4 reasons why the Vikings will be better in 2020 than last season
By Dustin Baker
Will the Minnesota Vikings be better in 2020 than last season?
Yes. The Minnesota Vikings are entering an unusual season thanks to the COVID-19 virus while still riding the momentum of an underdog playoff victory over the New Orleans Saints seven months ago.
Minnesota lost defensive mainstays that were getting older via birth certificate and by performance indicators. The Vikings also lost wideout Stefon Diggs to a trade with the Buffalo Bills and that was no small thing. Minnesota did, however, immediately select Diggs’ replacement in former LSU wide receiver Justin Jefferson during the first round of this year’s NFL Draft.
Las Vegas sportsbooks have the Vikings hitting on nine wins during the 2020 season. This effectively insinuates that gamblers currently peg Minnesota as the 10th-to-12th best team in the league.
Other franchises that are prognosticated to win nine games are the Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots, and Buffalo Bills, who were all playoff teams from 2019.
This recent offseason was a topsy-turvy one for the Vikings because of the aforementioned Diggs trade, safety Anthony Harris’ getting slapped with the franchise tag, the departure of longtime pass rusher Everson Griffen, and the ongoing contract negotiations between Dalvin Cook and the team.
Minnesota also waffled on head coach Mike Zimmer’s future with the organization, but the front office put a stop to that recently. Zimmer re-upped with a deal that will theoretically keep him in purple clothes for the next four seasons.
Although they saw some atypical changes compared to recent offseasons, the Vikings remain in a sturdy spot to take another crack at a playoff adventure this year. Let’s go over a few reasons why Minnesota’s 2020 team will be better than their 2019 squad.