Losing the Minnesota Vikings quarterback, Kirk Cousins, and several other key players, to injury is what some experts say is the unluckiest thing to happen to the team this year.
Data shows the Vikings have the worst luck in the entire National Football League - despite five wins in a row.
That may back up what some fans are feeling, but it doesn't necessarily make anyone feel any better.
"Early on in the season, the Vikings were giving the ball over, turning the ball over, in such a way that they were giving up multiple touchdowns," said Eric Eager, a former player turned sports analyst who also has a Ph.D. in math. He's also the vice president of SumerSports.
His data is derived from several metrics including interceptions, dropped passes, field goals and extra points and fumble recoveries.
"The Vikings have gotten luckier over the past few weeks, but early in the season, they got more unlucky than they were, obviously, the year before, but if you get that kind of luck, what you want to do is build on it, and the unfortunate part about the Vikings last year was that didn't really happen," said Eager, who's also from Maplewood.
Last year, the Vikings' 13-4 record was so good that they clinched the NFC North for the first time in five years, but lost in the first round of the playoffs.
"If you have the best record, you have all the advantages - you have a bye, you have home-field advantage, but they were only able to get 13 wins out of all that luck and that meant that they were not able to go on and win the Super Bowl."
Eager says he thinks the team is now building on the luck they had last year as Justin Jefferson is practicing again and listed as questionable for Sunday's matchup against the Broncos. The Vikings' new quarterback, Joshua Dobbs, is making quite the impression in his first two games with the team.
"I think, in fact, they've been better, fundamentally, when you look at a lot of the metrics, but now you're starting to see some luck as well," said Eager.
Eager expects average teams, like the Vikings, to bank those lucky wins because it doesn't take as much bad luck to start losing again compared to more talented teams, like the Chiefs.
"Skills shifts the window of where your expectations go and then luck sort of paints what actually happens around those windows," said Eager.
But are the Vikings lucky enough to get to the Super Bowl? Eager says fans should be encouraged, but that the team's path forward comes down to who's ultimately their quarterback. Eager says they could be a Super Bowl contender in three to four years.
You can watch the Vikings game against the Broncos this Sunday night on KARE 11 with pre-game coverage that starts at 6 p.m.