{"id":896125,"date":"2026-05-20T05:57:31","date_gmt":"2026-05-20T05:57:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/896125\/"},"modified":"2026-05-20T05:57:31","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T05:57:31","slug":"vikings-get-wildest-2026-prediction-yet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/896125\/","title":{"rendered":"Vikings Get Wildest 2026 Prediction Yet"},"content":{"rendered":"

Not long ago, NFL.com ranked the Minnesota Vikings<\/a> as the league\u2019s fifth-worst team<\/a> heading into 2026. Fast forward a few weeks, and Bleacher Report has flipped the script, predicting a 12-5 record for Kevin O\u2019Connell\u2019s team.<\/p>\n

Minnesota has the defense, weapons, and schedule path to make the spicy record prediction feel plausible.<\/p>\n

The court of public opinion is all over the board on Minnesota, but don\u2019t tell that to BR.<\/p>\n

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Murray Becomes the Swing Piece in Minnesota\u2019s Ceiling<\/p>\n

Are the Vikings closer to a bottom-feeder or a 12-5 squad?<\/p>\n

\"JustinMinnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson<\/a> races upfield during an NFL International Series matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers<\/a> at Croke Park in Dublin. Jefferson created explosive plays on Sep. 28, 2025, as the Vikings showcased one of the league\u2019s premier offenses during Minnesota\u2019s historic appearance on Irish soil before an international crowd. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.<\/p>\n

BR: Vikings Will Finish 12-5<\/p>\n

Moe Moton from Bleacher Report analyzed each team\u2019s schedule after last week\u2019s release, forecasting wins and losses for every combatant.<\/p>\n

About Minnesota, he wrote<\/a>, \u201cHead coach Kevin O\u2019Connell has led the Minnesota Vikings to 13 wins with Kirk Cousins<\/a> and 14 victories with Sam Darnold<\/a>. The latter just won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks<\/a>, but neither is considered an elite quarterback.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Vikings signed Kyler Murray<\/a>, who can be dynamic with his mobility and made the Pro Bowl in two of his first three years with the Arizona Cardinals<\/a>. After a promising career start, he\u2019s battled injuries and posted mediocre passing numbers. According to NFL Network\u2019s Tom Pelissero, Murray and J.J. McCarthy<\/a> will battle for the starting job. That said, the former should win the competition with his starting experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The Vikings, indeed, are advertising a quarterback competition this summer, but most expect Murray to prevail.<\/p>\n

Moton continued, \u201cMurray could benefit from a change of scenery in Minnesota, as Darnold did. He\u2019ll have two-time All-Pro Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison<\/a>, Jauan Jennings<\/a>, tight end T.J. Hockenson<\/a> and a defense that\u2019s ranked seventh or better in scoring for consecutive terms under play-caller Brian Flores.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Vikings have the structure to take pressure off of Murray while getting the best out of him. He\u2019ll be a Comeback Player of the Year candidate, and the Vikings will be in contention for a division title. 2026 projection: 12-5.\u201d<\/p>\n

QB Stability Is the Path<\/p>\n

Minnesota won nine games last year despite having one of the NFL\u2019s least efficient quarterback situations.<\/p>\n

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Per Dropback EPA\/Play, the combination of J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz<\/a>, and Max Brosmer<\/a> ranked as the league\u2019s fifth-worst quarterback group. The eye test undeniably supported this assessment. Yet the Vikings remained competitive, posting a 9-8 record despite an offense hampered by quarterback play.<\/p>\n

It makes the discussion around Murray straightforward. He isn\u2019t expected to be Superman in Minnesota; his task is to elevate the quarterback room from near the bottom of the league into the Top 12 or Top 15. Should he achieve this, the team\u2019s fortunes will rapidly change. A Vikings squad that secured nine wins with quarterback play ranked around 28th could suddenly envision an 11-6, 12-5, or even better record, merely by Murray stabilizing the position and contributing his characteristic playmaking flair.<\/p>\n

And his requirements are clear: protect the football, use his mobility, execute the easy throws, and avoid massive gaffes. Murray can remain dynamic without resorting to \u201chero ball\u201d on every other possession. Finding that balance is precisely where Minnesota\u2019s potential resides. In short, if Murray doesn\u2019t play like an idiot, the Vikings can reach the postseason.<\/p>\n

Defense Is Already There<\/p>\n

The Vikings already possess a strong defense, which is central to any discussion about their 2026 prospects.<\/p>\n

\"BrianMinnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores watches the action during a divisional showdown against the Green Bay Packers<\/a> at U.S. Bank Stadium. Flores patrolled the sideline on Jan. 4, 2026, while Minnesota\u2019s defense continued finishing the regular season as one of the NFL\u2019s most efficient and aggressive units under his leadership. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images.<\/p>\n

Since Brian Flores\u2019 arrival in 2023, Minnesota\u2019s defense has been stellar, ranking among the league\u2019s best. Over the 2023-2025 period, they\u2019ve collectively ranked second in the NFL by EPA\/Play and DVOA. The year-by-year EPA\/Play numbers illustrate the majesty:<\/p>\n

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This suggests a Super Bowl-caliber pedigree. Regardless of offensive developments in 2026, Flores has built a defense capable of competing deep into January.<\/p>\n

The challenge, however, has been on the offensive side. For three seasons (2023-2025), the Vikings\u2019 offenses have either struggled with consistency or collapsed at critical moments, with Sam Darnold\u2019s Week 18 meltdown<\/a> and playoff collapse in 2024 serving as clear examples.<\/p>\n

The equation for 2026 is straightforward: If Flores\u2019 defense maintains its elite status, the offense won\u2019t need to perform miracles. Even a slight dip to a top-eight defensive ranking would typically keep the team in contention.<\/p>\n

A Vicious Division<\/p>\n

The tricky part, if one assumes that Murray will play like Murray and the Floresian defense maintains its standard of living? The Detroit Lions<\/a>, Green Bay Packers, and Chicago Bears<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"WillMinnesota Vikings kicker Will Reichard<\/a> prepares during an NFC Wild Card matchup against the Los Angeles Rams<\/a> at State Farm Stadium. Reichard appeared in postseason action on Jan. 13, 2025, as the Vikings opened their playoff journey with the rookie kicker handling special-teams duties during the high-stakes road contest in Arizona. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images.<\/p>\n

Until 2025, the NFC North usually contained at least one \u201cwalkover\u201d team, a franchise that was going nowhere and could be smacked around a bit. Those days are over. From head to toe, the Vikings, Lions, Packers, and Bears have strong rosters and aim to win the NFC North<\/a>. The division is up for grabs.<\/p>\n

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So, on top of already gritty division games, Minnesota will forge a path to the postseason six times against familiar foes with Super Bowl aspirations.<\/p>\n

If O\u2019Connell\u2019s team exits the regular season with a 12-5 record, as Moton predicted, it will be battle-tested for the playoffs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Not long ago, NFL.com ranked the Minnesota Vikings as the league\u2019s fifth-worst team heading into 2026. Fast forward…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":896126,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2073],"tags":[390,8226,6696,1763,391,113,7,345,1519,10117,8265,2780,6192,294,4827,58,9737,3218,233,259,2529,6,57,1257,1878,261,9250,234,23890],"class_list":["post-896125","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-minnesota-vikings","tag-arizona-cardinals","tag-bleacher-report","tag-brian-flores","tag-carson-wentz","tag-chicago-bears","tag-detroit-lions","tag-football","tag-green-bay-packers","tag-j-j-mccarthy","tag-jauan-jennings","tag-jordan-addison","tag-justin-jefferson","tag-kevin-oconnell","tag-kirk-cousins","tag-kyler-murray","tag-los-angeles-rams","tag-mandatory-credit","tag-max-brosmer","tag-minnesota","tag-minnesota-vikings","tag-minnesotavikings","tag-nfl","tag-pittsburgh-steelers","tag-quarterback","tag-sam-darnold","tag-seattle-seahawks","tag-t-j-hockenson","tag-vikings","tag-will-reichard"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116605370025710974","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/896125","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=896125"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/896125\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/896126"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=896125"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=896125"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=896125"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}