The Vikings have a 10-3 record thus far this season. Their only losses come to the No. 1-seeded Philadelphia Eagles, a blowout loss to the powerhouse Dallas Cowboys and a road loss to Detroit where the Vikings were plagued by strategic sit outs of key three key starters.

The most impressive victory of the season came in week 10 when the team traveled to Buffalo, New York, and defeated the Bills (the favorite to win the 2023 Super Bowl) in overtime 33-30. If the Vikings can beat Josh Allen and the Bills on the road, they can beat anyone.

The 2022 Minnesota Vikings’ winning ways are owed to multiple factors. The Vikings have taken advantage of a (mostly) healthy roster of savvy veterans and young cannons. Their new coach and general manager have created a culture of positivity and success that has spread like wildfire across the whole team.

The Vikings depth chart has all the pieces they need to make a run

Tight end Irv Smith Jr. suffered a high ankle sprain in week eight, which will sideline him for eight to 10 weeks. The Vikings have been weak at the tight end position all year thus far, and Smith Jr.’s injury forced the Vikings to make a move at the trade deadline in order to take advantage of this successful season.

The Vikings traded for the Lions’ TJ Hockenson, a former top-10 draft pick and Pro Bowl player who has been a more than reliable target for QB Kirk Cousins thus far into his tenure with the Vikings.

The offensive line has performed at a high level all season, which came as a surprise to many fans who questioned the performance of the personnel in years past.

Left tackle Christian Darrisaw has been downright spectacular, putting on a first half of the season deserving of a First Team All Pro mention.

Since he was drafted to the Vikings in 2020, wide receiver Justin Jefferson has played at a level where you can honestly call him the most talented wide receiver in Vikings history. Yes, including Randy Moss.

Fan-favorite wide receiver Adam Thielen may be out of his prime, and one spot lower on the depth chart since Jefferson has emerged, but that hasn’t stopped him from performing at a high level.

On the defensive side, the acquisition of free agent Za’Darius Smith has proved to be a great one. Smith and his edge rusher partner Danielle Hunter have put pressure on opposing QBs all season with great energy. If the two of them can stay healthy come playoff time, the Vikings pass rush could flip the course of games.

Cornerback Patrick Peterson has been outstanding for the Vikings over the past two years. The Vikings signed the future hall of famer after the Arizona Cardinals let him walk into free agency after the 2020 season.

Peterson works at a pro bowl level along with Safety (and future Vikings’ ring of honor member) Harrison Smith, one of the longest tenured Vikings on the roster. Both players seem destined for a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame when they retire in the coming years.

The Vikings have a playoff ready roster, now it’s just up to them to play up to their potential once the playoffs come around.

The personnel changes away from the gridiron have created a new culture that breeds positivity and success, rather than fear.

On Jan. 10, 2022, the Vikings fired head coach Mike Zimmer (66) and general manager Rick Spielman (60). Zimmer had served as head coach since 2014 and collected only two playoff victories in that span. Speilman spent ten years as the Vikings’ general manager.

Cleveland Browns executive Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was named the new Vikings general manager on Jan. 26, 2022; two weeks later, the Vikings identified their new head coach, Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell, who is often referred to as KOC.

KOC and Adofo-Mensah promised Vikings fans a “competitive rebuild” where the organization would take advantage of its talented roster and strive for the most wins possible every season, yet continually put emphasis on the future of the franchise, without needing to “tank.” Tanking is the process where teams lose games on purpose and miss the playoffs in order to receive a more favorable draft pick.

KOC, at age 37, has been everything that Zimmer couldn’t be. He’s approachable, a great motivator and an excellent public speaker.

From the beginning of training camp in July, it was beyond evident that KOC was leading by example, and the culture at the Vikings’ practice facility in Eagan, Minnesota, was shocked into something new.

The Vikings, led by their new leadership, have taken a running start toward the NFC playoff picture. They lost to the Eagles in week two, and the Cowboys in week 11, meaning that if they were to have a tie for first place record in the NFC at the end of the season with the Eagles or Cowboys, the NFC East champion would be the No. 1 seed.

No matter how many playoff games the Vikings have to play, they are guaranteed at least one home playoff game as the NFC North champions. US Bank Stadium has only hosted one playoff game before, you may remember it from the incredible “Minneapolis Miracle” ending.

The Commanders, Cowboys, Giants and Seahawks are the most likely candidates for who the Vikings will host in their first playoff game. It seems almost a certainty that the road to the Super Bowl in the NFC will run through Philadelphia this year, which will scare most Minnesotans after what happened the last time the Vikings played the Eagles in the NFC Championship game there, where they were blown out 38-7.

The time is now.

Vikings’ fans have suffered playoff heartbreak many times since this franchise was created.
The 1998 Randy Moss breakout year that ended on a missed field goal.
The 2009 Brett Farve NFC championship fourth-quarter disaster in the Superdome.
The 2015 Wild Card freeze bowl where Blair Walsh missed a 27-yard field goal to win.
The 2017 Case Keenum joyride to a home Super Bowl that came one game short.

Vikings fans are desperate for the franchise’s first Super Bowl victory and their first appearance in the Super Bowl since the 70s. Fans are tired of living under the umbrella of irrelevancy and embarrassment that they’ve been forced to endure for the last 40 years.

Not this year. We’ve seen enough. We deserve this.

The Vikings have all the pieces they need to win the Super Bowl this year. Now, the only thing that’s left to do is enjoy the ride there.

SKOL.

Karl Warner can be reached at Warn5356@stthomas.edu.