Bleacher Report Offers Glorious Vikings Prediction
The schedule came out last week and with that, countless record predictions. Minnesota, with a common Vegas win total of 8.5, naturally has a wide range of outcomes in such exercises, especially in a division where each team could realistically finish first or last.
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton predicted each team’s record at the end of the season. For the Vikings, he picked a fantastic 12-5 and a return to the NFC throne for the first time since 2022.
Moton wrote, “Head coach Kevin O’Connell has led the Minnesota Vikings to 13 wins with Kirk Cousins and 14 victories with Sam Darnold. The latter just won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks, but neither is considered an elite quarterback. The Vikings signed Kyler Murray, who can be dynamic with his mobility and made the Pro Bowl in two of his first three years with the Arizona Cardinals. After a promising career start, he’s battled injuries and posted mediocre passing numbers.”
Veteran quarterbacks have thrived under Kevin O’Connell, while inexperienced passers have struggled. That’s great news for Kyler Murray, who has played a ton of football in his career and is arguably the most talented signal-caller he’s had.
Though injuries have certainly slowed him down, Murray was still solid as recently as 2024 when he led his squad to an 8-9 record with 26 touchdowns, a whopping five wins more than in 2025.
Moton continued, “According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Murray and J.J. McCarthy will battle for the starting job. That said, the former should win the competition with his starting experience. Murray could benefit from a change of scenery in Minnesota, as Darnold did. He’ll have two-time All-Pro Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jauan Jennings, tight end T.J. Hockenson and a defense that’s ranked seventh or better in scoring for consecutive terms under play-caller Brian Flores.”
The receiving talent is a major boost for Murray, who worked with some promising wideouts, but outside of a year with DeAndre Hopkins, hasn’t had anyone close to Justin Jefferson on his team. Paired with Jordan Addison and Jauan Jennings, the Vikings might actually have the best receiving crew in football. It remains to be seen if Murray can revive T.J. Hockenson’s career.
While all eyes are on Murray’s arrival, Brian Flores’ defense seems to be a forgotten unit. It’s been an elite defense in each of the last two seasons and he has been a magician at scheming around personnel issues. Once again, the coordinator will have to work with a new-looking group, but he has earned the benefit of the doubt.
Moton concluded, “The Vikings have the structure to take pressure off of Murray while getting the best out of him. He’ll be a Comeback Player of the Year candidate, and the Vikings will be in contention for a division title. 2026 projection: 12-5 (NFC North division winner)”
Don’t get used to such an optimistic take from the national media, as the Vikings will likely earn countless fourth-place predictions in a strong division with no clear bottom-feeder.
Moton projected the Packers at 9-8, the Lions at 10-7, and the Bears at 11-6.
Chicago is coming off its first division triumph in years, but hasn’t made any significant roster improvements this offseason. They hope that a second season of the coaching staff can make a difference.
Green Bay, coming off another one-and-done season, has been the seven-seed for three straight seasons. They seem to avoid major roster turnover, which limits both their volatility and their ceiling.
Detroit had a disappointing Year 1 campaign without its two standout coordinators. Aside from some coaching staff adjustments, the Lions didn’t make too many changes either. They are generally viewed as prime bounceback candidates.
The NFC North is wide open and the Vikings could surprise some folks. Predictions are fun, especially when they give the Vikings that much credit, but only results from September to January matter for the regular-season standings.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.