Vikings Turn the Page for New Era but With Same Quarterback

First and foremost, the Mike Zimmer era is over. The former Minnesota Vikings head coach peaked in 2017 when he led the club to the NFC Championship Game. Following their loss at the Philadelphia Eagles, the Vikings acquired quarterback Kirk Cousins. Cousins was sold as the final NFL odds piece to the Super Bowl puzzle. Most frustrating was that the Vikings have never come as close as that 2017 team. Zimmer failed to get Minnesota into the playoffs in three of the last four seasons. Thus, he reached the end of his tenure.

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Vikings Have Also-Ran History of Frustration

Onset, Minnesota Vikings were founded as an NFL expansion franchise in 1961. The Vikings were born as a shot at the American Football League. The AFL intended to place a franchise in the Twin Cities with prospective owner Max Winter. But when Winter was offered an NFL franchise, he left the AFL at the altar.

The Vikings have never won a Super Bowl. However, they had an offshore bookmaker era of glory from 1968 through 1978. And that firmed their bond forever with the state and its fans. The Vikings made four Super Bowls from 1969 through 1976. But they were never able to claim the championship.

Namely, Bud Grant coached those great Viking teams and is the most revered name in team history. Grant is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Grant’s first Super Bowl team was led by the swashbuckling quarterback Joe Kapp. And then QB Fran Tarkenton led the Vikings in their other three Super Bowl appearances.

Most of all, the Vikings were known for their tremendous defenses in those days. Paul Krause, Carl Eller, and Alan Page were Hall of Fame legends on that era’s Purple People Eaters defenses.

Since that golden age, the Vikings have had several good teams and close calls. But they have never made it back to Super Sunday. Since 1998 the Vikings have lost four NFC Conference Championship Games.

Minnesota Vikings SBG Odds Overview

New head coach Kevin O’Connell arrives from the Los Angeles Rams. Specifically, he was the Rams’ offensive coordinator. O’Connell’s association with Rams head coach Sean McVay was a plus in his getting the job at Minnesota. He was a journeyman backup quarterback in the NFL from 2008 through 2012.

First, O’Connell will be tasked with getting Cousins up to speed once and for all. Cousins put up respectable stats but fail at the most important metric: NFL betting odds win. With Cousins as the quarterback, the Vikings have been one of the NFL’s most frustrating teases.

The Vikings are respectable enough to get multiple prime-time TV appearances. But they are not credible enough to get a lot of them.

In week two, the Vikings are at the Philadelphia Eagles on ABC in a Monday Night Football special. While in week four, the Vikings will meet the New Orleans Saints in Europe in an NFL Network morning matchup. In week 12, the Vikings host the New England Patriots on NBC Sunday Night Football. Meanwhile, if the Vikings are in the playoff race, they could be featured in week 15 or 18 based on flex scheduling.

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