As a Vikings fan, declaring any situation “rock bottom” is always a perilous proposition. This is, after all, a franchise that once “missed” a draft pick, becoming a subject of national ridicule, and had its stadium roof collapse, serving as a perfect symbol of a terrible season. Coincidentally, that same year saw a head coach quickly burn through goodwill at a record-breaking rate. Whether that record still stands after the 2025 campaign remains to be seen.
Since joining the DN as a contributor, I’ve always taken a glass-half-full approach to our favorite team. Optimism is preferable in life. However, I’ve not been naïve and have made it a point to acknowledge real issues and, at least, give a passing nod to worst-case scenarios. Perhaps I’ve been too reluctant to see the warning signs; I’ll admit that. Denial? That works, too.
After the debacle last Sunday against the Seahawks, it’s time for a shift in perspective. Enough is enough. I don’t care if we run the table (spoiler: we won’t). Things need to change this offseason—and drastically. What we’ve seen over 12 games has been shocking, perplexing, and disheartening. Even the most cynical and emotionally battered Vikings fan couldn’t have imagined what has unfolded. Well, maybe a few. But very few. It’s been that bad.
The Minnesota Vikings are the only team that can let you down in 10 different ways across 10 separate seasons. It’s genuinely astonishing.
2026 Will Be Crucial
While KAM and KOC have earned the 2026 season to flip the script, the house money they were working with is gone. That ship has sailed. It’s now or never. Fish or cut bait. Feel free to add any cliché you like. Everything from the front office to the entire offense to special teams—scouting, scheme, game planning, play calling (and its responsibilities)—must be scrutinized. Once this season mercifully ends in early January, the clock starts ticking, excuses run out, and there’s no margin for error. We must make the playoffs.
The Vikings spent over $200 million in guaranteed money during the last two offseasons—a majority of that before the current 4-8 campaign. For that kind of investment, you’d expect an all-star, ensemble cast in a feel-good drama where the protagonist faces some easily manageable challenges and ultimately gets the love interest, the dream job, and sheds tears of joy as the credits roll. Instead, we’ve ended up with a horror movie crossover where Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, and Freddy Krueger slash and burn their way through the collective hopes and dreams of Vikings fans.
To quote Jerry Glanville, the NFL stands for “not for long” when things go sideways. It’s the textbook definition of a “what have you done for me lately” profession. There’s a real possibility that KOC’s overall record could go from 34-17 with no playoff wins to something like 40-28 or (close your eyes, kids) 38-30 with no playoff wins just like that.
In January, Jay Glazer reported that teams were interested in trading for our head coach. Now, a part of the fan base is calling for him to be fired. Life comes at you fast when you ply your trade in America’s most popular sports league.
One thing every fan agrees on? We deserve a break. Someone born on the date of the last Vikings Super Bowl appearance will turn 49 next month. The Carolina Panthers, who started in 1995, have appeared in two. This season will mark the 16th straight without back-to-back postseason appearances. We’ve had just five playoff wins this century, one fewer than the New York Jets, and three fewer than the aforementioned Panthers. But, hey, we do have one more than the Jacksonville Jaguars!
Right Place, Wrong Reality
I believe my now humorous 12-5 prediction was made with good intentions. I’ve written extensively (here and here, for example) about J.J. McCarthy and why I believed a 2024 Jayden Daniels-Bo Nix season, or a 2023 C.J. Stroud campaign, was likely—no need to revisit that.
But I also did additional due diligence. Clearly, I knew that the fourth seasons for both Brad Childress and Mike Zimmer resulted in NFC Championship Game appearances. However, I thought it was wise to see how other current coaches performed during the same years.
Mike Tomlin (2010): 12-4 (reached Super Bowl)
John Harbaugh (2011): 12-4 (reached AFC Championship Game)
Andy Reid (2016): 12-4 (reached Divisional Round)
Sean McVay (2020): 10-6 (reached Divisional Round)
Sean McDermott (2020): 13-3 (reached AFC Championship Game)
Kyle Shanahan (2020): 6-10* (missed playoffs)
Matt LaFleur (2022): 8-9 (missed playoffs)
Zac Taylor (2022): 12-4 (reached AFC Championship Game)
Nick Sirianni (2024): 14-3 (Super Bowl Champions)
*Kyle Shanahan posted a 6-10 record due to an insane 166.6 adjusted games (AGL) lost due to injury or COVID, which was the second-highest total in two decades. Jimmy G, Bosa, Kinlaw, Greenlaw, Kittle, Samuel, Sherman, etc. Stephen King-level stuff. The year before, they won 13 games and made the Super Bowl. The following three years, they won 10, 13, and 12 games, respectively.
That’s a combined record of 99-47 (67.8% winning percentage), even with the unique Shanahan situation weighing it down. Year 4 was set up for success, or so I assumed. Hey, what do they say about assumptions again?
J.J. McCarthy: I Have Questions
How were so many red flags overlooked? Why are we still discussing the basics and mechanics of fundamental professional quarterback play during the middle of the 2025 season? Was this not clear from his college tape? Is it something new? Has it always been there, but proven harder to fix? What exactly was happening during OTAs and minicamps before his injury last year, and why wasn’t this addressed during the most recent offseason?
I keep thinking about Troy Aikman’s comment before the Week 1 game against the Bears. To paraphrase: “Given the expectations, I don’t think any quarterback has more pressure on his shoulders this season than J.J. McCarthy.” Well, at 4-8 and with the Vikings’ playoff hopes between slim and none, with slim booked on the first flight out of town, that pressure has evaporated. Max Brosmer isn’t the new Brock Purdy, so there’s no one looking over his shoulder. This all helps. It should help. It better help.
McCarthy now has five starts to reshape the narrative. Best-case scenario? He performs well enough to believe that an additional offseason of work could make 2026 what everyone expected 2025 to be. Worst-case scenario? More of the same, with little to no tangible improvement. If it’s the former, considering his difficulty staying healthy, you still sign or trade for a veteran (e.g., Marcus Mariota, Jacoby Brissett, Mac Jones, Davis Mills, Tyrod Taylor, Joe Flacco) in March or April—not right before the season starts. If the latter nightmare unfolds, you shouldn’t be afraid to go all-in again at quarterback with what could be a Top 5 pick. And yes, if we see more of the same, we might not win another game. I wouldn’t even feel confident against the 2-11 Giants. So, it’s likely 4-13 or 5-12 at best. What other option is there? It’s not 1995 or even 2005 anymore; teams don’t have the luxury to wait 3-4 years for young quarterbacks to develop.
KOC once said, “Organizations fail young quarterbacks before young quarterbacks fail organizations.” I agree. There’s also value in the idea that KOC is learning his way through the development process with McCarthy. We are now navigating the learning curve. Perhaps a strict adherence to scheme and intractable offensive principles hasn’t done him any favors.
Aside from a single season with Johnny Manziel in 2015 and half a season with Dwayne Haskins in 2019, KOC’s quarterbacks have been Kirk Cousins, Alex Smith, Case Keenum, Jared Goff after three years with Sean McVay, Matt Stafford, Cousins again, and Sam Darnold. Do you see a pattern?
I want to make this clear: I’m a huge fan of McCarthy. I’m rooting hard for him. I have faith that he can be our franchise quarterback for the next decade or more. But he needs to improve – and quickly – or the team will have to move on sooner rather than later. Let’s hope KOC and his staff are doing everything possible to make the best-case scenario happen.
Flores Storyline Under the Radar
Brian Flores has single-handedly made this team competitive this season. I’ve discussed how there’s been some regression from last season’s all-around, Top 5 unit. Still, the Chargers debacle aside, there’s a convincing argument that our record could be reversed if we had just average quarterback play.
The Seahawks game was the latest example. The Vikings’ offensive struggles made the headlines, but Sam Darnold’s revenge game was a bust. Flores held the high-flying Seahawks attack to 19 points and only 219 total yards at home. Darnold’s stat line that mirrored something putrid from our offense this year: 19/30 for 126 yards and four sacks. This came on the heels of a dominant road game against the Detroit Lions and strong showings against the Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens, among others.
It’s not hyperbole to say that Flores has saved us from several embarrassing blowout losses that could have added more pressure on KAM and KOC. The problem? He isn’t under contract for 2026, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he moves on. Even if he doesn’t land the long-overdue second NFL head coaching job, the mindset of “I’ve done everything I can here/new challenge’ is real, too. Plus, he’s earned a nice pay raise. Will the Wilfs want to sign another expensive, multi-year deal if KOC might be coaching for his job next year? Then there’s the quarterback situation and whether Flores wants to stay amidst the uncertainty. Potentially losing him is a significant, under-the-radar concern among the others as we navigate the wasteland of “rock bottom” entering the final stretch of the season.
Commanders, Whatever
With the competitive part of the 2025 Vikings season over, next up are the Washington Commanders – another 2024 playoff team with high 2025 expectations caught in their own nightmare scenario.
It’s notable that the Commanders, probably again without Jayden Daniels and coming off seven straight losses, with one less victory on the season, playing on the road at U.S. Bank Stadium, were actually the early favorites in this game. The line has since shifted slightly toward the Vikings, but it clearly shows how the oddsmakers view this year’s trainwreck.
Let’s keep the ridiculousness rolling with my terrible takes, shall we? When projecting the 2025 season in May, this is what I had to say about this one.
Week 14: Washington Commanders: I’m a huge fan of Jayden Daniels. The Commanders shored up their o-line and added Deebo Samuel. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if they’re the NFC representative in the Super Bowl. Yeah, I’m unfortunately building to something. This could be one of those games where you expect a shootout and the opposite occurs. Flores limits Daniels as much as you can, but he makes enough plays in the 2nd half to leave U.S. Bank Stadium with a close win. Let’s hope we get an opportunity for revenge in January.
Washington Commanders: 20
Minnesota Vikings: 18
When your production for a half is jokingly measured in feet instead of yards, things aren’t going well. And after scoring just six points in two games, I can’t even confidently predict that we’ll reach double digits at home. As usual, the defense will keep us in it, but there’s no evidence that KOC has suddenly found a magical formula to make the Vikings’ offense look competent.
All eyes will be on McCarthy again, and I’ll be cheering him on to make this prediction look utterly foolish. Given my track record, there’s plenty of precedent.
Washington Commanders: 17
Minnesota Vikings: 9
This glass-half-empty mindset sucks.
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