Why Can’t the Vikings Just Be Normal?
We were all there when the Vikings lost 26-0 in Seattle in Week 13. Vibes were at an all-time low in the Kevin O’Connell era, Max Brosmer just played one of the worst games of an NFL quarterback we’ve ever seen, and J.J. McCarthy hadn’t inspired much confidence either.
Imagine being told in that moment after the clock hit triple zeroes that Minnesota would rip off a five-game winning streak, finish with a winning record, and be the first team out of the playoffs. How would you respond? Because I probably would’ve believed it.
I understand that this is completely hindsight being 20/20, but let’s be real. Doing that sounds completely like the Minnesota Vikings in a nutshell. Their defense was still playing well at the time, and Kevin O’Connell is too good a coach to roll over and finish a season at 5-12 or 6-10.
The Vikings, Even When Obviously Bad, Can’t Stay Bad
In all fairness, Minnesota was thrown some get-right games after the Seattle loss. Their next three games after that disaster were all against relatively bad NFC East teams. In those games, we were given a dose of hope that McCarthy may actually be the guy. He played very efficiently through the first two games of that stand, shutting out the Commanders at home and defeating the Cowboys in primetime.
Then, as is tradition in his short NFL career to this point, he got injured. McCarthy injured his throwing hand in the first half of the next game at MetLife Stadium against the New York Giants. This led to Max Brosmer making a return, who did just enough to finish out the win that cloudy Sunday in East Rutherford.
Max Brosmer also did enough to beat the Detroit Lions four days later on Christmas. No, he didn’t really do anything, but the entire Vikings offense didn’t have to do that much. Brian Flores’ defense absolutely suffocated the dynamic Lions offense into complete submission. A Jordan Addison sweep nailed the coffin on the game, a game in which Detroit couldn’t lose if they wanted to make the playoffs.
So, for Christmas, the Vikings gifted the Lions a reminder about who they were 2.5 years ago, and a partridge in a pear tree. Minnesota would also go on to defeat a Packers team in Week 18 that had rested many of its starters. And, get ready for it: McCarthy didn’t finish the game due to injury.
Where Do the Vikings Go From Here?
It’s very hard to say what these Vikings will look like next year. Brian Flores’ status is up in the air, though the Vikings are reportedly working hard to retain him. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah could very well be managing for his job in 2026. Franchise players like T.J. Hockenson and Aaron Jones could land on the chopping block. J.J. McCarthy may not even be the starter next year.
The only men who truly feel safe are Kevin O’Connell, Justin Jefferson, and a handful of defenders like Dallas Turner, Andrew Van Ginkel, Jonathan Greenard, and Byron Murphy Jr., to name a few. The Vikings’ defense will look completely different solely because Harrison Smith will likely announce his retirement in the coming weeks or months. A Viking defense without Smith on the roster isn’t something we’ve witnessed since the 2011 season.
Minnesota can never just truly be bad, just like they can never truly be good. It’s a purgatory that’s starting to feel like what the afterlife is simply just going to be at this point. Going from seemingly one of the worst teams in football to the best team to not make the playoffs is more “Vikings” than one could ever describe.
