4 things that must happen for Vikings to win the Super Bowl in 2020
By Dustin Baker
Minnesota needs to host at least one home playoff game
Now, it’s not that the franchise is incapable of making a 2010 Green Bay Packers-like or 2011 New York Giants-like run. But does anyone really see that shaking down? Probably not.
In the last eight seasons, the eventual Super Bowl winner won at least one playoff game at home. To date, Minnesota does not have enough documented history to thrive in three straight games on the road–in the playoffs–to get to the Super Bowl, let alone win it.
With regular season play, the Vikings must shorten the journey. In a utopian situation, the team would have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, or at the very least, a first-round bye.
In order to get this scenario into motion, Minnesota must win the NFC North. Something they are certainly capable of doing since division titles have been secured in recent memory (2015 and 2017).
Here’s why some semblance of home-field advantage is vital. Since U.S. Bank Stadium was erected, the Vikings own the league’s second-best home record at 24-9 (.727). In road games during the same time period, their record slips to 10th-best in the NFL. Minnesota an away record of 17-17-1 (.500) since 2016 (including the playoffs).
The Vikings need to make sure they secure home-field in any capacity this season.