Vikings’ Down 2025 Season Came at the Worst Time
The Minnesota Vikings are pretty much all but out of the race for the 2025 NFL Playoffs. If you were wondering, yes, they can still sneak in (and I mean SNEAK in) via a path that looks a little something like this:
- Bears lose out
- Lions lose every game left except for the Bears in Week 18
- Panthers or Buccaneers lose out
- Vikings win out
It’s not the exact math, but the Vikings’ season is done basically as soon as the Bears win another game. As if it wasn’t obvious, there’s no reason to sit there and hold your breath for Minnesota to make some miraculous run at a playoff spot.
While not mathematically supported, the vibe has been that the Vikings could forget about the playoffs after their embarrassing Week 11 loss at home to the Chicago Bears, which dropped their record to 4-6.
Vikings’ 2025 Expectations Emphasized
You never want your team to have a down year as a fan; that is obvious. Though it was kind of set up for Minnesota to miss out on the tournament this year. 2025 was all about the development of J.J. McCarthy, and the Vikings gambled on another big free agency haul to patchwork them into a competitive spot for January football.
It obviously didn’t work out, and the Vikings sit at 5-8 in early December as their playoff chances were pretty much completely gone before we sat down at our tables for Thanksgiving. Now, the rest of the 2025 campaign is all about the development of young signal-caller McCarthy more than it even was before. Minnesota got some signs of life on that front with the QB’s three-touchdown and zero-turnover performance against the Washington Commanders in Week 14.
Where the Disappointing 2025 Hits a New Level of Hurt
It stings to a new level, not just because the Vikings are coming off a 2024 season where they ripped off a 14-3 record with Sam Darnold at the helm; it’s because of what’s happening in the NFL this season. We are in a league where the #1 seed in the AFC is the Denver Broncos, and for a good chunk of the season, it was the Indianapolis Colts. In this same league, the Kansas City Chiefs’ playoff chances are on life support.
Obviously, things in the AFC don’t directly impact Minnesota as much, but look at the NFC as well. There are a couple of powerhouses like the Rams and Seahawks, but there isn’t a true runaway favorite again. The Eagles, 49ers, Packers, Lions, Bears, Panthers, and Buccaneers are all very much beatable. But alas, the Vikings hit a down year and won’t be able to capitalize on a wide-open NFL.
This isn’t to say that they would’ve found a way to beat everyone and go on to win a Super Bowl, because we all know they wouldn’t have, most likely. This is just to point out the obvious that it would be way better to not be 5-8 in a season where it’s anyone’s Lombardi.
As we say every year, there’s always the next one.
