Since the 1988 season, the Minnesota Vikings have participated in the playoffs a whopping 19 times. Despite the frequency of the Vikings' postseason appearances, however, they haven't found a way to win multiple playoff games in the same season since the 1987 campaign, when they emerged with victories in both the wild-card and divisional rounds before falling in the NFC Championship.
That almost-40-year drought could be coming to an end soon, though, if a recent prediction turns into reality.
Earlier this week, ESPN's Seth Walder shared predictions for the 2025 NFL season that were generated from a simulation of the entire campaign. According to the simulation, Minnesota won't be winning the NFC North in 2025, but they will make the playoffs with a 10-7 record and earn a spot in the NFC Championship.
2025 prediction has Minnesota Vikings winning multiple playoff games for first time since 1987
In the Vikings' first playoff matchup of the simulated season, they manage to find a way to get a win on the road over the (surprising) NFC East champion Dallas Cowboys by a final score of 10-9.
Then, in the divisional round, the simulation has Minnesota earning a 28-22 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in front of a raucous crowd inside U.S. Bank Stadium.
Unfortunately, the simulation cuts the Vikings' 2025 season one game short of the Super Bowl as it has them losing on their home field to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by a final score of 28-13.
While Minnesota fans would definitely be disappointed with a loss in the NFC Championship, the team making it all the way to the conference championship in its first season with J.J. McCarthy as its starting quarterback would still be a huge accomplishment.
This simulation turning into a reality would also mean that the Vikings would earn their first playoff victory with Kevin O'Connell as their head coach. O'Connell has led Minnesota to the postseason twice in his tenure, but the team failed to win a game in both appearances.
Is the Vikings raising the Vince Lombardi trophy in a sea of confetti the more ideal outcome for the team's 2025 season? Of course, but McCarthy's career in purple would still be off to a great start if he is able to lead Minnesota all the way to the NFC Championship in his first season as the team's starting quarterback.