The Vikings completed their 60th season in 2020 and are turning the page to No. 61.
And while Minnesota had a disappointing 7-9 record this past year, the Vikings have historically been one of football's most consistent franchises.
In fact, Minnesota's all-time winning percentage of .545, a record of 495-412-11, ranks seventh among all 32 NFL teams.
No, the Vikings have not won the big one, but they landed in a solid spot while tied for 12th in Bob Sturm's annual Super Bowl-era franchise rankings.
Sturm, who writes for The Athletic, has been compiling the rankings since 2002. Here is a breakdown of his point values:
Winning the Super Bowl is good for 11 points, while losing it earns you five points. A loss in the AFC/NFC championship game is worth three points, while a postseason appearance gets you a single point.
The Vikings ended up with 58 points in Sturm's rankings, the same amount as the Rams.
Sturm wrote:
The Vikings remain an amazing study, as they have never been a bad franchise for an extended period of time. They have always been competitive, but they have never won the big prize, and their fans seem pretty haunted by it. Only two franchises (Pittsburgh and Dallas) have been to the playoffs more than the Vikings, but every single team above 58 points in these standings has won at least two Super Bowls.
You could argue the Vikings are among the most accomplished and consistent franchises in NFL history, but never winning it all keeps them from getting their due here. They have not made the postseason in back-to-back years in over a decade.
Minnesota was also 12th in Sturm's rankings after the 2020 season.
PFF lays out Vikings best-case scenario for 2021 offseason
The Vikings front office and coaching staff have been hard at work the past few weeks to try and get Minnesota back to the postseason.
Anthony Treash of analytics website Pro Football Focus recently laid out his best and worst-case scenarios for the Vikings in the months that lay ahead, and opined that Minnesota's best-case scenario includes adding to both sides of the ball in the trenches.
He wrote:
Sign a cheap veteran edge rusher in free agency, sign a cheap veteran guard in free agency and draft Christian Barmore at No. 14 overall.
The Vikings went from having the eighth-best defense in terms of EPA per play allowed in 2019 to the sixth-worst in 2020, and they aren't in a prime position to help themselves much more this offseason. They are projected to be over the cap by around $8 million and also have to address their guard situation, where the team ranked dead last in pass-blocking grade in 2020.
Treash suggested a reunion with former Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen, who was with Dallas and Detroit in 2020. He also suggested a name to watch on the offensive side of the ball.
As for the offensive line, Matt Feiler, who has played both guard and tackle, would be a dream scenario. He finished inside the top 20 in pass-blocking grade at tackle in 2019 and then guard in 2020. Plus, he likely costs only $12 million over two years.
Treash also tabbed Alabama defensive tackle Christian Barmore as the pick at No. 14.
He wrote:
[Barmore] posted the highest pass-rush grade of any defensive tackle in 2020, at 91.5, and feasted in the College Football Playoff against Notre Dame and Ohio State en route to 12 pressures.
Barmore had 37 total tackles with 9.5 tackles for loss, 8.0 sacks and three forced fumbles a she helped Alabama win a national title this past season.
Treash's worst-case scenario was 'standing pat in free agency by not opening up any cap space.'
