Vikings 8th Worst 4-0 Team This Century
The Vikings are the eighth-worst 4-0 team since 2000
Everyone saw the 49ers dominate the Rams on national television, so their 4-0 start isn't such a surprise. Kansas City is also 4-0, and most observers expected a rebound from last year's down season.
The Vikings (4-0) are the third undefeated team, but their record is perhaps a little more surprising. They can barely get any offense going. Three of their four wins came by a touchdown or less. And this week, they barely beat a Miami team that is widely considered the worst in the league.
The offense-defense split for the Vikings is remarkable. They currently rank 31st in offensive DVOA, ahead of only the Chargers. They're second in defensive DVOA, barely behind only the Seahawks. And the Vikings have the benefit of this season's best special teams unit, with Myles Price leading the league in kick and punt return yardage.
Add it all together and the Vikings are 10th in total DVOA despite going undefeated. (They're even worse in ESPN's Football Power Index, ranking 14th.) That makes them the eighth-worst 4-0 team by DVOA since 2000. If we go back to 1977, the Vikings are still 13th worst out of 136 teams to start 4-0.
Worst 4-0 teams by DVOA since 2000
Year | Team | DVOA | Rank | Final result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2003 | CAR | minus-0.4% | 14 | 11-5, lost SB |
2012 | ARI | 2.3% | 13 | 5-11, no playoffs |
2015 | CAR | 3.6% | 14 | 15-1, lost SB |
2025 | PHI | 4.7% | 13 | 11-6, lost WC |
2000 | MIN | 8.3% | 12 | 11-5, lost CCG |
2013 | NE | 11.1% | 8 | 12-4, lost CCG |
2006 | IND | 11.2% | 10 | 12-4, won SB |
2026 | MIN | 11.2% | 10 | --, -- |
2005 | TB | 11.5% | 11 | 11-5, lost WC |
2011 | DET | 12.1% | 10 | 10-6, lost WC |
2024 | KC | 12.9% | 10 | 15-2, lost SB |
2015 | DEN | 15.6% | 6 | 12-4, won SB |
What we can expect: The bad news for the Vikings is that offense, in general, is more stable and predictive than defense or special teams. That means it is more likely that the Vikings offense will continue to struggle than it is that the defense and special teams will continue to be outstanding.
The good news is that plenty of teams have ridden a suspect 4-0 start all the way to the Super Bowl. It's good to bank those four wins, no matter how well you play, and a number of teams on our list improved over the course of the season. Out of the dozen worst 4-0 teams since 2000, five made the Super Bowl and two won the Lombardi Trophy.
The fact that the Vikings could go either way is emphasized by the two most similar teams on our list. The 2015 Broncos ranked first on defense and 30th on offense after four weeks. Peyton Manning never got his groove back, but the defense didn't regress and led the Broncos to a Super Bowl title. On the other hand, the Vikings are also similar to the 2012 Cardinals, who ranked 28th on offense and fifth on defense after four weeks. That team completely collapsed, constantly shuffling through backup quarterbacks after an injury to starter Kevin Kolb.
LIVE WELL ~ LOVE MUCH ~ LAUGH OFTEN
Edit Post (mod action — author will see a notice)
Warn Poster
Suspend User (3 days)
The user will be suspended for 3 days and will receive an email with the reason and information about how to appeal.