The Minnesota Vikings find themselves under the critical microscope of NFL analyst Colin Cowherd, who continues to express skepticism about their prospects with J.J. McCarthy as their cornerstone.
Throughout the offseason, Cowherd has maintained his reservations, recently doubling down when revealing his divisional and playoff predictions.
When assessing the NFC North landscape, Cowherd delivered a particularly surprising verdict on the Vikings, despite their strong showing just last season.
“Vikings will be a very good fourth-place team. I think letting Sam Darnold go… they may regret it,” Cowherd said.
“The Vikings will be a very good fourth place team.”
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In his divisional breakdown, Cowherd crowned the Lions as champions, pointing to their roster depth and consistency.
He positions the Bears for a playoff berth, suggesting they have made enough strides to remain competitive.
While acknowledging Jordan Love’s talent, Cowherd interprets the Packers’ decision to select a receiver early as potential concern about Love’s development and Christian Watson’s health issues.
Reality suggests the Vikings likely won’t replicate their 14 win campaign from last season, particularly with the AFC North on their schedule instead of the South.
Yet dismissing them entirely overlooks key factors. Their impressive 2024 performance stemmed largely from Kevin O’Connell’s leadership and decision making prowess, accomplishing it all with Darnold at quarterback.
McCarthy enters an enviable situation with three elite offensive weapons, strong protection up front, and one of the league’s premier play callers.
Combine that with Brian Flores directing the defense, and the Vikings maintain a formula for success that contradicts their projected basement finish.
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