2013 Vikings Regular Season Record

[MV711]

Taking into consideration our tough schedule, current roster, potential of obtaining 2-4 quality starters from the draft , possibly picking up a decent FA, staying relatively healthy, modest to good improvement from Ponder and intangibles...what will the Vikes regular season record be?

14-2
13-3
12-4
11-5
10-6
9-7
8-8
7-9
I'm saying a very tough and hard earned 10-6 record and a North title based on GB having a tougher schedule then us and their inferior defense so far.

I think the keys to being sucessful this year, including playoffs will be how well we draft and the improvement of Ponder. What say you guys and gals?

[RandallioCobb18]

Taking into consideration our tough schedule, current roster, potential of obtaining 2-4 quality starters from the draft , possibly picking up a decent FA, staying relatively healthy, modest to good improvement from Ponder and intangibles...what will the Vikes regular season record be?

14-2
13-3
12-4
11-5
10-6
9-7
8-8
7-9
I'm saying a very tough and hard earned 10-6 record and a North title based on GB having a tougher schedule then us and their inferior defense so far.

I think the keys to being sucessful this year, including playoffs will be how well we draft and the improvement of Ponder. What say you guys and gals?

You are aware the the Packers D was 11th in scoring last year and the Vikings were 15th right?

I think the Vikes are going to end up 10-6 again.

[HardcoreVikesFan]

Not trying to be 'that guy,' but there is already a thread on this topic...

[mondry]

Not trying to be 'that guy,' but there is already a thread on this topic...

lol yep, and what's worse is nothing's changed since that thread... Can we at least wait till after the draft? I won't be making any predictions until after the preseason even!

[King James]

Maybe I'll make a prediction after the draft

[MV711]

Well, now that the draft is over and we've picked up some good talent, what will the Vikings record be realistically this year?

Originally I said 10-6 but with injuries held to a minimum, our draft picks contributing from the get go, Ponder producing well as we all hope he will and a little luck, I see us possibly going 11-5 or maybe even 12-4!!!

This could be a very special year and the hell with all the naysayers...

[Orion]

12-13 - 4-3

[Mothman]

I read this at the Daily Norseman site this morning:

http://www.dailynorseman.com/2013/7/20/ ... l-is-great

In the article, the author discusses how the unpredictability of the NFL is one of the things that makes it so much fun and, after expressing his admiration for the folks at Football Outsiders, he writes about their win projections for the Vikings the last two years, (as published in their annual Football Outsiders Almanac) which were 8.5 wins in 2011 and 6.4 wins in 2012. The Vikes obviously fell short in 2011 and exceeded expectations in 2012. Apparently, this year's Football Outsiders Almanac (FOA) projects the Vikings finishing with 5.5 wins.

I'm not familiar with the FOA but I assume the half win is intended to indicate a one game swing in either direction, meaning they project the Vikes with 5 or 6 wins.

The Daily Norseman will be interviewing the Football Outsiders guys next week so it will be interesting to read why they have the Vikes with such a low win total.

None of it means anything, of course. A 5 or 6 win season is possible but the Vikes could just as easily finish with double digit wins, especially if they stay relatively healthy.

Anyway, I thought it was interesting...

[tnvikesfan]

As always, every team is just an injury or bad play away from a win. That said, I think we have a decent shot at 11-5, but it's going to really depend on Ponder stepping up.

Ponder has some receivers this season. He will need to utilize them, not key on one man like he has, and make better decisions. He will be the pivot point IMO.

Our D is solid enough to keep us in games. The scary part is losing Winfield and how that slot will be filled. If we can cover that side well, and build on coverage where we needed to from last year, our D could possibly position us to 12-4.

I'm hoping we'll be there but certainly not holding my breath. Sunday Ticket went up (again) but we chose to renew it anyways. I won't pay much more than it is this year, so they better hurry up and keep my incentive to spend going!

[Mothman]

As always, every team is just an injury or bad play away from a win. That said, I think we have a decent shot at 11-5, but it's going to really depend on Ponder stepping up.

Ponder has some receivers this season. He will need to utilize them, not key on one man like he has, and make better decisions. He will be the pivot point IMO.

Honestly, I think those receivers may be almost as crucial as Ponder himself. A lot of people are saying he has the receivers to succeed this year but it remains to be seen. Jennings should be a big upgrade on the outside but he has to stay healthy and deliver. After that, there's the raw and completely unproven Patterson and players at WR and TE who were on the team last season, including a couple that seriously underperformed. Jennings and Rudolph should be good but someone needs to become the third threat/option. If that doesn't happen, Ponder's likely to struggle again.

It's really on the whole passing game. Ponder will be as good as his teammates allow him to be and vice versa. Just about everyone associated with the passing game, from Musgrave right down to the guards, has plenty to prove and plenty of room to improve. Ponder's front and center but he'll need much more support than he had last year if he's going to excel.

Our D is solid enough to keep us in games. The scary part is losing Winfield and how that slot will be filled. If we can cover that side well, and build on coverage where we needed to from last year, our D could possibly position us to 12-4.

I'm hoping we'll be there but certainly not holding my breath. Sunday Ticket went up (again) but we chose to renew it anyways. I won't pay much more than it is this year, so they better hurry up and keep my incentive to spend going!

LOL! Hopefully, they will.

[HardcoreVikesFan]

I read the Football Outsiders' article. To put it simply, it is nothing that hasn't been mentioned by other outlets this offseason. Their statistical odds for our record:
(0-4 wins) 37% (5-7 wins) 45% (8-10 wins) 15% (11+ wins) 3%

Their main points:

1). Ponder 'sucks' - They point to him being last to worst in the NFL in deep passing attempts. It is a fair critique, but at the same time, who the hell did we have that was a deep threat on this team last year?

The majority of the article was about how Ponder sucked and how Ponder's play will determine the season. Again, I don't think there is a fan of this team that doesn't know that our season will be contingent on Ponder's play.

2). Peterson will not rush for over 2000 yards again - Again... ok? Is it likely Peterson won't rush for 2000? Statistically speaking, yes. However, this is Adrain we are talking about. It is hard to definitely say how well Peterson will do.

3). Our guard play is bad - This is something they are absolutely right about. Brandon Fusco was next to worst in the NFL in blown pass protection blocks. He also didn't grade out high in run blocking. Charlie Johnson graded out higher than Fusco, but not by too much. In short, it looks like a mistake that we are letting Fusco have another shot at guard.

In short, this is definitely not an article worth paying for for a Vikings fan to read. It is worth noting that Football Outsiders hasn't been right about our record in the past few seasons. Maybe by season's end we can come back an visit this topic. Hopefully, we will be in the playoffs on our way to the Super Bowl.

[Mothman]

I read the Football Outsiders' article. To put it simply, it is nothing that hasn't been mentioned by other outlets this offseason. Their statistical odds for our record:
(0-4 wins) 37% (5-7 wins) 45% (8-10 wins) 15% (11+ wins) 3%

Their main points:

1). Ponder 'sucks' - They point to him being last to worst in the NFL in deep passing attempts. It is a fair critique, but at the same time, who the hell did we have that was a deep threat on this team last year?

The majority of the article was about how Ponder sucked and how Ponder's play will determine the season. Again, I don't think there is a fan of this team that doesn't know that our season will be contingent on Ponder's play.

Didn't last year illustrate that the team's success or failure doesn't depend so heavily on QB performance? From the perspective of stat-crazy analysts like the guys at Football Outsiders, you would think the very stats that lead them to conclude Ponder sucks would also illustrate for them that the team is capable of winning without a statistically impressive season from their QB. The excessive focus on Ponder in one analysis of the Vikings after another is symptomatic of the "cult of the QB" constantly reinforced by the sports media. In reality, the Vikes season will hinge on so much more than Ponder's performance. It will be determined by their ability to resolve unsettled situations at CB and LB, their ability to improve against the run and against big plays in the passing game, Patterson's impact on the team, Jennings' ability to stay healthy and not only make up (in part) for the loss of Harvin but also provide Ponder with a reliable target, Locke's ability to replace Kluwe, improvement at guard, coaching, AD's performance and, of course, Ponder. If Ponder is going to excel, he needs more help than he received in 2012 and he needs to raise his own level of play. I think his success or failure is as dependent upon the performance of his teammates as their success is contingent upon his performance.

2). Peterson will not rush for over 2000 yards again - Again... ok? Is it likely Peterson won't rush for 2000? Statistically speaking, yes. However, this is Adrain we are talking about. It is hard to definitely say how well Peterson will do.

Even if he doesn't rush for 2000 yards, that doesn't add up to failure, just like AD rushing for 150-200 yards in a game didn't automatically translate into a win each time.

3). Our guard play is bad - This is something they are absolutely right about. Brandon Fusco was next to worst in the NFL in blown pass protection blocks. He also didn't grade out high in run blocking. Charlie Johnson graded out higher than Fusco, but not by too much. In short, it looks like a mistake that we are letting Fusco have another shot at guard.

It may work out that way but young players have to be given some latitude to make mistakes and grow. After all, you can't just plug a first round pick or a veteran free agent in at every position. Fusco struggled mightily at times last season but there were also play where he excelled. Just like Ponder, he needs to even out his play and perform more consistently. I don't think it's a mistake to give him another shot just because he wasn't immediately successful. The mistake would be not having some good alternatives available and it looks like they've tried to add some this offseason. If Fusco is going to go into this season as a starter, I suspect he'll have to earn that job this summer. I doubt they'll just hand it to him.

n short, this is definitely not an article worth paying for for a Vikings fan to read. It is worth noting that Football Outsiders hasn't been right about our record in the past few seasons. Maybe by season's end we can come back an visit this topic. Hopefully, we will be in the playoffs on our way to the Super Bowl.

I hope so! Thanks for relaying that info about the article. Much appreciated...