So if you don't think they're primed for a SB run in 24...

I want to see a 2025 Super Bowl team set the table this year. I think that probably looks like Turner and Reichard living up to their enormous potential, Addison showing everyone that he would be a #1 receiver on most teams, forming an utterly dominant pair of wideouts, and young, promising players like Pace, Blackmon, Chandler and Nailor taking big steps up. It also wouldn't hurt to hear great things coming from practices about McCarthy.

I want the FO to see a legit Super Bowl contender on the horizon if they were to add a couple more pieces...and so they use all that cap space to go for it all in '25.

Nobody expected a 13 win season in 2022 when KAM and KOC took over. Coaching makes a difference. I expect coaching to make a difference this season as well. That's why I bet the over. Looking forward to a season of better performance than expected.
Superbowl in 2025? Sometimes it takes a few knocks on the door to break through. Let the knocking begin this year. Why wait?

And Roy stepping up would also be nice...

VikingzFanPage
@vikingzfanpage
#Vikings ace Najee Thompson on who he expects to breakout:

“I expect our rookie class last year to come in and have a massive second year. If you look across the board at each position, even (Jaquelin) Roy at the nose, he is gonna have a chance to make disruptions like he can do.”

I love NFL Football, particularly Vikings football.
I am very fascinated by the direction of this team with KAM/KOC at the helm, doubly so with new QBs and others in the mix.
Any SB run will have previous indicators, so I'm always looking for those. Prior to Kirk's injury, when we'd knocked off SF, the team looked convincing.
I'm really interested in how Sam Darnold answers the challenge to remain viable, with this best and possibly last real chance.
JJM...if we see him, Sam either gets hurt or bombs. I'm almost hoping not to see him in any real game time this season.
I want to see if Flores is really building a defense, or if anything was better than what we had.
I'm really impatient for this season....

Zanary wrote:
I love NFL Football, particularly Vikings football. I am very fascinated by the direction of this team with KAM/KOC at the helm, doubly so with new QBs and others in the mix. Any SB run will have previous indicators, so I'm always looking for those. Prior to Kirk's injury, when we'd knocked off SF, the team looked convincing. I'm really interested in how Sam Darnold answers the challenge to remain viable, with this best and possibly last real chance. JJM...if we see him, Sam either gets hurt or bombs. I'm almost hoping not to see him in any real game time this season. I want to see if Flores is really building a defense, or if anything was better than what we had. I'm really impatient for this season....

Agree with the bold, but I wouldn't use the word "almost." I am definitely hoping we don't see JJ in 2024. First, because it would likely mean that Darnold is playing well and, two, and most importantly, I think we'll see a better JJ in 2025 if he doesn't play at all in 2024. 

I know not everyone agrees with that, but I've seen enough to strongly believe that the first time a young QB sees real bullets, he should know the offense inside and out and have at least one year of development away from the spotlight.

...and Theo Jackson...

VikingzFanPage@vikingzfanpage
#Vikings S Theo Jackson had “the best spring of anyone on our roster,” one coach told @alec_lewis.

Just a reminder that young Theo was poached from the Titans practice squad, so he's not one of those 4 teams in 4 years kind of players.

I'm a fan of pro football and I also wager on it regularly - keeps things interesting. I have zero expectations for the Vikings this year. The betting markets have the win total at 6.5 and I think it's about right.

MaroonBells wrote:
And Roy stepping up would also be nice...

VikingzFanPage
@vikingzfanpage
#Vikings ace Najee Thompson on who he expects to breakout:

“I expect our rookie class last year to come in and have a massive second year. If you look across the board at each position, even (Jaquelin) Roy at the nose, he is gonna have a chance to make disruptions like he can do.”

I've read from a couple sources that the Vikings have moved Najee Thompson from CB to Safety. Their website hasn't yet been updated to reflect this move & it's strictly a move on paper as Thompson only plays on STs. But, I do wonder why this move was made,

The first year Teddy started we won the division and had a really exciting young, hungry team that was on the rise and it appeared to be the beginning of a new era. The next season pre season we were a Super Bowl favorite until Teddy's injury and since then it seems like we have been a team in limbo, are we rebuilding or are we a contender, even during the 6 years Kirk was here, it never felt like we were building something as it was always the question of how long he was going to be there and if we were going to extend him.

What I am hoping for this year is something like that first year with Teddy, a team with promise, a clear vision of what we are doing, who the QB is and that the potential for success is there. Would be nice to be moving in a forward direction with a franchise QB instead of not really having an identity.

Assuming that JJM doesn’t come in and blow up like the stud he probably is, I’d like to see Darnold play average or better and the team gets 8+ wins. I’d also like to get off the crazy train, where every game feels like it’s been scripted by Hollywood to maximize by stress levels and we consistently play near our ability levels. If we’re depending on miracles to win games, I want it to end in a Super Bowl, not a first round playoff loss.

For all of you who posted here.............see me in February.

Perhaps this is the lame "casual fan" answer but I care more about monitoring and potentially seeing the McCarthy progress than I do about Darnold. I want Sam to do well but if he stinks out the joint it's not going to bother me. He's a long shot on a one-year deal so I'm being realistic there.

Otherwise I agree with a lot of OP's.

Can 3 go up another level and really become that AJB/Devonte Smith or Julio/Roddy-type combo for us?
Will the defense still play their hearts out for Flores or was that a mirage?
Outside of the Hitman, who is our leader(s) on defense?
Can the new kid kick?

Leaguewide:

How will the new kickoff rules impact the league and our team / who's our return men?
Can anyone beat Mahomes? Lots of my friends are Chiefs fans. They've won enough for my lifetime.

pattersaur wrote:
Can 3 go up another level and really become that AJB/Devonte Smith or Julio/Roddy-type combo for us? Will the defense still play their hearts out for Flores or was that a mirage? Outside of the Hitman, who is our leader(s) on defense? Can the new kid kick?

Can 3 go up another level and really become that AJB/Devonte Smith or Julio/Roddy-type combo for us? I think they might be already. JJ is better than AJB and in 3 years Devonte Smith has never scored 10 TDs like Jordan did last year as a rookie playing with 4 different QBs. Roddy White played 11 seasons and scored over 10 TDs just once. Our question isn't about Addison. It's about the QB. 

Will the defense still play their hearts out for Flores or was that a mirage? Flores defenses have been successful wherever he's been. I don't expect that to suddenly stop. The key will be how good Turner is at replacing the pressure that Hunter gave us. Because every other position looks to be slightly better than it was last year. 

Outside of the Hitman, who is our leader(s) on defense? Do we need more than one? If so, probably Phillips, Greenard and Metellus

Can the new kid kick? He's been the talk of minicamp. But then so was Walsh and Carlson. We'll just to have to see. But the early returns are good.

StickierBuns wrote:

Plans for Valentine's Day?

Funny,
You know, if you've been an NFL fan long enough you most likely understand that the best team doesn't always win. And we have had the best team several times and didn't win. Do you actually think that the Lions and Packers are so much better than us that we have zero chance against them? The last time we played the Lions our QB threw 4 interceptions and we only lost by 6. Our QB will most likely be much better the next time we play them. Forgive me if I take an underdog in the NFC North.

StickierBuns wrote:

I never said any of what you are saying. Optimism is good. But aren't you also the guy that said we'll have better QBing now that Cousins is gone? Like as in this year? JMO, but this is a 7 or 8 win team. Its not what I want, but its realistic considering we've got a guy like Darnold learning a new offense. 

No Cousins, new QB who has been a bust, tough schedule and NFC powers like Green Bay and Detroit in your division and your projecting a NFCN crown this season? You'll have to 'forgive me' for not getting that line of thinking.

I did say that. I don't put Cousins as high as most. In fact, to me, he is not even in the history of top 10 of Viking QBs. I don't expect you to believe me so we will just see. Oh, and last season I wasn't optimistic when i correctly predicted how it would go.

FLVike wrote:

I did say that. I don't put Cousins as high as most. In fact, to me, he is not even in the history of top 10 of Viking QBs. I don't expect you to believe me so we will just see. Oh, and last season I wasn't optimistic when i correctly predicted how it would go.

Next time, when you know our starting QB will suffer a season-ending injury in week 8, give a brother a heads up so I can make the necessarily adjustments to my fantasy team.

MaroonBells wrote:

Next time, when you know our starting QB will suffer a season-ending injury in week 8, give a brother a heads up so I can make the necessarily adjustments to my fantasy team.

LOL, the truth though is that I did suspect it but would have never predicted it. As a 50+ year fan you can tend to see trends of your team. And one trend is that, after the 70's, we hardly ever won the division in back to back years.

This is the first time in a long time that I don't have any expectations. I am just looking forward to growth and development