Reasons the Minnesota Vikings will return to the playoffs this season

The Minnesota Vikings can return to the playoffs in 2018 and Adam Rank of NFL.com gave his five reasons the team will be in postseason contention.

After a crushing collapse in the NFC Championship Game, the Minnesota Vikings are looking rebound during the 2018 season and make a return to the playoffs, setting their sights on the Super Bowl.

From a talent standpoint, the team has the ability to get to the Super Bowl this year, but there recently NFL.com analyst Adam Rank gave his five reasons Minnesota will be in the playoffs to compete for the Lombardi Trophy.

Among his reasons listed are the free agent signings of Kirk Cousins and Sheldon Richardson along with the addition of John DeFilippo as offensive coordinator. Also, he brought up the idea of a healthy Dalvin Cook returning to the team and the Vikings being hungry after coming so close last year.

However, some of the best reasons the Vikings will be a threat in the postseason weren’t really a major part of the piece by Rank.

While briefly mentioned in the piece, the biggest reason Minnesota will be in the postseason is their combination of a smothering defense and efficient offense, meaning the team will make very few mistakes on their way to success.

While acquiring Cousins, Richardson, and DeFilippo are all key additions, the team was a force to be reckoned with before their arrival. As the saying goes, ‘the rich got richer’ in Minnesota as talent continued to accumulate on an already amazing roster.

Another thing that could be key for Minnesota is locking down some of the great free agents to give them peace of mind while others like Trae Waynes, Stefon Diggs, and Anthony Barr are in a contract year and will be playing for bigger paydays.

The consistent play of guys like Xavier Rhodes, Harrison Smith, Linval Joseph, Adam Thielen, and Kyle Rudolph ensure that Minnesota will not be a team at the bottom of the barrel in the NFC, and make them contenders no matter what.

Add in the fact that the Vikings have a new state of the art training facility with more technology and equipment available than ever and have settled into their home at U.S. Bank Stadium, and you have a team with a definite home field advantage and all the tools to succeed.

Next: Predicting the Vikings 2018 record

So, why will the Minnesota Vikings be in the playoffs? It’s because they have the talent, a great coaching staff, and a hungry to erase the pain of coming so close to playing a Super Bowl on their home field. Barring a massive collapse, expect to see the purple and gold in the postseason.