Here’s a look at the first half of the season for the Minnesota Vikings (5-3) and a preview of what to expect in the second half:

Grade B: The Vikings started out 5-0, weathering what could have been a crippling slate of injuries with resourcefulness and ingenuity. Three straight losses to Philadelphia, Chicago and Detroit, though, have muted the Super Bowl talk at least for now. The Vikings' offensive line issues have been brought to the forefront in recent weeks -- partially by injuries, but also by players who underperformed when they were healthy -- and those issues contributed directly to the Eagles and Bears losses. The Vikings are where they are at the halfway point because of the league's best defense, but they've got plenty of work ahead of them.

Midseason MVP: When the Vikings sent a first-round pick to the Eagles for Sam Bradford on Sept. 3, it was seen as a bold move to try to save the season following Teddy Bridgewater's knee injury. But even the Vikings probably couldn't have predicted how well Bradford would play in his first four games, leading the team to a 5-0 start after Shaun Hill started the opener. Bradford has thrown only one interception all season, and has posted a 99.0 passer rating even while playing behind a leaky offensive line. The Vikings' fortunes, for this year and possibly beyond, are in his hands.

Best moment: On Sept. 18, with commissioner Roger Goodell in town and a national TV audience watching the opening of U.S. Bank Stadium, Bradford outplayed Aaron Rodgers and the Vikings' defense stood up to its longtime nemesis in a 17-14 win. Bradford completed 22 of his 31 passes for 286 yards and two touchdowns, including an impressive 25-yard strike to Stefon Diggs that put the Vikings up 17-7 before a late Rodgers touchdown.

Worst moment: The Vikings' Monday night loss to the Bears came against a team with a worse record, but the Vikings' defeat in Philadelphia stands out in some ways as a more troubling performance. Bradford was sacked six times, fumbling four times and losing the ball twice, and the 98-yard kick return touchdown the Vikings allowed to Josh Huff is one of just two kick return TDs in the NFL this season.

Player to watch: How far the Vikings go this season will hinge on Bradford, but the most tantalizing question for the second half of the season revolves around a player who's still on injured reserve: Adrian Peterson is pushing to get back from a torn meniscus in time to help the Vikings -- he's believed to be aiming for an early December return -- though head athletic trainer Eric Sugarman told ESPN's Lisa Salters last week it will still be a while before Peterson is able to start running. If the running back is able to return, it will be interesting to see whether he can spark a lackluster running game -- and how he fits into an offense that figures to keep changing schematically after Pat Shurmur replaced Norv Turner as offensive coordinator.

Second-half outlook: The Vikings have to develop an offensive identity if they want to make a Super Bowl push, and the promotion of Shurmur, at the culmination of a two-year move away from Turner's core philosophy, could help the team figure out what it wants to be on offense. No strategic solution, though, will fix an offensive line that has to play better than it did in the first half. If it does, and the Vikings can find a workable offensive solution, they've got the defense to go a long way.