The Minnesota Vikings were about to reward themselves with the best possible final after an almost perfect season. Instead, the best defense of the league disappeared, the “Minnesota Miracle” was forgotten after only one week. And no one wants to hear anything more about the final in their own stadium after Minnesota embarrassed himself 7:38 at the Philadelphia Eagles. But what remains of the excellent season and what does the future hold for the Vikings?
Stefon Diggs’ sensational walk-off touchdown in the game against the New Orleans Saints should have been a moment that takes the Vikings’ franchise, which was marked by bitter bankruptcy in the post-season, into a new era. Missed, decisive field goals or shut-out defeats in conference championship matches should have been forgotten. Only one week after the baptized miracle of Minneapolis, unrestrained euphoria and anticipation for the absolute highlight of the season in front of a domestic backdrop, reality once again struck, and this in a harshness that leaves some questions open for the franchise.
Looking at the way the season went, there were only a few points that spoke against Mike Zimmer’s team before the Philadelphia game. Starting the season without Teddy Bridgewater, Sam Bradford was also injured on his knee, but in Case Keenum they found a solution in their third quarterback that exceeded all expectations by far.
The cruciate ligament injury from the previously strong rookie-running back Dalvin Cook could be compensated for by a combination of Latavius Murray and Jerrick McKinnon – and more than that: the two-men backfield suddenly represented a completely new component for Minnesota’s offense, from which play-action, screen and option-plays worked wonderfully well. The ability to take setbacks and still find a way forward was proved once again and finally in the aforementioned Divisional Round victory, when a 17-0 half-time lead was given out of hand, only to initiate an inexplicable play that went down in the history books.
The 21 admissible points in the second half of this game were an indicator, however, which was not taken too seriously in the week before the conference final. The Vikings’ defence was too strong this season. It was even ranked No. 1 by the adjusted DVOA of Football Outsiders. Minnesota’s Blitzing designs were among the most effective in the league. Everson Griffen and Linval Joseph were able to put enormous pressure on Quarterbacks throughout the season. The linebacker corps mastered coverage and run-stop tasks and the secondary prevented Big Plays.
Accordingly, the collapse that took place on Sunday evening was surprising. Eagles-QB Nick Foles, who had not yet made a good appearance in Carson Wentz’s representative role, acted like the Foles known from his 2013 Pro Bowl season. According to Pro Football Focus against Pressure, Foles had a register rating of 34.0 before the game, against which Vikings catapulted it to 152.1. In third down, Minnesota allowed a new all-time record of just 25.2 percent conversion rate this season. Philly, however, capitalized on 10 out of 14 third attempts.
“Completely uncharacteristic of what we’ve done this season,”Veteran Cornerback Terence Newman summed up after the game. The Vikes were also consternated by the low pass. Misunderstandings, incorrect allocations and simple defensive backs errors resulted in four successive passport completions of at least 20 air yards. Two of them ended up in the end zone, including a 53-yard score by Alshon Jeffery – the longest Vikings have allowed all year round.
Cornerbacks Trae Waynes and Xavier Rhodes had a game to forget. Waynes gave 6 of 7 passports in coverage and allowed a register rating of 158.3. Rhodes could not defend any of the four passes in his direction and allowed a register rating of 107.3. Rhodes’ found clear words after the game:”We played shit”.
And the unorthodox statistics collection from the conference game goes further: because the vikings in the Red Zone this season only allowed a touchdown on 41 percent of trips in the Red Zone. On Sunday, however, both Red Zone trips of the Eagles were beaten. The 38 consecutive scoring points without scoring themselves in the meantime were also the highest number of consecutive points in a conference championship game since 2001, when the Giants hung up 41 points…. against the Vikings.
But it wasn’t just the defensive side that caught a pitch black day in the Lincoln Financial Field. The same must also be said about Case Keenum. After an opening drive touchdown, Philly quickly adjusted his defense and put Keenum under pressure at 48 percent of the dropbacks. Keenum played a very strong season and seemed to be resistant to pressure, but on Sunday evening he only managed 57.1 percent of his passes as a result of a pick-six and threw another interception.
Keenum did not act like the quarterback, who presented himself this year as a reliable playcaller and with many outliers at very strong performances. Before the game, we preached the turnover duel as especially important,”Keenum announced after the game,” but they looked after the ball and we did not. Of course, we were at that time[Pick Six, Note d. but in critical situations, we just didn’t get it right.”
Also the run game for the Vikings did not take place any more. After Murray and KcKinnon were able to get 29 yards in the opening drive, there were just as many of them in the rest of the game:”I’m not going to give the players any grades,”explained coach Zimmer afterwards,”It’s not the right time to criticize players. If you want to criticize someone, it’s me. I don’t mind… I should have called a much better game.”
It’s been over 40 years since the Vikings last played in a Super Bowl. The people who don’t remember it will in any case remember the missed chance to play one in their own stadium. A missed opportunity, which will now accompany the Vikings in a long and hard off-season.
In this off-season, the Vikings’ first priority is to clarify the quarterback question. Keenum, Bradford and Bridgewater all have expiring contracts. Keenum should have earned an expensive contract with the Rams despite the recent Deja-Vu under Jeff Fisher. Will the Vikings pay him dear money or will they trust Bridgewater? However, just like Bradford, he carries a thick medical record with him and both would probably have to accept a contract at reduced conditions.
The departure of offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur should not be underestimated in the quarterback discussion. Shurmur will be head coach of the New York Giants in the new season and leaves a gap that the Vikings would probably like to fill with a promotion at home. Quarterbacks coach Kevin Stefanski and offensive line coach Tony Sparano are the names currently traded here. Mike McCoy or Ben McAdoo seem to be available as external solutions.
Running Back McKinnon will presumably also join the Free Agency. The Vikings are well positioned with Cook and a Murray tied up for two years and not exactly favorable. A contract for the versatile baking would probably be too expensive.
The majority of the squad will also be wearing purple jerseys next season, so it won’t take another Minneapolis Miracle to recover from this defeat – even if the sting will sit for a while. Defeats of this nature are no unusual picture for the Vikings community, as I said before. Six championship games in a row were left on track by potent teams in line-ups like the Randall-Cunningham/Randy-Moss-Duo 1998 or under Brett Favre 2009 (both teams lost dramatically in overtime).
Finally, after the Divisional Round, it seemed to be on the right side of a dramaturgical episode and finally the storybook seemed to be set aside from the multitude of play-off defeats, only to find out afterwards that they had written just one more disappointing chapter. Many in Minnesota thought that the team was ready for a Super Bowl and that the community would even compensate for the sad past with one that would take place in their own house.
“I think our fans would have deserved to see us at the Super Bowl in their own stadium,”said Tight End Kyle Rudolph.”We disappointed them.”