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If (at the season’s start) you didn’t have the Vikings at 13-2 on your wish list when Santa comes calling, it’s okay, nobody did, but we all got it anyway. The Vikings travelled to Seattle and outlasted the Seahawks 30-27 in a hard-fought (sometimes ugly) game on Sunday afternoon. The win keeps the Purple in a tie with the Detroit Lions atop the NFC North Division with two games remaining, and they pulled ahead of the Philadelphia Eagles (who lost to Washington) in the race for homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. Let’s go!

There was a white-out in Minnesota on Monday, but it was inside U.S. Bank Stadium rather than out. And it turned into a blowout, as the Vikings hammered the visiting Chicago Bears with a sluggish but ultimately dominating 30-12 performance. It was always pretty, but in the end, the Vikings, newly minted 2024 playoff participants, handled Caleb Williams and the Bears and took care of business pulling into a tie atop the NFC North with the Detroit Lions.

When the clock started ticking for the fourth quarter in Sunday’s Vikings game versus the visiting Atlanta Falcons, Vikings fans were likely nervous as Kirk Cousins, returning to his former home, had pulled his new squad into a 21-21 tie at the end of the third. But the Vikings offense, thanks to the Purple passing game (which had been great all day), put up three scores to run away from Kirko Chainz and his charges on the way to a Vikings 42-21 victory. The win, their sixth straight, put the Vikings at 11-2 on the season, still in second place in the NFC North Division but on the cusp of clinching a playoff berth.

The Minnesota Vikings, the league’s newest Cardiac Kids, beat the Arizona Cardinals 23-22 in the last minute at U.S. Bank Stadium. In a game in which the Vikings did not lead until those last minutes, the defense made the plays to secure the win versus a decent Cardinals squad. Now at 10-2 and remaining tied for the third-best record in the league—the Vikings are moving closer to a coveted postseason spot.

The Minnesota Vikings went to weird and wacky Solider Field and eked out a quirky 30-27 victory over the Chicago Bears to improve to 9-2. It was pretty at times and ugly late, but that’s the way of the Vikings in Chicago. They now have five wins in a row at Soldier Field and are coming off a 3-0 road trip, which is a nice bit of momentum for this squad embarking on a three-game homestand to position themselves for the playoffs. 

On Sunday afternoon, the Minnesota Vikings beat the hapless Titans in Tennessee 23-13. They didn’t dominate, although they could have, but it puts them at 8-2 and still one-game behind the Lions in the NFC North. That’s the good news. The bad news is a leaky secondary suddenly susceptible to the long ball; a defense benefited greatly by some questionable calls by the refs, the cupcakes on the schedule are done and the Vikes must next travel to Soldier Field, where strange things happen.

The final score in Jacksonville on Sunday resulted in a 12-7 Minnesota Vikings win over the Jaguars—but that in no way describes how it got there. The Vikings adopted a local strategy as age-old as their purple uniforms: play down to your opponent. They had the highest time of possession of any team this season and put together multiple double-digit-play drives but didn’t score a touchdown—because they turned the ball over three times. You shouldn’t be able to win that way in the NFL, but the Vikings were fortunately playing the lowly Jags.

The Minnesota Vikings beat the Indianapolis Colts 21-13 at USA Bank Stadium to improve to 6-2 and a game behind the Lions in the NFC North. That’s what the agate type in the paper will tell you. But the reality was the defense once again led the team to victory while the offense spent some time shooting themselves in the foot. The offense eventually put up 21 points in the second half, but three turnovers on the game could have spelled disaster.

As great as the opening quarter of the season was for Minnesota, the second quarter has been equally bad. The Vikings can play in the first quarter of games, but soon after that things begin to unravel. Add to that a season-ending knee injury to their best offensive lineman, Christian Darrisaw, and the Vikings’ trip to LA was anything but sunny. They may have come into the softest part of their schedule, but the Purple appear to be playing their softest football of the season. Things need to change quickly.

The Vikings’ perfect season has ended, but it is far from over. The Detroit Lions came to town and put together four consecutive scoring drives in the middle quarters, and that put the Vikings behind the 8-ball. They did battle and retake the lead in the fourth quarter with a scoop and score by Ivan Pace, but the offense didn’t hold up their end of the deal by getting a couple first downs late and the Lions win with a field goal.

The Vikings can separate themselves a bit from all NFC North challengers with a home win over the Lions and help to put away all the doubt that creeps in for Vikings fans when watching their favorite team in the second halves of games this season. The Vikings start fast and struggle out of the locker room in the second half and then hang on to win . . .  every time. That last fact of being undefeated is great, but the route taken there is slightly unnerving.

The Vikings did it again! Yes, they beat the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau by a score 31-29 to remain unbeaten at 4-and-0 and alone atop the NFC North Division. But what seemed like déjà vu’ all over again was they made it difficult. The Vikings busted out to a very dominating 28-0 lead before muffing a punt, giving up a touchdown and ultimately scrambling to the finish line. We have seen this in the past (and to be honest maybe feared it happening again on Sunday), but at least the Vikings won the game and kept their record unblemished. Sam Darnold had another very good performance, throwing three touchdown passes. Jordan Addison returned from injury and celebrated by scoring touchdowns as a rushing and a receiver and the defense played lights out (for three quarters, anyway). In the final minute, the Packers were a recovered onside kick away from breaking the Vikings’ and their fans’ hearts (letting them know what it might feel like to be on the other side of an epic comeback like their 2022 comeback against the Indianapolis Colts). In the final analysis, the Vikings turned a potential laugher into a nail biter, and we were reminded that nothing is ever for certain in the NFL. There was a lot to be pleased about in this game (another decent performance from Aaron Jones in his former home field, four turnovers by the Vikings defense and the team’s depth showcased in players such as Kamu Grugier-Hill, who had his second interception in two games). But there were also some things to “fix,” as they say. The Vikings committed two turnovers of their own (a pick and fumble by Darnold—though the interception should have been overturned by replay), giving up 465 yards of offense to the Packers and a questionable call to go for it and end the game rather than kick a gimme field goal. These issues certainly merit some discussion.

The Vikings are for real . . . and their defense is lights out. They hosted Vikings-South, the Houston Texans—and were anything but hospitable, dominating them to the tune of 34-7. Quarterback Sam Darnold threw four touchdown passes (for the second time in his career, first time without an interception) and the Vikings defense confused Texans QB C.J. Stroud throughout, leading to three sacks and two picks. By the time this one was done, the previously undefeated Texans were handed their first loss of the season in dominating fashion.

kings weren’t flawless (two turnovers of their own, plus giving up 399 yards on defense), but they beat a very good Niners team, which should turn the heads of those who maintained that all they did last week was beat the lowly New York Giants. While that is true, the perception on this team is chanding. Lead by a much-improved defense, and a revitalized Sam Darnold under center, the Vikings are becoming a team to be reckoned with in the NFC North.

The Vikings opened up the 2024 season with a very decisive 28-6 win over the New York Giants on the road. All the questions were answered—at least for this week—but more questions are on the way. Quarterback Sam Darnold had one of the best games of his career (opening the game with 12-consecutive completions for his first time as a pro) and throwing two great touchdown passes. He looked better than his career reputation would have us believe, and so Vikings fans can get excited about the season going forward . . . at least until next week.

Oh, and if you like a little spice in your podcast, tune into this one as Craig talks about his Star Tribune piece on former head coach Mike Zimmer that has everyone else talking. There was plenty of buckshot in the story and even more on the VT podcast when he talks about it. Skol!

Speaking of that roster, the Vikings completed their cutdowns on Tuesday to get to that magic number of 53, but their work is not done.

After a week of practices together (in which the home team Cleveland Browns had their way with the visiting Minnesota Vikings), the Vikes and Brownies met in a preseason game over the weekend. And Minnesota turned the tables on their hosts, beating Cleveland 27-12. Despite only one starter on the field (Vikings right Guard Ed Ingram), there were some bright spots worth mentioning (something that isn’t worth mentioning is that Vikes head coach Kevin O’Connell now has a two-game winning streak in preseason games).

The Vikings are in Cleveland for joint practices with the Browns and made other news to discuss—Jordan Addison injury, the Andrew Booth trade and other acquisitions—and we’ve got you covered.

Justin Jefferson once worked a fake hamstring pull into his TD celebration known as The Griddy. Then last season he actually pulled one and missed half the season. It is not good to tempt fate, so it seems, if you consider karma a thing. And now Jefferson appears to recognize that he is working this offseason on trying to prevent another.

Another day, another day cornerback issue for the Minnesota. CB Mekhi Blackmon tore his ACL on the first day of practice and is out for the season. Couple that with the death of rookie CB Khyree Jackson and a leg injury to offseason acquisition Shaq Griffin and the Vikings are suddenly scrambling to piece together a starting secondary come September.

Vikings general manager Kwesi Adolfo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell met the media Monday afternoon for their first press conference of the team’s 2024 Training Camp at TCO Performance Center, and the mood was slightly somber. They addressed the tragic passing of rookie cornerback Khyree Jackson, laying out how the team will honor him in the coming season.

The dog days of summer are upon us, and for the Vikings that means idle time before their Training Camp starts and the real work begins for the 2024 season. Unfortunately, that is not always good news for the Vikings players, who have a history of not spending their idle time wisely. Which leads us to the troubling case of Vikings’ second-year wideout Jordan Addison, who was found asleep at the wheel (both literally and figuratively) this past weekend.

The Vikings received the worst of news over the holiday weekend, when they learned that rookie draft pick Khyree Jackson was killed in a tragic automobile accident on July 6. The news hit hard and quickly reverberated throughout the team and its fans base, as the young 24-year-old cornerback lost his life when so much of it (and filled with so much promise) was right in front of him. We send out deepest sympathies and condolences to Khyree’s family and to the families of the two people who tragically died in the accident.

It happened. No, Justin Jefferson, wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings, was not traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers (although the Steelers enquired to his availability). No, JJ wasn’t traded to the Los Angeles Chargers on draft day in order for the Vikings to move up and select WR Malik Nabers (although a trade on draft day did involve JJ, but that was the Vikings trading up a spot to land Michigan QB JJ McCarthy). No, what happened, in fact, was that Justin Jefferson (who goes by Jet rather than JJ) signed a contract extension to make him the highest-paid non-QB in NFL history. That happened. As many (decreasingly fewer as time went along) had said it would.

The Vikings have a new quarterback. Well, they actually a couple of them: Sam Darnold picked up in free agency and J.J. McCarthy drafted 10th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. But you knew that. What’s new is that those QBs have been out at TCO Performance Center practicing with their new team, and one of them, Darnold, the presumptive opening day starter, spoke to the media. So, what did the new Purple signal caller have to say?

The Vikings finished in third place in the NFC North division in 2024, so they won’t find themselves playing in lot of primetime or nationally televised games this season. There are roster changes and camp position battle to discuss this week and the fellas from Vikings Territory Breakdown podcast (Joe Oberle, senior writer at vikingsterritory.com and purplePTSD.com and Mark Craig, NFL and Vikings writer for the Star Tribune and startribune.com) are on hand to do it. So, tune in to the VT Breakdown and check it out.

J.J. McCarthy, who the Vikings selected 10th overall in the first round of April’s NFL draft, threw some passes, threw an interception and later ran some gassers because he lost a bet to the new defenders in camp. McCarthy later talked with the media and showed a poise and calmness beyond his years, even garnering praise from his head coach Kevin O’Connell for his attitude, which included McCarthy being out on the field before anyone else working through plays he had just learned. That’s certainly a good sign for this young player who is reportedly a “process guy” willing to put in the work.

Purple Nation is indeed excited about McCarthy, excited about the draft and excited about the team that Kwesi and Company have assembled for the start of offseason team activities. There are strengths and weaknesses to the roster, for sure, but plenty to like and even more to discuss. And that’s what the fellas from Vikings Territory Breakdown podcast

Vikings fans anticipating the high stakes in their team’s 2024 NFL Draft were rewarded with an unexpected dose of trade excitement on Day 1. General manager Kwesi Adolfo-Mensah did get his quarterback to replace (eventually) the departed Kirk Cousins and followed it up with a highly-touted edge rusher to replace Danielle Hunter, who’s “Gone to Texas.” He did not achieve this first-round booty without expending several draft picks, but he did it without sacrificing any future number one picks. Vikings fans can decide whether it was too much capital or that the picks were worth the deals.

So we needed a draft expert of our own to weigh in on what the Purple will do. Former Vikings and Tennesse Titans general manager Jeff Diamond joins the fellas at the Vikings Territory Breakdown podcast (Joe Oberle, senior writer at vikingsterritory.com and purplePTSD.com and Mark Craig, NFL and Vikings writer for the Star Tribune and startribune.com) to break it all down.

Things are getting down to the wire in the NFL Draft. We are two weeks out from the first day of the next era in Minnesota Vikings football, as they hold two draft picks in the first round of the upcoming draft. And we couldn’t be happier that it’s almost here.

A couple weeks ago the Vikings made a trade with the Houston Texans to acquire the 23rd pick in the draft in 2024 draft to go along with their pick (11th overall), and all the subsequent speculation centers on them trading up in the first round to grab a QB of the future. That speculation carries some weight as the Vikings lost their QB of the present in free agency, so they definitely have to make moves to secure on going forward.

Kwesi has been cookin,’ as all the kids like to say. After a banner week in free agency that saw the addition of several defensive performers, a new quarterback in Sam Darnold and the swiping of a fan-favorite running back from that rival team to the east, 

Vikings GM Kwesi Adolfo-Mensah secured a trade of draft picks with the Houston Texans that appears to signal the Vikings’ desires to move up in the 2024 NFL Draft and grab their QB of the future.

Joe Oberle and Mark Craig talk all the Free Agency moves the Vikings made in day 1 of the legal tampering. The new NFL League year started this week with the “legal tampering” period on Monday and the Vikings made a huge splash—but it was kind of a belly flop.

The NFL Combine ended last weekend and suddenly there is a little more NFL news to talk about. Vikings general manager Kwesi Adolfo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell both spoke at the Combine and each made minor ripples in the vast waters of the offseason. (But we media types will create tsunamic speculation waves out of them.)

The NFL salary cap went up this week to $255.4 million for 2024 season, up record $30.6 million from 2023. What does it mean? How does it affect the free agency market? How does it affect the Vikings situation which has to figure out what to do with pricy free agents to be, including Kirk Cousins, DE Danielle Hunter and the best player on their team in wide receiver Justin Jefferson? The bottom line is that increased money helps the Purple, but by how much?

Kwesi has to upgrade his track record in both areas this offseason for the Vikings to improve and the fan base to get off his back. And that improvement starts next weekend when he heads to Indianapolis for the Combine, followed by free agency and the new league year, which being on March 13.

So, the fellas at the Vikings Territory Breakdown podcast (Joe Oberle, senior writer at vikingsterritory.com and purplePTSD.com and Mark Craig, NFL and Vikings writer for the Star Tribune and startribune.com) will take a look back at Kwesi’s record in free agency. Perhaps it will give us a guide to his way forward. The Vikings have some cap space. How is Kwesi going to use it? Tune in and check out our thoughts. 

The Kansas City Chiefs are Super Bowl champions—rinse, repeat. Taylor Swift was in the house to see it. Airplanes are fast. The San Francisco 49ers did just about everything they needed to do to win the game (save for not muffing an important punt), but they came up one score short (they will be back in the conversation next season, if they don’t try to sign Kirk Cousins, that is). The season is over; let the offseason begin.

Speaking of the Vikings, anything can happen during the offseason, as well, and we here at the Vikings Territory Breakdown podcast (Joe Oberle, senior writer at vikingsterritory.com and purplePTSD.com and Mark Craig, NFL and Vikings writer for the Star Tribune and startribune.com) will get you prepared for it. The Vikings have a number of free agents on their roster, so expect a lot of change this offseason. We will break that down. Tune in and let the speculation begin.

So, we here at the Vikings Territory Breakdown podcast (Joe Oberle, senior writer at vikingsterritory.com and purplePTSD.com and Mark Craig, NFL and Vikings writer for the Star Tribune and startribune.com) are on hand to investigate that. As always, it starts with the quarterback, Kirk Cousins, and after seeing Brock Purdy bring the Niners back from oblivion, chances are slimmer than ever that Kirk is heading to San Fran for a coach-and-QB reunion. So, let’s talk about it. Tune in to the VT Breakdown podcast and check it out.

The Vikings and their fans watched week two of the NFL Playoffs from the sidelines, as their NFC North counterparts,

Free agency is long off, and the NFL Draft even longer, but the discussion begins now. And the fellas at the Vikings Territory Breakdown podcast (Joe Oberle, senior writer at vikingsterritory and purplePTSD and Mark Craig, NFL and Vikings writer for the Star Tribune and startribune.com) are here to hammer it all out. Tune into the podcast and check it out.

Thus begins the offseason of questions—tough questions to be answered in Year 3 of the Kwesi-KOC regime. Will the team draft a QB in the first round? Will they resign Kirk Cousins and Hunter? How much will they pay Jefferson? Will Brian Flores return? How many CBs will the team need to draft? 

The Vikings hosted the Green Bay Packers for a New Year’s Eve party at U.S. Bank Stadium and the fireworks were all green and yellow. The Packers whipped up on the Vikings 33-10 and basically eliminated the Purple from the playoffs (they still have a 3 percent chance to make them). The Vikings trotted out first-year quarterback Jaren Hall to face the Packers in a (near) elimination game and the rookie proved not to be ready for prime-time play.

The Vikings lost another one-score game (30-24 versus the visiting Detroit Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium). They lost it once again at the goal line in the final minute. And they lost it one more time due to shaky quarterback play and multiple turnovers. The loss was a disappointing one in a season of them. But somehow the hapless Minnesota Vikings remain alive (but on life support) for their post-season prospects.

In what might be the worst loss of the season, the Vikings lost to the Cincinnati Bengals on the road in overtime. After building a 17-3 lead in the third quarter, the Vikings stalwart defense (which hadn’t given up a touchdown since the last series of the Denver Broncos game) gave up three consecutive scores in the fourth quarter and ultimately the game-winning field goal in OT for a dispiriting, debilitating and very disappointing 27-24 loss.

Coming off the bye, the Vikings heads to Las Vegas where fortunes are gained (but more often lost in the casinos) and there are so many questions pestering the Purple personnel department: Who will start at QB? How much will JJ play and contribute? How much money should they give Kirk Cousins this offseason. Will any amount of money be enough for Brian Flores to return? Why can’t we have nice things?