Playoff heartbreak for Minnesota.
At last we can be at peace. Throughout the season it felt like the wheels were going to fall off, but against all odds the Vikings notched up win after win.
It would have been easy to get swept away in a tide of optimism. Deep down, however, we all knew where it was heading.
It was always coming. Off the back of an equally poor performance in Week 18, the Vikings never got going against the LA Rams.
Defensively if felt like the Vikings secondary were just ignoring Tyler Higbee and Puka Nacua. Matt Stafford was never put under any sustained pressure.
The one potential bright spot was the strip sack returned for a touchdown. Unfortunately, as a timely reminder that Vikings fans are not allowed nice things, this was called back as an incomplete pass.
On the other side of the ball it was somehow worse. Sam Darnold was sacked nine times, including a fumble which was returned for a touchdown by defensive rookie of the year candidate Jared Verse.
Darnold repeatedly held on to the ball too long. On occasions he looked like the New York Jets ‘I’m seeing ghosts’ quarterback of old. It is more and more likely that he will move on.
His performances over the last two games have probably cost him about $10m, but he has shown enough to be a starter for someone.
Darnold is not solely responsible for the sacks taken. It was men against boys in the trenches, Blake Brandel, Garret Bradbury and Dalton Risner could all be seeking alternate employment next season.
The interior of the offensive line has been a problem for an eternity. Hopefully this offseason it is finally addressed.
On the bright side…
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has over $70m of cap space to play with this offseason.
It is true the Vikings have an alarming number of free agents pending but there are only a few who feature in the ‘must be retained’ category.
The long-awaited contract extension for coach Kevin O’Connell has been announced with the hope that Adofo-Mensah will follow suit soon.
The draft continues to be an area of concern, but he has pulled the team out of the ever expanding black hole of dead cap space.
Kirk Cousins and Danielle Hunter had the highest and third highest cap hits in 2024, despite representing the Atlanta Falcons and Houston Texans respectively.
All in all the Vikings had over $70m of dead cap in 2024. Rather than kicking the can down the road Adofo-Mensah opted to take the bulk of the hit in one year and was still able to produce a very competitive roster.
As the head coaching vacancies continue to be filled it seems more and more likely that defensive coordinator Brian Flores will stay in Minnesota.
Continuity off the field could be the key to consistency on the field. With a largely unchanged coaching staff and front office, the culture which has been carefully honed should continue to grow.
