Fans search after the Detroit Lions beat the Minnesota Vikings and ending up being the 2024 NFC North Champions at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. © Kimberly P. Mitchell/ USA TODAY NETWORK by means of Imagn Images.
When the Minnesota Vikings began their 2024 season, they did so, with fans having little factor to think. Sure, Kevin O'Connell had actually shown to be a quite strong head coach, however they were coming off a year in which they missed out on the playoffs. Forecasts put Minnesota's over/under win overall at simply 6.5 video games.
The Very Best Vikings Season That Never Should Have Happened
J.J. McCarthy was prepared to be the future face of the franchise. He wasn't going to begin Week 1, however he wasn't expected to miss out on the whole season due to a knee injury, either. Sam Darnold was generated to be a bridge quarterback. At $10 million, and in the very first excellent circumstance of his profession, there was hope that he might work.
Nobody might have predicted things would go this well. The Vikings duped 14 wins in a department that produced 3 of the very best groups in football. They beat the Green Bay Packers two times, and, sometimes, Darnold appeared like a genuine MVP prospect.
It's regrettable how bad Darnold searched in his last 2 video games of the season. There is no rejecting how terrible he protested the Detroit Lions and the Los Angeles Rams. He did make himself a lots of cash, however, and will quickly be the most sought after quarterback on the complimentary representative market this offseason.
It's since of O'Connell, the advancement of Darnold, and the production for Minnesota that the season even had a possibility to be effective. The Vikings discovered themselves within smelling range of the front runner in the NFC. They were preferred in every video game however their last down the stretch, and they were thought about roadway favorites in the Wild Card round.
This whole year might have been bit more than constructing for 2025. Had McCarthy played, it likely would have shown Darnold flaming out. Minnesota most likely would have been taking a look at a losing record, and O'Connell would work to make his child effective in year 2.
Rather, we saw a scenario that showed O'Connell can work marvels at the quarterback position. The Vikings have a more skilled passer prepared to action in, and they have a great deal of cash to deal with other lineup concerns. They likewise got to experience a high level of winning while difficulty stacked the deck versus them.
Matt Krohn-Imagn Images.
Absolutely nothing about this season was expected to go like this. They were having fun with home cash and almost took your house for all it deserved. The 2025 project represents an amazing time for this franchise, and the offseason must be one to bear in mind.
Ted Schwerzler is a blog writer from the Twin Cities that is concentrated on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings.
