What is next for the Minnesota Vikings?
Imagine winning 14 regular-season games and still failing to win a division title. That was the plight of the Minnesota Vikings, one of the most improved teams in the league from a year ago, Kevin O’Connell’s 14-3 club doubled its win total from 2023, when they finished 7-10 and went through four different starting quarterbacks.
When it was all said and done, the Vikings lost a total of four games in 2024. Two to the NFC North champion Detroit Lions, and two to the Los Angeles Rams—the latter an ugly 27-9 setback in the wild card playoffs. Despite a thud of an ending, it was a season of progress in the Twin Cities.
Biggest Positive from 2024
A year ago, Kirk Cousins went down in the middle of the season, and the Vikings would drop six of their final nine games. Cousins would leave for Atlanta, and enter Sam Darnold. He inked a one-year deal with the Purple Gang, and turned in the kind of play that many didn’t expect.
He hit on 66.2 of his passes for 4,319 yards, 35 scores and 12 interceptions. He helped lead the team to its highest win total since 1998, and showed plenty of resiliency. Last April, the team used a first-round pick on J.J. McCarthy, who missed his rookie season. Seeing what O’Connell was able to do with Darnold is a good reason for optimism.
Potential UFA that needs to be re-signed
In his sixth NFL season, and second with the Vikings, cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. enjoyed a career year. He was particularly effective during the second half of 2024. He was a 17-game starter during the regular season, finishing fifth on the club with 81 tackles, and posting personal bests in interceptions (6) and passes defensed (14).
His 73.4 grade via Pro Football Focus was his best since entering the league in 2019 with the Cardinals, and considerably higher than the previous season (58.0). Murphy was named to his first Pro Bowl in 2024. Safety Camryn Bynum is another player the Vikings can’t afford to let get away.
Needs Fixing
The offensive front finished 18th in Pro Football Focus’ rankings. This analysis via Zoltán Buday: “Partially due to injuries and some changes along the offensive line, the Vikings’ offensive line did not have a great season in pass protection. The unit earned an 82.7 PFF pass-blocking efficiency rating, which ranked only 27th in the NFL as they surrendered 192 total pressures—including 24 sacks—on 626 pass plays.”
The team lost left tackle Christian Darrisaw in Week 8, and dealt for Jacksonville’s Cam Robinson. It all came to a head in the wild card playoffs. Darnold was sacked nine times in the loss to the Rams.