Minnesota Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy (7) reacts after making a first-quarter sort out towards the Chicago Bears at U.S. Financial institution Stadium, displaying power early within the divisional matchup. Nov 16, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA: Murphy celebrates the cease as Minnesota’s protection units the tone at residence. Necessary Credit score: Brad Rempel-Imagn Photographs.
The Seattle Seahawks weren’t alleged to dash to the Tremendous Bowl final 12 months, and so they particularly weren’t alleged to win the entire thing. However they did — and now NFL.com has sized up 5 squads that would replicate that path. Wouldn’t you realize it? The Vikings are amongst them.
Minnesota’s path is apparent: defend like loopy, get sufficient from Kyler Murray, and let Kevin O’Connell steer it.
That’s the phrase from Tom Blair, who claimed final week that the Vikings might observe a Seattle-like path to Tremendous Bowl LXI.
Brian Flores Provides Minnesota a Actual Contender Blueprint
Would you be shocked if Minnesota morphed into an actual contender?
Minnesota Vikings working again Jordan Mason powers by means of the protection throughout second-half motion towards the Washington Commanders, preserving his legs churning on Dec 7, 2025, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, because the Vikings leaned on their floor recreation at U.S. Financial institution Stadium in a late-season NFC matchup. Necessary Credit score: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Photographs.
Blair on the Vikings as a Tremendous Bowl Darkish Horse
Blair named 5 groups that would observe in Seattle’s footsteps: the Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Houston Texans, Los Angeles Chargers — and the Vikings.
On Minnesota, he defined, “Do they have a Dark Side? Brian Flores’ famously formidable defense was as effective as ever in 2025, ranking seventh in EPA per play (-0.14) and points allowed per game (19.6) and third in yards allowed per play (4.7), but the offense could not keep up, with a season-long point differential of plus-11 matching perfectly with Minnesota’s 9-8 finish.”
“Like the Texans, the Vikings have a defense that could drive true dominance, with just a little more support from the offense. Like Seattle, Minnesota has been fitfully competitive over the past few years. The Vikings have plenty of talent, and I have confidence in the coaching regime.”
The Vikings’ protection additionally added 4 new rookies within the first three rounds of the draft final month.
Blair added, “If they were also working with the same level of front-office stability that the Seahawks have enjoyed under Schneider, I’d feel better about giving them the top spot.”
“Whoever takes over as full-time GM might knock the job out of the park, but the late-January firing of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah brings some uncertainty to the team-building portion of the equation.”
The Protection Checks the Huge Field
In search of causes to agree with NFL.com? Look no additional than the Vikings’ protection, led by Flores. Flores’s males ranked third within the NFL per defensive DVOA in 2025, totally hitting their groove in December and January — when it ought to have mattered probably the most — and propelling Minnesota to a five-game win streak to shut out the season on a excessive observe.
In actual fact, since Flores arrived within the Twin Cities three years in the past, he has fostered the league’s second-best protection per EPA/Play, solely trailing the Cleveland Browns, a membership that by some means has featured nice protection with nothing tangible to indicate for it.
Minnesota Vikings defensive sort out Jalen Redmond wraps up Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott throughout first-half motion, ending the play with strain on Dec 14, 2025, in Arlington, Texas, because the Vikings protection regarded to disrupt Dallas’ rhythm at AT&T Stadium in a bodily interconference matchup. Necessary Credit score: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Photographs.
Minnesota’s protection has checked all packing containers as a Tremendous Bowl contender — happening 4 seasons now — so it’s all as much as head coach Kevin O’Connell and the offense, which, ought to, in principle, be O’Connell’s private child.
Wait and See at QB
On the offense, nicely, the Vikings’ quarterback play should enhance in 2026. Ending 9-8 a 12 months in the past, Minnesota showcased the NFL’s fifth-worst dropback EPA, a brief manner of claiming the quarterback manufacturing stunk in comparison with the Vikings’ NFL friends. Profitable 9 video games with the fifth-worst quarterback effectivity isn’t a standard consequence. Due to this fact, the sky may very well be the restrict if Minnesota showcases average-or-better quarterback play in 2026.
Insert Kyler Murray.
Minnesota scooped Murray from free company for simply over one million bucks, and he’s on the town to make the Arizona Cardinals look dangerous. Comically, the Cardinals are paying Murray to play for the Vikings. It’s how Minnesota received away with such a dinky contract. Murray has been compensated for 2026 primarily based on the assured cash from his 2022 contract extension.
O’Connell both wants Murray to provide first rate numbers or rip the lid off and go full Professional Bowl-caliber. If he achieves the latter, Murray can certainly lead the Vikings deep into the postseason.
Run the Soccer?
In the meantime, O’Connell should run the soccer. Bear in mind the five-game win streak in December? That occurred as a result of O’Connell received the memo about working the soccer. When quarterbacks wrestle, a wise playcaller can’t load up and throw the rock 40 occasions per recreation. It’s a recipe for utter catastrophe — Minnesota began 2025 with a 4-8 report, keep in mind?
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell watches pregame warmups and connects with gamers on the sphere earlier than kickoff towards the Baltimore Ravens on Nov 9, 2025, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, because the group ready for a midseason residence contest at U.S. Financial institution Stadium through the 2025 marketing campaign. Necessary Credit score: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Photographs.
So, O’Connell should decide to his dashing offense, and much more than final 12 months, when his group ranked nineteenth per rush playcall proportion. Nineteenth was a step in the correct course for O’Connell — Minnesota ranked thirtieth in the identical metric in 2022 and 2023 — however now that proportion rating should enter the highest half of the league.
If the Vikings play their traditional stage of protection, empower Murray to play like prime Murray, and run the soccer, there’s little question they’ll attain the playoffs and convey to life Blair’s darkish horse Tremendous Bowl contendership talker. It’s truly fairly easy.
