Image via WikipediaThe NFL season that just concluded was not the worst the Minnesota Vikings and their fans have experienced. They share that so-called honor with the 1984 squad, who also finished 3-13. Unlike Les Steckel, who got fired after the '84 season, current coach Leslie Frazier will get another chance. Everything else is up in the air.Not only did the Vikings finish last in the NFC North, but they didn't win a division game all season. They're going to pick third in the upcoming NFL draft behind the Indianapolis Colts (who will likely take Andrew Luck) and St. Louis Rams. Rick Spielman has been promoted to general manager, the first the Vikings have had since Zygi Wilf bought the team. They need so many things, it's hard to know where to begin.
So let's start with the quarterback. The Christian Ponder era began after Donovan McNabb continued his downward spiral out of the league. But the longer Ponder played, the harder it was to see the potential as a franchise QB everyone else saw. He's certainly no Tim Tebow or Aaron Rodgers. The flashier Joe Webb may have had his best game as a Viking in the win at Washington on Christmas Eve.. But the following week against the Chicago Bears was evidence that he's not the answer, either. And having a porous offensive line doesn't help.
Adrian Peterson wrecked his knee during that same game with the Redskins, marking the second time this season that Percy Harvin and an evolving cast of backs have been pressed into service. No matter how successful Peterson's surgery and rehabilitation turns out to be, it's time for the Vikings to look for a new running back.
Even though Jared Allen set a franchise record for most quarterback sacks in a season (coming just short of Michael Strahan's NFL record), the defense left a lot to be desired. Blowing big second-half leads and the inability to stop the other team's offense made for a toothless bunch once known as the "Purple People Eaters".
Of course, no Vikings recap would be complete without at least a mention of their ongoing stadium pursuit. Their current lease at the Metrodome has now expired, which leaves Wilf to explore his options. The top choice for a stadium remains in Arden Hills, but team officials have been reported to be sniffing around various Minneapolis sites just in case.
The Minnesota Legislature reconvenes for its 2012 session at the end of January, and this is where we should know once and for all if there's going to be a stadium, where it's going to be, and how it's going to be paid for. The new Senate majority leader is said to be in favor of gambling profits to help pay for the stadium, but there is no concrete proposal of any kind awaiting legislative scrutiny. And the odds of a stadium bill passing in this session are less than 50/50.
Having a football team that finished 3-13 doesn't help in getting you a new stadium. The Vikings know (or should know) that they need to improve the product on the field, or they could be facing empty seats wherever they end up playing.
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The NFL playoffs will go on in the absence of the Vikings, as 16 teams go at it to determine who gets to spend the first weekend in February in beautiful downtown Indianapolis. Our choice for the final two? The Baltimore Ravens and New Orleans Saints.
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