialization of every Vikings fan’s greatest fears being realized.

Worried that Sam Darnold, for as well as he has played this season (and particularly recently), could turn into the old version of himself at the worst possible moment? Yep, that happened.

Concerned that an improved but still uneven offensive line would have a bad game? Yep.

Nervous that the Vikings’ penchant for winning the biggest moments — third downs, fourth downs and red zone plays — is a feature of the team but one that still leaves them with little margin for error against more talented teams? Uh-huh.

Wondering if the rookie kicker who once looked invincible but has been far more mortal lately would stumble in a critical moment? You got it.

Concerned that the Vikings’ nonexistent short-yardage running game could be problematic? Yes.

It’s enough to leave the Vikings doubting themselves and for fans to get pessimistic while thinking about a 14-3 squad going on the road in the playoffs to face the other team it lost to this year.

Plain and simple, this week is going to be a test for the Vikings and their fans — something Patrick Reusse and I talked about in the context of the loss to the Lions on Monday’s Daily Delivery podcast.

The Vikings find themselves now in a strange position. They are obviously a very good team, one that exceeded projections so much that they ended up with twice as many wins as expected during a largely excellent and entertaining 14-3 regular season.

And yet now they also find themselves headed on the road to open the playoffs because they play in the NFL’s best division. While they opened as slight favorites to beat the Rams, traveling to the West Coast for a Monday night playoff game is far from their preferred postseason opponent or scenario.

The only other team besides Detroit to defeat the Vikings and put up 30 points this season? It came on a night game in Los Angeles.

Similarly, Vikings fans whose attitude about the team shifted from “what an extremely fun group of overachievers” to “oh my gosh is this the year they win it all?” are feeling wounded after Sunday’s loss. They might be an optimistic bunch to believe in this franchise year after year, but those vibes can turn to pessimism very quickly.

So the task over the next week is dual: Can the Vikings dust themselves off and become the team they were before the Lions loss? And can their fans maintain belief in the face of this season’s greatest adversity?

If things really are different this year, like they have felt most of the season, we’ll know for sure next Monday.