Aaron Jones, the running back for the Minnesota Vikings, is enjoying how much the team has exceeded its preseason projections. “Nobody really believed in us,” he told Albert Breer of The MMQB. “They predicted that despite winning six games, you would place bottom in the division. It was never dark at that facility, but we had to do everything in the dark. Coming to work was always enjoyable. We always had faith in one another. Kevin O’Connell, our head coach, assured us that we would be exactly where we are at this moment.
Jones jokingly stated that he thinks According to O’Connell, he “can see the future if you ask me.”
After losing Kirk Cousins in free agency, the Vikings were satisfied with a one-year makeover, even if they didn’t carry out a complete rebuild in the offseason. A team that signed Sam Darnold as a backup quarterback must not have had any real hopes of making the playoffs. If you look at any power rankings starting in August, you’ll probably see Minnesota in the lower third of the NFL or close to the centre of the pack. Rather, the Vikings have exceeded their overall expectations. They will win the NFC North and secure the conference’s top seed if they defeat the Detroit Lions in Week 18.
Maybe this is just a rerun of 2022, when a club with a negative point differential was flattered by Minnesota’s 13-4 record, and they were eliminated in the Wild Card Round. The only team with a worse strength of victory percentage than the Vikings (.404) among the seven NFC playoff qualifiers is the Washington Commanders. However, O’Connell and his team have earned the right to pause and appreciate the extent to which they have so far silenced their doubters.