Vikings In Danger Of Giving Up Most Points In Franchise History
By Adam Carlson
Dec 22, 2013; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green (18) lays on the ground after catching a long pass for a touchdown while being covered by Minnesota Vikings cornerback Chris Cook (20) during the second half of the game at Paul Brown Stadium. Cincinnati Bengals beat Minnesota Vikings 42-14. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports
It’s time to dive into the dark history of the Minnesota Vikings franchise. That’s right, all the way back to 1984.
1984 was a very sad year for Vikings fans. It was the one and only year that the team had head coach Les Steckel. Not only did the team only manage to get 3 wins, but they gave up a team record 484 poings that season. The good news for Steckle is that this year’s squad from Minnesota is challenging that team record.
Despite being ravaged by injuries, this year’s Vikings defense has been downright brutal at times. Here is a list of the number of points given up during each contest this year:
Dec 22, 2013; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Mohamed Sanu (12) attempts to catch the ball over Minnesota Vikings cornerback Chris Cook (20) in the second quarter of the game at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowksi-USA TODAY Sports
Detroit Lions : 34 points
Chicago Bears: 31 points
Cleveland Browns: 31 points
Pittsburgh Steelers: 27 points
Carolina Panthers: 35 points
New York Giants: 23 points
Green Bay Packers: 44 points
Dallas Cowboys: 27 points
Washington Redskins: 27 points
Seattle Seahawks: 41 points
Green Bay Packers: 26 points
Chicago Bears: 20 points
Baltimore Ravens: 29 points
Philadelphia Eagles: 30 points
Cincinnati Bengals: 42 points
If you’re great at adding numbers in your head (which I am not), you’ll notice that the Vikings have given up a total of 467 points. In order for Minnesota not to have the new record, they need to hold the Detroit Lions under 18 points. If the Lions score 17 points, this Vikings squad will tie the mark currently held by the worst unit in Vikings history.
This is definitely not the kind of record you want to be trying for, but one that this team desperately needs to avoid.