The season is finally over for the Minnesota Vikings. After failing to beat Detroit and claim the NFC North crown on the last weekend of the regular season, the Vikings were forced to face the LA Rams in a Wild Card match-up. Due to the ongoing situation in Los Angeles, the game was moved to the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
Minnesota was regarded as one of the best teams in the league this year – and one that had proved to be difficult to beat, especially in the second half of the season. But anyone searching for where to bet for Super Bowl LIX will not have to consider the Vikings now when they are deciding on their pick.
Although the Vikings did do well this year, it is highly possible that many of those potential bettors would not have been looking to Kevin O’Connell’s team anyway. Even the most ardent of fans have become used to disappointment and the chance of actually winning a Super Bowl always seems a long way off. But why should Vikes fans be so pessimistic? And will their team ever win a championship?
Latest Disappointment
The Vikings came into their Wild Card game against the Rams with the odds stacked against them. Losing to the Lions the week before meant no divisional title, no week off, and a number five seed in the NFC even though Minnesota finished with a 14-3 record. Add to that the emotional wellbeing behind the Rams because of the wildfires and the Vikings were definitely up against it. State Farm Stadium was full of Rams fans who had made the almost 400-mile trip to Arizona and the team made its unique homefield advantage pay. LA scored a touchdown on its very first drive and never really looked back. The Vikes QB was sacked a record nine times and concerns over his ability to handle a pressure situation were horribly realized for Minnesota fans as their team eventually lost 27-9.
History of Hurt
For any Vikings fan, the latest playoff loss is just the latest in a long history of disappointment. It was the second time in three years that Minnesota had lost at the first playoff hurdle. What makes that stat harder to take is that both the Rams and the Giants in 2022 would have been considered beatable.
It is not just recent history that pains the Vikings faithful though. The team has finished top of its division on six occasions since the turn of the century but have never even made it to the Super Bowl. Go back further and the news is even bleaker. The Purple People Eaters famously lost four championship games in just seven years in the late 1960s and early 1970s – and there seems to have been a curse on the team ever since.
Divisional Rival
To give the organization some credit, the Vikings have traditionally played in one of the toughest divisions in the league. In recent times, Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers have always been the ones to beat, while the Super Bowl-winning Chicago Bears previously held that title during the 1980s.
With Rodgers gone, the Packers looked like posing a weaker challenge, while the Bears have been terrible for a while now. But if Vikings fans thought that their time had come, the Detroit Lions had other ideas. After decades of disappointment, the Lions surprised everyone by making it to the NFC Championship game last year and are now considered one of the favorites to win it all this season. While some teams in other divisions have sneaked into the playoffs with a losing record in the last few years, the Vikings tend to have to do everything the hard way.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Many of the reasons Minnesota lost to the Rams in the Wild Card game were not typical of how the rest of the season went. Kevin O’Connell may well win Coach of the Year but he was hopelessly out-thought by Sean McVay in this game. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores also didn’t seem to be able to cope with what the Rams were doing – and rarely looked as though he had prepared thoroughly.
When Kirk Cousins left the Vikings in the offseason and new hope JJ McCarthy was immediately injured, the prospect of Sam Darnold taking over filled Vikings fans with dread. But the former bust started to show why he was so highly rated in his younger days during the regular season. Fast-forward to the business end of the season, however, and the old Darnold seemed to return. He was ineffective against both the Lions and the Rams (with admittedly poor protection) and the result is another season now in the books for Minnesota.
Another Year of Heartbreak?
So, will the Minnesota Vikings ever win a Super Bowl? If you are a fan you will already think you know the answer to that question. New coaches and new players don’t seem to make any difference. Dominating the regular season doesn’t seem to make a difference. The Vikings will always limp out of the postseason far too early.
Things might change if JJ McCarthy is given a chance when he returns from injury at the beginning of next season. It will be asking a lot of what will still effectively be a rookie QB – but a strong playcaller is needed by any Super Bowl-winning team. There also needs to be a lot of new faces on the offensive line.
Even if everything goes right for the Vikings next year, the weight of history will continue to be on the players’ shoulders. And, whatever happens, the fans won’t believe the team can win a Super Bowl until the clock runs down in a championship.