As another Minnesota Vikings season ends, a look back at the triumphs, tragedies and travesties
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Vikings and their fans have myriad excuses for another failed season — injuries to the starting quarterback and star wide receiver, changes to the coaching staff, plain old bad luck — but none of them likely sufficiently salve the burn of another "there's always next year."
The Vikings finished 7-10, third in the NFC North and out of the playoffs. The team is entering an offseason filled with questions with uneasy answers. Before we get there, though, let's take a look back at this season to see what went right, wrong and completely sideways.
Major offseason moves
This will be a busy offseason for the Vikings, but last offseason wasn't exactly quiet.
The team fired defensive coordinator Ed Donatell after just one disastrous season and eplaced him with former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores. Flores represented a complete 180 from Donatell, whose shell-heavy, play-it-safe scheme frustrated fans and players alike. Throughout the 2023-2024 season, Flores' blitz-heavy scheme produced some impressive results, but did get exposed late in the season.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah made a few high-impact signings. Cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. provided an immediate upgrade to a depleted (and young) Vikings secondary. Defensive end Marcus Davenport was a force when he was on the field this season, though injuries kept him from appearing in 13 of 17 games. Tight end Josh Oliver was brought in for his blocking, though he occasionally made a splash play in the passing game as a No. 2 to T.J. Hockenson.
In the draft, the Vikings added wide receiver Jordan Addison, who would finish the season with 70 catches, 911 yards and 10 touchdowns. No rookie receiver had more TDs than Addison, and only two had more yards. Third-round cornerback Mekhi Blackmon saw significant playing time this year, and fifth-round quarterback Jaren Hall was thrust into action after starter Kirk Cousins' injury (more on that later).
In-house moves like giving Danielle Hunter a new contract and extending Hockenson and do-it-all defender Josh Metellus solidified some of the team's cornerstones.
Early struggles
Few expected the Vikings to repeat the success of Kevin O'Connell's 13-4 first season as head coach. But even after being bounced in the first round of the playoffs, a 1-4 start probably wasn't on many people's minds, either. A tough early season schedule and a horrendous penchant for turnovers made for a miserable opening stretch. It was all the more frustrating due to the closeness of the losses. After going 11-0 in one-score games last year, the Vikings lost four such games in the first five weeks.
To compound things, star wide receiver Justin Jefferson suffered a hamstring injury in the fifth game. He would miss seven games before returning from injured reserve.
Midseason streak
Despite Jefferson's injury, the Vikings' next game would start a five-win streak that seemed to save the season and give fans hope. That streak would feature two division wins — including a thumping of the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field — and a victory over the San Francisco 49ers, who have a claim as the league's best team this year.
It wasn't all champagne and roses, though, as that Packers win would prove costly. Cousins tore his Achilles tendon late in the game and would miss the rest of the season.
QB carousel
Cousins' injury would kick off a merry-go-round of QBs for the Vikings. With backup Nick Mullens also injured, rookie Hall was named the starter. For insurance, the Vikings sent a couple of late round picks to the Arizona Cardinals for Joshua Dobbs.
Dobbs was quickly and unexpectedly thrust into action, though, when Hall suffered a concussion early in his first start. Dobbs would lead a comeback win against the Atlanta Falcons that day, and his performance the next week in beating the New Orleans Saints earned him the starting job outright. After a streak of poor performances, including a four-interception effort in a loss to the Chicago Bears, Dobbs would be benched for Mullens.
Mullens, then, would start two games — both losses — before being benched himself in favor of Hall. But after just one half of football, the rookie was pulled and Mullens was handed the reins once again. He would start the final game of the season against the Lions.
Overall, quarterbacks not named Kirk Cousins went 3-6 for the Vikings, throwing 12 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.
Late-season skid
Despite the injuries, turnovers and various collapses, the Vikings were actually well-positioned heading into the final stretch. With seven games remaining, they were 6-4 (2-0 in the division and 6-2 in the conference, importantly). Their remaining schedule wasn't easy, but it wasn't brutal either, with matchups against Denver Broncos (who had a Vikings-esque up-and-down season), the Las Vegas Raiders (who fired their coach midseason) and the Cincinnati Bengals (who lost star QB Joe Burrow to injury), in addition to four division games.
But with a chance to take hold of a playoff spot and, potentially, the NFC North, the Vikings fell flat on their face. They went 1-6 in the homestretch, with an especially disheartening four-game losing streak to end the year. The Vikings also lost Hockenson to injury during this time, as well as No. 2 pass rusher D.J. Wonnum, who was quietly putting together a nice season opposite Hunter.
It wasn't all bad. Jefferson returned from injury and finished the season with an astounding 1,074 yards in just 10 games. The team at least showed life in its two losses to the division champion Lions. But limping to the finish line puts a bad taste in your mouth, and with a whole offseason ahead, it'll be a long time before the Vikings can wash it out.
So where do the Vikings go from here? That's a question for another day. For now, all that can be done is to reflect on another season that, while not without mirth or worth, was far from what anyone involved wanted or expected. Vikings fans are left to play the role of Bart Simpson in a popular meme and say the line: There's always next year.