A Cruel Vikings Streak Will Continue if the Eagles Win the Super Bowl
Each of the AFC and NFC Championship Games took place this past weekend, and after 21 weeks of an NFL season, the Super Bowl matchup is officially set: the Kansas City Chiefs vs. the Philadelphia Eagles. Because of the results this weekend, the possibility of a cruel Vikings streak continuing through the 2022 season remains alive.
That streak is this: if the Philadelphia Eagles win the Super Bowl two weeks from now, the Minnesota Vikings will have lost to the last six Super Bowl champions in either the regular season or the playoffs.
Funny (or sad?) enough, the streak began back during the 2017 season because of these very Philadelphia Eagles. Of course, during those playoffs, the Vikings lost to Philly 38-7 in the NFC Championship Game one week after the Minneapolis Miracle.
Since then, here’s the dark path that this trend has taken for the Vikings:
- 2018: Week 13 loss @ New England Patriots
- 2019: Week 9 loss @ Kansas City Chiefs
- 2020: Week 14 loss @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- 2021: Week 16 loss vs. Los Angeles Rams
- 2022: Week 2 loss @ Philadelphia Eagles*
*: Super Bowl LVII yet to be played
As you’ve probably noticed, five of these six losses came on the road. Even weirder, this trend actually extends even further back than 2017. While the Vikings didn’t play the Super Bowl champion Patriots in either 2014 or 2016, they did play against the Seattle Seahawks in 2013 and the Denver Broncos in 2015. You can probably guess by now how those games ended: with road losses for the Vikings.
If the Eagles do manage to beat the Chiefs in the Super Bowl to end the season, teams that the Vikings lose to on the road are certainly worth paying attention to.
In 2023, the Minnesota Vikings are set to play the following teams on the road, along with their records in 2022:
- Atlanta Falcons (7-10)
- Carolina Panthers (7-10)
- Chicago Bears (3-14)
- Cincinnati Bengals (12-5)
- Denver Broncos (5-12)
- Detroit Lions (9-8)
- Green Bay Packers (8-9)
- Las Vegas Raiders (6-11)
- Philadelphia Eagles (14-3)
The Vikings will once again make the trek out to Philadelphia to play against the Eagles. However, only three of their road opponents finished the 2022 season with winning records: the Bengals, Eagles, and Lions.
The Detroit Lions already look like a team that many people will have their eye on for playoff picks. However, being included on the list of quality Vikings opponents (along with back-to-back home wins over these Vikings) is probably the best omen they could possibly get in terms of Super Bowl hopes.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. He also earned minors in History, Human Biology, and Journalism. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys marathon training, playing video games, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. For more of his opinions, check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.
