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ESPN FPI Has MN Vikings Making Historic Run…
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- ESPN FPI Has MN Vikings Making Historic Run…
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This Minnesota Vikings season could be among the most intriguing in recent memory. Not only did general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah build the roster to win now , but there's a young new quarterback at the helm.
Almost everything hinges on the abilities of J.J. McCarthy, but if Minnesota is right, they could hit it big. There are serious believers behind his ability to deliver a Super Bowl, and Adam Thielen would love to moonlight his career on that achievement.
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Minnesota Vikings earn a favorable prediction
Last year ESPN's Seth Walder ran FPI simulations and the Minnesota Vikings were tagged with a 4-13 record. This time the prediction machine sees Kevin O'Connell's team in a much better light.
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Although FPI doesn't have Minnesota winning the NFC North, their 10-7 record comes in just a single game behind the Detroit Lions and earns them a playoff spot. Green Bay falters to the tune of an 8-9 record, and Chicago takes a step forward going 9-8 in an otherwise competitive division.
That's where things get interesting for the Vikings. As the fifth seed, Minnesota knocks off the Micah Parsons-less Dallas Cowboys by a 10-9 score on the round during Wild Card Weekend. They then get to host the Arizona Cardinals for the divisional round and win that one 28-22.
Every JJ McCarthy pass and run from the 2025 NFL Preseason. pic.twitter.com/92ocYsEhFp
— Nick Penticoff (@NickPenticoff) August 10, 2025
All of it leads to an NFC Conference Championship matchup, played at U.S. Bank Stadium, against the seventh seeded Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Somehow, after doing all of the heavy lifting, that's where the run ends. Tampa Bay comes to Minnesota and Baker Mayfield bests McCarthy by a 28-13 score.
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It would certainly be great to see the Vikings make that deep of a run, but ending in surprising heartbreak would only be another data point for a franchise full of them.
A competitive step backwards for the MN Vikings
It's not shocking or surprising to think the Minnesota Vikings will win less games in 2025. A 14-win season leaves almost no room to expand upon. With Sam Darnold gone though , and the team as a whole infused with more talent, the end result can be better.
The NFC North should be among the best divisions in the league. That means McCarthy and the Vikings will be tested on a near-weekly basis. That will set them up well when the stakes are the highest.
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Last season the Vikings made the playoffs only to be bounced by the Los Angeles Rams. If they're going to participate again, they might as well win a few rounds and see if they can't grab a ring while they're at it.
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