Optimism Reigns in Purple PTSD’s Season Predictions
Recently, I’ve been publishing a season prediction series (I, II, III, IV) right here on Purple PTSD. Folks who have taken the time to read will know that I’ve got our Vikings going 11-6, which seems to be a relatively optimistic take. I will add, though, that I’d be surprised if we could get to the NFC Championship Game (or perhaps even further). Alas, my heart has been broken before, so I don’t want too much optimism.
Instead of hearing me drone on even more, take a few moments to see what Cole, Josh, and Henrique have to say about how the season will go. Toss them a follow on Twitter (and the official Purple PTSD account). Enjoy!
Cole Smith
@SkolSmith
I believe that the Vikings will go 10-7 this season. They have a tough first four games that should tell us where they stack up. Their home opener against the Seahawks in Week 3 will be a good test as the team has come oh-so-close to beating Seattle in almost all of their recent meetings. Minnesota hasn’t beaten them since 2009, so a victory here could feel like getting the monkey off their back. If the Vikings aren’t at least 2-2 at the quarter-pole, then the season is in jeopardy.
The next four games don’t get much easier. Coming off of a Week 7 bye, the Vikings play Dallas on Halloween night. If Dak Prescott is back, expect a tough game as the Cowboys still bring a big-game feel no matter how good or bad they are. A week later, the Vikings travel to Baltimore. It will be a good test for the revamped defense, but a tough task regardless. It won’t be easy, but Minnesota needs to go 3-1 in this stretch of games.
Another tough four games lie ahead after Baltimore. A weird rivalry game with the Chargers will be tough, but games against Green Bay and San Francisco could play a large role in playoff positioning. Things ease up with a trip to Detroit, but the Vikings can’t be worse than 2-2 here. This is a 7-5 mark at this point.
Minnesota then hosts Pittsburgh on Thursday Night Football. This is an advantage for the home team. Two matchups against the Bears should give the Vikings their final two wins here. Squeezed between is a home game against the Rams and a trip to Lambeau. As much as I’d like to be optimistic, I’ll chalk those up as losses.
This team is good enough to do what they did in 2019. A win as an underdog in the Wild Card Round on Nickelodeon will send our beloved Purple to a superior team that sends us packing.
Josh Frey
@FreyedChicken05
If history is to repeat itself, the Vikings are on schedule to have themselves a productive year in 2021. However in order for that to happen, their defense and offensive line will need to be much improved. The defensive personnel is much more qualified to be a top unit than 2020’s was, but questions still remain along the o-line with LT Christian Darrisaw’s injury.
Ultimately, the beginning of 2021 may be a bit rough as new teammates learn how to play with one another, and Rashod Hill takes starting snaps at LT. 2-2 or even 1-3 through four weeks is certainly a possibility.
As the year progresses, this will be a very good team, though. The run defense specifically will be far different than it was in 2020. Minnesota will end up 10-7, snatching a wild card spot. They will upset the Seattle Seahawks in the Wild Card round, revenging their regular season loss, before falling in the divisional round to Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Henrique Gucciardi
@h_gucciardi
I feel like the hype was much higher before training camp, but the vaccine debacle, an overall lackluster preseasonm and Irv’s injury brought it down a notch. Still, this team has a very good starting lineup, and we can aim for big things if the players manage to stay healthy. The offense did almost nothing in August, but that was without Cook, Jefferson, and Thielen, and the offensive line looked much better. The defense has the potential to be great again, with a unit that should be the best against the run and miles better pressuring the QB if compared with 2020. Kicking problems aside, the special teams also look better and Ihmir Smith-Marsette can be a good returner, even if it’s only until Kene Nwangwu gets back. As this is an odd year, the Vikings will almost certainly make the playoffs, and I believe they can make some noise in January.
Ali Siddiqui
@asiddqui15
This Vikings team has a chance to be pretty good this season. Can they avoid more key injuries though? Losing Irv Smith Jr is a huge blow. He was in for a breakout season. Chris Herndon will be a good addition, but not as good as Smith would’ve likely been this year.
The offensive line should be better, but how much better will it be? While the guards should be better (can’t be any worse), left tackle is still a question mark. Christian Darrisaw missed plenty of time due to a groin injury. When he comes back, will be even close to what Riley Reiff was last year? We don’t know yet. Klint Kubiak has also never called plays.
The defense will be much improved with the return of Danielle Hunter and Michael Pierce. Anthony Barr will also be back after missing 14 games. The additions of Dalvin Tomlinson, Sheldon Richardson, Everson Griffen, Xavier Woods, Bashaud Breeland, Mackensie Alexander and Patrick Peterson will all help. Nick Vigil could be an X-factor.
The offense could take a step back this season, but the defense should be top-10, perhaps even top-5. This team could win 11 or 12 games, but they’ll need to avoid more serious injuries and the Covid bug
Well, there you have it, folks. If you like more predictions, hop over to Vikings Territory to see theirs.