Stop the cameras! Freeze frame! Five games in and we have reached football Nirvana.

How can it possibly get any better than this? Where does one go after entering paradise?

Vikings fans are much more familiar with that other place, where the accursed wander in misery. Yet now their team is 5-0 and has exceeded every expectation. This is like the afterglow of a first kiss, the pride that follows a big promotion. It’s nutty old Uncle Ed passing away and leaving you his four-wheeler.

And the people are eating it up. So much so that they are fully surrendering themselves to the experience rather than holding back just a little (or a lot) while waiting for that big cosmic boot to come out of the shadows and give the team a kick. As per usual. But the current attitude appears to be: tradition be damned.

“It’s a good start,” quarterback Sam Bradford said. “But we’re not satisfied. We haven’t accomplished anything yet.”

Au contraire, the Vikings have accomplished a lot. They have dissipated the residual gloom from last season and raised the spirits of anyone paying attention. And they have done so the old-fashioned way, with hard-nosed blocking and tackling despite the loss of key players to injury. Their consistency has been commendable. Related Articles Vikings sign linebacker Hardy Nickerson off practice squad

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“We were good on all three sides of the ball,” cornerback Captain Munnerlyn noted after Sunday’s 31-13 romp over Houston.

He may seem a bit geometrically challenged, but we knew exactly what he meant. Offense, defense and special teams all carried their weight in the rout.

“We just try to be blue-collar workers,” linebacker Eric Kendricks said. “We try to keep our work ethic up. If we’re not giving enough, we get on each other.”

After these games, Zimmer sort of plays the bumpkin, eschewing deep thoughts while attempting to pin the outcome on honest, hard work. That “aw shucks” approach really goes over well in these parts. Of course, there is much more to it than that.

For example, the Texans came out with a specific plan to get receivers open in certain areas of the field. According to several players, Zimmer figured it out right away, made a couple of quick adjustments, and from then on Houston’s offense was toast.

Yes sir, an unexpected 5-0 start despite all sorts of personnel shortages. This is the sweet spot. At some point, winning becomes expected and, eventually, losses become tragic. But right now, everyone is more or less glowing over what has happened so far.

“It starts with Coach Zimmer and then trickles down to the assistant coaches and then down to us,” Munnerlyn said. “Coach Zimmer let us know that no one is going to feel sorry for us in this league. The game is still going to be played Sunday at noon.”

“If you’re on the field, you’re expected to make plays,” safety Harrison Smith said. “This is how we play. Nothing crazy about it. This is our mentality.”

How can things be better? The next emotionally higher level can only occur in the playoffs. And there is a lot of time to kill between now and then. So what’s to do until the postseason showdowns?

OK, maybe some folks will spend the bye week wondering what might go wrong the rest of the way. You know, just because the Vikings are the Vikings. Let me save you the trouble.

Swelled-Head Syndrome: This seems unlikely. The team doesn’t have enough stars to get moody or cocky. These fellows on defense really are a bunch of grave-diggers. So I wouldn’t worry there. Sam Bradford and Anthony Barr collide in the shower: The Vikings already have overcome the loss of Adrian Peterson, Teddy Bridgewater and about 37 offensive linemen. The team seems uniquely able to replace any and all players that get knocked out of commission. Off-field scandal rocks team: You never know about these things. However, there does appear to be solid leadership in the locker room, as opposed to leadership that rents a couple of party boats during the bye week. Keep your fingers crossed even though this seems improbable. Cosmic boot kicks Vikings’ butt: Well, I don’t really want to bring this up. Not now, when everyone is in the throes of football delight. There will be plenty of time to think about this later. Forget I even brought it up.

For now, enjoy life. Plant a tree. Hug an older person (I’m available). Eat bacon. Just five games in and everything has reached a level of perfection. Even the clouds feel particularly fluffy, don’t they?