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Vikings News: Jake Reed says Minnesota would have "smashed" Denver in the 1998 Super Bowl

For the Vikings, the 1998 season is easily one of the biggest "what-ifs" in the history of the franchise. Minnesota finished the 1998 regular season with a 15-1 record, and they looked virtually unstoppable heading into the playoffs.

Unfortunately, we all know the Vikings came up short in the NFC Championship, and they wound up having to watch that season's Super Bowl from their couch like the rest of their fan base.

In the 1998 Super Bowl, the Denver Broncos cruised to an easy 34-19 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. Many thought that Minnesota could have defeated the Broncos or, at the very least, given Denver a much tougher battle.

During a recent Q&A session on Vikings.com, former Vikings wide receiver Jake Reed was asked about how the 1998 team would have done against the Broncos in that season's Super Bowl, and he kept his response very honest.

"Oh, we would have smashed the Broncos. They didn't have enough firepower... I truly believe if we had made it there, we would have gotten a ring."

Even if Minnesota was able to defeat Atlanta in the NFC Championship and face Denver in the Super Bowl, Reed might not have even played in the game. He missed the NFC Championship due to a hamstring injury, and he also dealt with a back injury earlier during the 1998 season.

Still, Reed knows that with or without him on the field, the Vikings would have had a great chance to deliver the franchise its first-ever Vince Lombardi trophy if they were able to make it to the Super Bowl in 1998.