NFL Analyst Offers 1st-of-Its-Kind Prediction for 2022 Vikings
Las Vegas oddsmakers perceive the Minnesota Vikings as an 8.5-win team for 2022.
NFL media entities believe Minnesota is about the 11th-worst team in football, evidenced by these power rankings in the last two weeks:
- CBS Sports = 20th
- NBC Sports = 21st
- NFL.com = 22nd
- Bleacher Report = 22nd
- Sporting News = 22nd
But there is one notable believer in the Vikings, and that’s Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports.
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Some analysts have quietly mentioned the Vikings a fringe wildcard team — a fair assessment for a team welcoming back a mostly-same roster from an 8-9 season. But La Canfora thinks more boldly about the 2022 Vikings.
He picked Kevin O’Connell to win the NFC North in his rookie campaign with the Vikings.
Sportsbooks do not agree with La Canfora, but you’ll be damned if he isn’t calling it anyway. La Canfora authored an article on Monday detailing playoff participants, and in doing so, he became the first notable pundit to proclaim the Vikings as winners of The North in 2022.
Canfora wrote:
“I believe Green Bay’s best window to win a Super Bowl has passed. Not buying the WR group. Getting long in the tooth in critical areas. Have lost some recently dominant players like Z’Darius Smith. Too many wasted or overly cure draft picks from recent years holding back roster development. The Vikings will have entirely different vibe with Mike Zimmer gone. They still have enough talent on defense – especially up front – to be dangerous and the offense will be a problem.”
– Jason La Canfora | CBS Sports
This prognosis will be an uphill climb for the Vikings solely because Aaron Rodgers still lives one state away. From 2015 to 2019, Rodgers’ production tapered off a smidgen, but then the quarterback roared back for two MVP seasons consecutively in 2020 and 2021.
Regrettably for Rodgers and the Packers, the squad keeps getting bounced from the postseason before reaching the Super Bowl. Green Bay won a title in 2010, Rodgers’ third year as QB1 — and then never returned to the big game.
In fairness to Rodgers, the Vikings haven’t reached “the big game” in 45 years.
For La Canfora to be correct, the Vikings must fix three noteworthy areas in 2022 to improve from 2021’s mediocrity.
- Avoid defensive meltdowns at crucial spots late in 2nd and 4th Quarters
- Discontinue noticeable stretches of bland offensive playcalling
- Transform the pass-protecting branch of the offensive line from a bottom-tier unit to serviceable or good quality
If those items are achieved, the Vikings can indeed threaten the Packers for a division crown. Minnesota hasn’t won the division since 2017.
As for other division winners, La Canfora picked the Bills (AFC East), Bengals (AFC North), Buccaneers NFC South), Colts (AFC South), Chiefs (AFC West), Eagles (NFC East), and Rams (NFC West).
The Vikings finished 4-2 in the division last year, despite the disappointing 8-9 finish.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
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