NFL

The Vikings' Playoff Probability Graph Will Make Minnesota Fans Sad

JJ Zachariason  —  @LateRoundQB Jan 3rd, 2017
The Minnesota Vikings were riding high early in the 2016 NFL season, but they fell dramatically down the stretch.

When you look at the Minnesota Vikings' season in its entirety, it's tough to find a more up-and-down year for an NFL franchise. They lost their young, (potentially) franchise quarterback to a horrific knee injury in camp, and then traded a first-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for Sam Bradford. Bradford then stepped in and started playing, to some, like a league MVP.

And then everything fell apart.

The Vikings' top-ranked defense started playing worse, and the running game -- even prior to Adrian Peterson's near season-ending injury suffered in Week 2 -- couldn't get anything going all year long.

Entering Week 7, the Vikings were 5-0. They, according to our playoff probability numbers, had a 98% chance to make the playoffs.

They didn't make the playoffs.

After the team's Week 6 bye, they went on to lose four straight games. And they won just three games -- including a meaningless Week 17 one -- over their final 11 contests.

Needless to say, the team's rise and fall makes for one hell of a playoff probability graph.


Just like Vikings fans everywhere, the graph is frowning, too.