Vikings 2024 Season Prediction

9 - 8. Hope I'm low but that what I see looking at the schedule.

MaroonBells wrote:
Vikings win total over/under stands at 6.5 on most books, 7.5 on a couple others. So what say you? On the eve of training camp, what is your prediction for the Vikings record in 2024?

I still think we're better than that.  Lot of tools on both Offense and Defense, with QB and DL interior being the weakest/unknown.
I'm going to go 10-7

For what it's worth, @NickSwardson is predicting 15-2. 

Had to play the #WinLossGame with die-hard @Vikings fan @NickSwardson today and you definitely won't believe how he thinks their season ends:#NFL #SKOL @LVAces pic.twitter.com/md1fV58tgG

— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) July 22, 2024

This is a very difficult year for me to predict. Heck, the first few years of McCarthy starting could be as well.

The rest of the division looks better (especially Chi)
The first 1/2 of the schedule looks very difficult
The cornerbacks are a concern as is WR depth and no TJH for a while

On the plus side the pass rush should be as good or better, I think the LB's are better and we should be better @ RB with Jones

I cant predict a single #. But I think their floor is 6 and their ceiling is 9.

7-10 with the season W/L playing out very similar to last year.

Slow start (TOUGH schedule, new pieces) followed by clawing our way back into things with a fun stretch (schedule lightens up, gelling), and ultimately not being quite good enough the last few games to really contend or make the playoffs.

A better start and we could be in business but I'm seeing something scary like 1-4 or 1-5 again. Hockenson will probably be out. Addison might be out. Aaron Jones is new and I'm not sure what he has left. Even if Darnold is playing well, our weapons might be a few rungs below what they were the past couple of years. It'll take time to click I think.

It's possible the first few weeks are Darnold/Jefferson/Jones/Oliver/Nailor trying to carry the offense. That's a big downgrade from what we're used to.

The defense I'm optimistic about. Excited to see the what new guys bring and what wrinkles Flores adds. I hope our back end can hold up. I'm just not sold that we'll see the offense we've all gotten used to right out of the gate.

pattersaur wrote:
7-10 with the season W/L playing out very similar to last year.

Slow start (TOUGH schedule, new pieces) followed by clawing our way back into things with a fun stretch (schedule lightens up, gelling), and ultimately not being quite good enough the last few games to really contend or make the playoffs.

A better start and we could be in business but I'm seeing something scary like 1-4 or 1-5 again. Hockenson will probably be out. Addison might be out. Aaron Jones is new and I'm not sure what he has left. Even if Darnold is playing well, our weapons might be a few rungs below what they were the past couple of years. It'll take time to click I think.

It's possible the first few weeks are Darnold/Jefferson/Jones/Oliver/Nailor trying to carry the offense. That's a big downgrade from what we're used to.

The defense I'm optimistic about. Excited to see the what new guys bring and what wrinkles Flores adds. I hope our back end can hold up. I'm just not sold that we'll see the offense we've all gotten used to right out of the gate.

Yah, I think its highly likely we start the season with no Addison on top of TJH not being ready. 

Vikings could try and go run heavy for a while and spring Jefferson for some production when D's stack the box on Jones.

Any other year, if Cousins were back running year three of the offense, I think this could be a 13-win team.
Any other year, with Darnold taking over a very good offense, I think this could be an 11-win team.

But as it is, with a brutal early schedule, a much stronger NFC North, a pending suspension for Addison and Hockenson likely to miss the first few games, I'll go with 9 wins.

Well I have them 5-0 at the bye! 11-6 season. This defense will surprise many.

In my opinion, if we're going to get 9+ wins, the defense will have to carry us through September and October until Hock is healthy and the schedule lightens up... I really think our defense is going to surprise people with how good it is.

Like PF, I'm giving a win range. I'll say 7-9 wins just based on our talent level, how good I expect the defense to be, and hopefully an improved run game with Aaron Jones and Ty Chandler instead of Mattison and Akers. If Darnold has a Baker Mayfield-esque resurgence, I could see 10 or 11 wins but I think we'll be one of those teams that starts slow in the win column, but is playing really good football in November and December. Just think we'll have too many losses in the first half to be a factor in the playoffs race.

Sticking with 6-11 but hoping to be surprised. That first 5 weeks is absolutely brutal with an away game to start the season and a trip to London mixed in. Home vs SF and Hou (Two Playoff teams) and at Green Bay. If we're insanely lucky we're 2-3, but most likely 0-5 or 1-4.

Then out of London and the bye 4 out of 6 on the road vs 4 more playoff caliber teams. This is likely a 2-4 stretch of games putting us at 2-9 or 3-8.

4 out of the last 6 games are at home vs some beatable teams. We could be in the McCarthy era by then...who knows. I could see 4-2 out of the last 6 with momentum into next year.

I think the 6.5 wins by vegas is pretty damn accurate. I think the difference between 6 or 7 wins is whether or not we get a win in the first 5 games.

Well last season I was banned on another site for predicting a pretty accurate season. Here was my prediction:

" 13 wins last season was wasted away by the DC. Unless the defense is 10 times better I doubt we win 9 games. Our chance was last season and gutless coaching wasted it. You will see how difficult getting to 9 next season will be. I am so sure of this that I am not even going to waste my time and watch unless by some chance we make the playoffs."

This season the expert prognosticators are leaving out a few intangibles and I say we win at least 9.
We are better at QB, RB, and WR (because JJ missed 7 games) Also I think our coaching staff has improved.

I think we will run the ball much better and stop the run on d. Our middle LB’s are fast and furious. We are much more balanced at OLB as well.

If Darnold is mid pack Qb, 10 or 11 wins.

If he sucks, 5 wins. Who is going to play better? No one on this roster short of a JJ miracle.

11-6 and play-off bound with JJ healthy all season and Sam Arnold not be a TO machine. With JJ out for any extended length and Sam being, well, vintage Sam in NFL, down to expectations at 7-10.

7 wins feels about right to me. The start of the season is brutal, and the NFC North might be the best division in football top to bottom. I'm not confident in Darnold behind a line that can still get worked on the interior. Hockensen probably doesn't round into form until mid season at the earliest. I think we have some nice pieces on defense but not sure where the upgrades are? Are Greenard/Turner better than Hunter/Wonnum or is Cashman better than Hicks? Younger, yes, but better...remains to be seen IMO.

I honestly don't expect much this year but as long as the trajectory is pointing up at the end of the season and our young players are rounding into form...I'm good with it.

Some mentioned the possibility of Addison getting suspended for the start of the season. I don't think the NFL will move that fast. Other than 3rd WR and waiting for Hock, I think this team is better than last year everywhere but QB. Unfortunately, I have zero trust in Darnold, and I think KOC is willing to let Sam tank the season to "protect" JJM. I see 7-10 if Darnold starts all year.

FLVike wrote:
Well last season I was banned on another site for predicting a pretty accurate season. Here was my prediction:

" 13 wins last season was wasted away by the DC. Unless the defense is 10 times better I doubt we win 9 games. Our chance was last season and gutless coaching wasted it. You will see how difficult getting to 9 next season will be. I am so sure of this that I am not even going to waste my time and watch unless by some chance we make the playoffs."

This season the expert prognosticators are leaving out a few intangibles and I say we win at least 9.
We are better at QB, RB, and WR (because JJ missed 7 games) Also I think our coaching staff has improved.

Look, I know you're a Cousins hater, but to say we're better at QB is just silly.

Unless Sam Darnold somehow does things he's never been able to do before, I think it's a 6 win team max. Even a big improvement from him wouldn't move the needle past 8-9 wins IMHO.

Yea, I see us with a win at home vs GB at the tail-end of the season getting us to 8 wins. We split with Bears and Pack and go 0-2 vs Lions.

Our weaknesses are carrying over from last year - both D and Off interior lines and now add the most important position QB.

I'm also concerned about Hockenson coming back near 90%. Then you add if Addison can repeat his rookie performance which is not a given even when he comes off suspension.

There are major holes and roster concerns like most years.

It will be fun to watch the build up to the next season when we will have so much Cap space to answer most/all of the holes and to see if JJ is ready!

MaroonBells wrote:

Look, I know you're a Cousins hater, but to say we're better at QB is just silly.

I am not and never was a Cousins hater, I'm just not a lover.
For me there is more involved than counting stats. Last season He lost the first 3 games against the Bucs, Eagles, and chargers, and then barely beat the Panthers. Lost to the Chiefs and then won three in a row verse the Bears, 49ers, and packers. That's 4-4 against a pretty tough schedule. Now I know there are more than one person on the team but the QB gets big money to deliver and he didn't in 4 games.
 This season I believe our first 8 games are even tougher. So we will see if the QB position is better or not very soon.

minny65 wrote:
Then you add if Addison can repeat his rookie performance which is not a given even when he comes off suspension.

I don't see any suspension for Addison unless the team imposes one and based on their press conference the other day I'd say the chances of that are zip.