Minnesota Vikings (8-8)
The Vikings have a huge caveat that must be addressed before they have any chance at beating the best teams in the NFC. Their offensive line is a dumpster fire of ineptitude, and without some serious upgrades across the line Minnesota’s offense will continue to be minimally effective.
It’s no small task. This unit was a mix-and-match, get your quarterback killed squad in 2016 that also was responsible for the NFL’s worst rushing offense. Making matters worse is that the 2017 NFL Draft isn’t exactly loaded with top offensive tackle prospects, which is the team’s biggest area of need.
So clearly, the Vikings are a long shot to make it far in the playoffs, if they even get in.
That said, Sam Bradford was one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL last year at taking care of the ball and putting the ball on point for his receivers. And if the line can produce better running lanes to help the Vikings feature a balanced offense, they might really have something.
Defensively, Minnesota was extremely up-and-down last year but still has the potential to be one of the NFL’s best, provided more consistency and discipline.
There are a lot of “ifs” involved here, but the Vikings aren’t as far away from success as it appears. Some smart moves in the draft and free agency, not to mention some salary-cap relief when Adrian Peterson either gets a revised contract or is released, will go a long way helping this team become a legitimate contender.