It's tough to look back on the Minnesota Vikings 2015 NFL season now because they should still be playing. They should be preparing for a game against Arizona. They should be but they aren't. The season is over. Playoff losses are so sudden. Especially when the margin of loss is so small and the deciding play so obvious as a 27-yard field goal attempt. This Vikings team has been so much fun to watch. I just want to see more of them. It's as simple as that. When Mike Zimmer was hired two years ago to coach the Vikings he said that he wanted to build and coach a team that the fans would enjoy watching play football. He has succeeded.
Losing to the Seattle Seahawks in the playoffs on a missed 27-yard field goal in the final seconds is a brutal way to end this season. This loss now sits next to a long list of frustrating Vikings playoff and Super Bowl losses. This loss is a little different than the heart-stoppers of 1998 and 2009. Those two losses were at the peak of those team's respective evolution. They were veteran teams that finally put a run together. They were extremely talented football teams. There's no denying that. Talented enough to win it all in both years. The 1998 Vikings team was expected by most to cruise to the franchise's first Super Bowl title. Both teams started to decline after the stunning playoff losses. This Minnesota Vikings team is at the beginning of their evolution. Even the most optimistic of fans probably expected this team's run to end short of the Super Bowl. So, it really shouldn't be a surprise that they lost to the team that has represented the NFC in the past two Super Bowls. It's little consolation now but it's a promising thing that a very young team that's just beginning it's ascent dominated an excellent team at it's peak in a win-or-go-home playoff game. The Seahawks are very lucky to be moving on in the playoffs. And they know it. You could tell that they know it in the postgame comments of Russell Wilson and other Seahawks players. They seemed more stunned than elated. A team that's rarely humble seemed humbled.
The Vikings won the NFC North title with an 11-5 record. A game ahead of the perennial NFC North winner Green Bay Packers.
By the numbers:
5-1 vs NFC North foes
6-2 at home
5-3 on the road
The Vikings have had trouble on the road and against their division foes in recent years. They won those games this year.
The Vikings two home losses were unfortunately and oddly two of their worst.
30-13 to the Packers
38-7 to the Seahawks
The worst loss of the season was the 20-3 opening day loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara. I was at that game and it's still a complete mystery as to what happened that night. It was like the team thought that they playing an extra preseason game. Perhaps the Vikings entered the season and that game with bloated opinions of themselves. A lot of nice things were said about them in the offseason. A team on the rise, and such. Perhaps they overlooked the 49ers. Whatever the reason the Vikings could do nothing right all game. They had to put that ugly game behind them and they did. The Vikings won seven of the next eight games. Including a five game win streak. That was followed by a rough stretch of games against strong opponents that brought three losses in four games. The Vikings closed the season with three straight wins. Including the season finale in Green Bay for the division title.
One of the strange things about the Vikings 2015 season was that three of their best games were losses. At the Denver Broncos and at the Arizona Cardinals by identical 23-20 scores. And Sunday's playoff loss to the Seahawks. Those three teams were also the Vikings strongest opponents. In all three games the Vikings kept the score low and close and had an opportunity to win or tie at the end. The Seahawks playoff game was different from the other two in that the Vikings had the lead for most of the game, lost the lead late, and had an opportunity to win it at the end. The similarities between the Broncos and Cardinals games are eerie. The scores are identical and each ended with Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater being sacked and losing a fumble while leading a drive to tie or win. The sack and fumble against the Cardinals took place while in field goal range. The sack and fumble against the Broncos was about ten yards from field goal range.
The Vikings can and did compete against the best teams in the league. They beat the teams that they were supposed to beat and they were competitive and in position to defeat the teams that they weren't supposed to defeat. Perhaps another year of experience, some playoff experience, and general overall improvement will put them on the winning side of these close games against the best teams in the league.
The 2015 Minnesota Vikings style of play can be best summed up as a team with a very strong defense that keeps scoring low and an offense that does enough. They are also fun. This team looks like it enjoys playing football together. They are high character people and very talented football players. Most of that talent is young talent and it's been a blast to watch them grow.
Teddy Bridgewater
Jerick McKinnon
Kyle Rudolph
MyCole Pruitt
Stefon Diggs
Jarius Wright
Sharrif Floyd
Danielle Hunter
Anthony Barr
Eric Kendricks
Xavier Rhodes
Trae Waynes
to name a bunch of those players
The last four drafts have filled the roster with a lot of young football talent. Some look like they could develop into the best in the league at their position. They also have terrific older players like Adrian Peterson, Chad Greenway, Brian Robison, and Terrence Newman that provide tremendous leadership and steady play. It's a fun team. And the future is very bright despite the dark manner in which the 2015 season ended.
I miss this Minnesota Vikings team already.
No comments:
Post a Comment