Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson feels as though his team has a “good chance” to “win everything” this year, which is something you’d expect to hear from a tenacious athlete like Peterson.
That said, he isn’t crazy.
Could the Vikings — who haven’t won a playoff game since 2009 — be on the cusp? It’s possible.
Minnesota, with its talented young quarterback, strong defense, high-quality running game and gritty feel, reminds me a lot of the Seattle Seahawks before their 2013 Super Bowl season. They lost only five games last season and would have beaten Seattle in their first playoff game if not for a fluky missed field goal from Blair Walsh.
Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater improved on a solid rookie season with a 65.3 completion percentage, while Peterson led the NFL in rushing and the defense surrendered just 18.9 points per game (ranking fifth in football). Now they’ve used the draft to add first-round-caliber players on both sides of the ball, with Laquon Treadwell joining the receiving corps and cornerback Mackensie Alexander joining the D, and they bolstered the interior of the offensive line with the addition of free-agent guard Alex Boone.
The line is still a potential weakness, Bridgewater will need a breakout third season and Peterson will have to stay healthy and productive on the wrong side of 30. But if that can happen, the Vikings truly could contend for their first-ever Super Bowl in 2016.
