2019 Vikings Season Review

The 2019 Minnesota Vikings season is now over after a loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs. So it is time for a season review.

Overall, this season did not meet the ultimate expectations that this team was destined for the Super Bowl. However the realistic expectations it did meet. This Vikings team did make the playoffs and won 10 games in the regular season. The 4th time that Zimmer has done so in his 6-year tenure as the Minnesota head coach. 
This year's highlights are led by the Vikings huge SNF win over the Cowboys in November, and the big comeback over the Broncos at home. Now of course there were down sides. The Vikings did lose both season series against Chicago and Green Bay. Both were abysmal in the games the Vikings played against them and did not have a great showing. 
Cousins continued his abysmal MNF losing streak to 0-8. While that sounds terrible, only one of them was terrible. In the Vikings 30-37 loss to the Seahawks in Seattle, Cousins did not throw and interception or turn the ball over. In that game the Vikes just couldn't win. 
Overall this season was marked with hope and disappointment. In general the bulk of the season was really hopeful, Dalvin Cook renewed all the fans' hope of how great of a back he can be. He was on pace to get the rushing title until his hamstring injury in Week 13. Also WR Adam Thielen barely played at all since Week 8. WR Stefon Diggs threw fits but yet also collected the best expected catch rate in the NFL. 
The very high point of this season has to be the overtime Wildcard win over the Saints in New Orleans in early January. They dominated most of the game, but had to make everyone hold their breath when they allowed the Saints to come back in the final minutes of regulation, before winning in the first drive of OT with a Cousins-Rudolph connection in the endzone. While their season ended the next week in San Francisco, it showed that this team still can win in the playoffs if only they were healthier. On paper the offense was the most healthy they have been all season, the defense was really banged up. In reality I don't think Adam Thielen truly recovered from his hamstring injury, hopefully he can this offseason. Dalvin Cook I think did recover, just got stuffed in the Divisional Round. 

Next season will be headlined by multiple playoff teams. At home the Vikings headline opponents will be the Green Bay Packers (again) and Tennessee Titans, both championship teams from their respective conferences. On the road slate, the Vikings get a rematch with the Saints from the Wildcard round, and yet another rematch with the Seattle Seahawks. 

Well Vikings fans, until next season: 
SKOL Vikings!!!