The Vikings’ 7-9 record was kind of what they deserved for a year marred by inconsistency.
That said, this team definitely has the potential to improve. The offense, despite a run-heavy philosophy, was pretty high octane this year. The defense struggled, but the group has some key contributors returning from injury in 2021, barring anything unexpected.
Here’s what MMQB’s Conor Orr said about the Vikings’ postseason chances in the near future:
“With the expanded format, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the NFC North consistently send two teams to the playoffs every year. There is no reason to think that the Vikings will sit out of the playoffs again, especially with so many reinforcements on the way.”
Orr also wrote that the Vikings “have guys who either missed or sat out the 2020 season,” at the gaping holes on the roster. I’d argue that is not the case for left guard, but other than that, it’s true to some extent.
“If they could conjure some cap space, getting involved in the second-tier edge market might make some sense,” Orr wrote. “Solomon Thomas, Trent Murphy, Olivier Vernon and Haason Reddick are all players who could pop up in conversation, though some of them will be overpriced.”
I don’t know if this team is a Super Bowl contender in 2021. But I think with how close it came to the playoff conversation, some easy fixes could bring them back into the postseason. Sometimes, that’s all it takes.