How far will this Vikings team go? A look at past teams could tell us
MINNEAPOLIS -- As unlikely as it sounds, you could make a case that the 2022 Minnesota Vikings are among the best teams in the franchise's history.
Before this season, they'd only started 6-1 or better 10 times. Even the 2017 team, which finished 13-3 and made it to the NFC Championship game, wasn't this hot at the beginning of the season.
Still, fans have reasons to hold off on crowning these Vikings. Of their six wins, three have been by seven points or fewer (and two others were by eight). Outside of a week one win over the Green Bay Packers, they haven't had a truly dominant game. Their sole loss, to the still undefeated Philadelphia Eagles, was a thrashing. They've also got a rookie head coach and general manager.
The team does sport a top 10 scoring offense and top 15 scoring defense, though. With the Packers seemingly falling off a cliff, the Bears in the midst of a rebuild and the Lions, well, being the Lions, the division title is there for the Vikings' taking. Even if they somehow bungle that, they're well positioned for a wild card spot in the NFC playoffs.
To figure out just how far this team could go, let's examine the other Vikings teams with similar starts. Of the 10 other teams to start 6-1 or better, all but one made the playoffs (2003). That team, coached by Mike Tice, collapsed spectacularly, winning their first six games and going 3-7 the rest of the way.
Of the other nine teams, three lost their first playoff game (1970, 1971, 1975), three lost in the NFC Championship (1998, 2000, 2009) and three lost in the Super Bowl (1969, 1973, 1976). It's worth noting that the 1973, 1975, 1976, 1998 and 2000 teams all started better than 6-1.
Now, statistically, most all of those teams were better than the 2022 Vikings. The '69 team even boasted both the No. 1 scoring offense No. 1 scoring defense. In fact, here's how each team finished:
Year | O rank | D rank |
1969 | 1 | 1 |
1970 | 3 | 1 |
1971 | 18 | 1 |
1973 | 9 | 2 |
1975 | 3 | 3 |
1976 | 9 | 2 |
1998 | 1 | 6 |
2000 | 5 | 24 |
2003 | 6 | 23 |
2009 | 2 | 10 |
2022 (7 games) | 9 | 14 |
That table shows the 2022 Vikings, at least so far, are probably closer to the 2000 team that got shut out 41-0 in the NFC Championship game than any of the Super Bowl-losing teams.
So, what's the clear most likely outcome of this Vikings season? Heartbreak, of course! This is the Vikings, after all. But that doesn't mean fans shouldn't enjoy the ride. Glance at the schedule and it's not hard to find six more wins for this Vikings team. And even if it all does go belly-up, 2003-style, a 6-1 start with a first-year head coach after two losing seasons is more than most fans hoped for. So instead of proclaiming doom and gloom, maybe, just this once, Vikings fans should try that most dangerous of outlooks: optimism. If you're always waiting for the floor of the gallows to drop, you can't enjoy the view.
