Petersen can't get out of this season without some flags ... there are issues that need to be addressed.
But the good still outweigh the bad. The trends are still far more positive than not.
Barring an absolute disaster next season, he'll still be around for Year 4. It's the next 2 years that are going to really define what we have in Petersen going forward. He can't slip up next year and go 7-5 or whatever. That won't be good enough. But he definitely needs to get past the 8-4 or 9-3 measure and at least win the North in the next 2 years to really maintain the "all is well" mindset.
He needs to win the north next year.
The only way it's acceptable if he doesn't if it's a 1 loss situation like when Andrew Luck and Harbaugh had to go to the Orange Bowl and the Ducks played for the Natty. I don't think any teams in the north are really primed to be elite next year so I don't see it playing out like that.
Win it next year.