Explanation shared for recent Vikings 3-14 record prediction in 2024

Last season was a difficult one for the Minnesota Vikings, as they were forced to overcome significant injuries to a number of their most important players, including quarterback Kirk Cousins and wide receiver Justin Jefferson.

But despite all of the obstacles that were thrown in front of the Vikings, they still managed to win at least seven games for the 10th season in a row. Things clearly didn't go the way Minnesota had hoped they would in 2023, but there is still plenty to be excited about as the team prepares to return to the field in September for the 2024 season.

During the last few months, the Vikings have made a number of big changes to their roster, and some believe these decisions could potentially result in the team finishing the 2024 campaign with more than the seven wins they had last season. However, not everyone is on board with Minnesota possibly improving its win total in 2024.

More detailed explanation provided for recent 3-14 record prediction made for the Minnesota Vikings

After the NFL released their 2024 regular season schedule last month, Sports Illustrated's Gilberto Manzano made some early record predictions for all 16 teams in the NFC, including the Vikings.

In a bit of a surprise, Manzano predicted Minnesota to finish the 2024 season with an abysmal 3-14 record. Anything is certainly possible for a current Vikings team that is surrounded by a number of question marks. But if Manzano's prediction becomes reality, it would be just the second time since 1985 that Minnesota would win three or fewer games in a season.

During a recent episode of "The MMQB NFL Podcast", Manzano shared the following about the record prediction he made for the Vikings last month.

"I'm not going to sit here and pound the table for 3-14 for the Vikings [next season]. It was more like, obviously, not every team can win, and you don't know what happens during the season. It could be injuries, maybe you fall behind 0-3 and then the hole is too massive, you can't get out of it, you have a fire sale. You just don't know how it plays out.

If I'm going to bank on a team to maybe have somewhat of a dismal season and falter, it's the one that lost Kirk Cousins and [is] going with [Sam] Darnold and a rookie in J.J. McCarthy.

Manzano went on to add that he just doesn't believe Minnesota is a playoff team in 2024, and even if the team is performing at its best, he thinks "they still feel like an 8-9 team."

So, it doesn't seem like Manzano is totally glued to his take about the Vikings finishing with a 3-14 record next season. But he still doesn't believe Minnesota is going to be a contender in the NFC in 2024, which is something that even the majority of the Vikings fan base would probably agree with.

Minnesota is definitely in the middle of a transition year, and no one really knows what to expect from them next season. Which is why even Manzano's 3-14 record prediction for the Vikings in 2024 is something that people really can't rule out, whether they like it or not.

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