Vikings Named a Team of Destiny
Minnesota Vikings fans are not used to this.
A phrase you never hear associated with the Vikings — the purple and gold franchise was called a “team of destiny” this week.
Usually, leading up to a regular season, the Vikings snuggle in the middle of NFL power rankings, assigned somewhere near the league’s 15th- or 16th-best team. That was the lay of the land during the Kirk Cousins era from 2018 to 2023.
And while sportsbooks still believe Minnesota will win eight or nine games in 2025, one voice claimed this week that Minnesota is a “team of destiny.”
FS1’s Jason McIntyre Calls Vikings a “Team of Destiny”
Filling in on Colin Cowherd’s daily show, NFL analyst Jason McIntyre called the Vikings a “team of destiny,” an out-of-nowhere declaration for a team hoping to fly high in 2025 with a 22-year-old quarterback.
“I am coming out right now and telling all of America I’m all in on J.J. McCarthy and the Minnesota Vikings. They will play in the NFC Championship this year. I am all in on this team,” McIntyre opined.
“There’s a couple things at play: Without any prompting, Aaron Jones has not stopped talking about J.J. McCarthy. The leadership — the dude’s got it. Sometimes you just have it. Jim Harbaugh, who knows a little bit about football, loves J.J. McCarthy. The team of destiny this year is the Minnesota Vikings.”
Minnesota hasn’t been to an NFC Championship since 2017 — and hasn’t reached a Super Bowl in nearly 50 years — so McIntyre’s bold take was welcomed with open arms from fans.
First Time in 15 Years Steam
Minnesota hasn’t been touted like this since 2010.
Of course, that season bent terribly after quarterback Brett Favre ran out of gas, but before that in 2009, Favre and Co. reached the NFC Championship, losing a stunner to the New Orleans Saints, a club that would win the Super Bowl two weeks later.
Analysts picked Minnesota for big things the following season, 2010, but Minnesota fell flat, paving the way for the Christian Ponder era at quarterback, which also fell flat.
Long story short, Minnesota hasn’t earned “team of destiny” chatter in 15 years.
The League’s No. 2 Defense
Along with defensive newcomers Jonathan Allen, Javon Hargrave, and Isaiah Rodgers, Minnesota already boasts the NFL’s second-best defense per EPA/Play and DVOA. Defensive boss Brian Flores lost veteran defensive backs Camryn Bynum, Stephon Gilmore, and Shaquill Griffin to free agency, but most onlookers don’t consider those departures too devastating.
McCarthy, who has yet to throw a pass in the regular season, will inherit a dazzling defense, a perk not afforded to too many first- or second-year signal-callers.
Now, It’s Up to J.J. McCarthy
With McIntyre’s blessing, the rest is up to McCarthy.
McCarthy’s predecessor, Sam Darnold, guided the Vikings to a juicy 14-3 record last season before Darnold capitulated when it mattered the most in Week 18 and in the playoffs. Most don’t expect McCarthy to account for 36 total touchdowns and 4,319 passing yards right away like Darnold, but something in the ballpark of 25 passing touchdowns and a winning team record would bode well for the future.
Overall, though, every speck of the Vikings’ depth chart is ready for championship contention; McCarthy just has to play decently.
Vikings in Power Rankings
Pro Football Network called Minnesota the 13th-best team in its power rankings last month and explained, “With uncertainty around this year’s squad, the schedule release shed a light on where and when the Vikings may have their rough patches. As such, they’re only projected to make the playoffs on 34.0% of sims, the 18th-ranked percentage in the league. Some answers need to be found early on in the season. However, the Minnesota Vikings look well-equipped to support J.J. McCarthy.”
“After much speculation about whether the Vikings would pay Sam Darnold and keep McCarthy on the bench another year, Minnesota instead reinvested the former’s money into additions on the offensive line (Ryan Kelly, Will Fries) and at running back (Jordan Mason). That gives the Vikings a very complete picture on offense.”
Oddsmakers believe Minnesota will finish third or fourth place behind the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers in 2025, making McIntyre’s prognostication even bolder.
PFN added, “Entering the draft, left guard was the only remaining OL question mark, and the front office answered by taking Ohio State’s Donovan Jackson in Round 1. If McCarthy can even replicate Darnold’s performance from 2024, the Vikings should be in position to improve from last year’s 13th-place finish in offense.”
“The defense has more questions despite finishing third. Brian Flores’ unit had tons of defensive back free agents and has seen Camryn Bynum, Stephon Gilmore, and Shaquill Griffin either depart or remain unsigned. Minnesota didn’t have many draft picks this year. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was able to add valuable depth on the defensive side of the ball, but unlikely that any will make an immediate impact.”
Vikings mandatory minicamp is six days away.
Vikings Urged to Trade 2024 Starter
You must be logged in to post a comment.