4 previous times the Vikings started 6-6 and everything that happened after
By Ben Donahue
3. 2016 Season
- Final Record: 8-8
- Playoffs?: No
In the Wild Card round of the 2015 playoffs, Vikings kicker Blair Walsh missed a gimme, 27-yard field goal that allowed the Seattle Seahawks to advance to the next round. 2016 should have been a return to the postseason for Minnesota, but didn’t turn out that way.
During the preseason, Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater sustained a serious injury and was done before the regular season even started. To replace Bridgewater, Minnesota acted quickly and traded for Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford.
Bradford started 15 games and had his best season as a pro when he passed for 3,877 yards, 20 touchdowns, and just five interceptions. He had great help on offense that year from Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen, and Kyle Rudolph.
Through the first five games, it looked like the Vikings were unstoppable as the team hit their bye week with a 5-0 record. After the bye, however, Minny fell to pieces.
Between October 23 and December 1, the Vikings went 1-6 to fall to 6-6 overall. They beat Jacksonville in Week 14 to get back into the win column, and then they lost two of their final three.
Minnesota’s final 8-8 record kept the organization out of the postseason for the third time in four years.