NFL teams that make history tend to pair narrative excitement with standout performances. Consider the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Steel Curtain teams or the 2001 New England Patriots’ improbable run with a relatively unknown backup quarterback named Tom Brady.
You’ll rarely find teams making history without impacting the league’s culture and narrative. The Minnesota Vikings are in the middle of the second act of their story, late in the 2024 season. However, we don’t know whether they’ll weave a worthy tale.
If you asked a fan in 1998 to describe Minnesota’s identity, they would undoubtedly bring up Randy Moss and the rest of the record-breaking offense. In 1969, a fan would probably talk about the “Purple People Eaters” and the Vikings’ hard-nosed, no-mercy defense. There’s no short supply of branded years in the team’s history book.
We’re 13 games into the 2024 season, the Vikings are 11-2, and fans are more than ready to be hurt again. The last time the team was 11-2, Brett Favre was their quarterback, blink-182 just got back together (for the first time), and David After Dentist was all the buzz on YouTube.
Where does this current squad find its identity in the scope of Vikings history? Let’s compare the current team with the greats of the past to find out.
1969: The Purple People Eaters
I’m not old enough to experience this heartbreak, but hats off to those who remember it. Looking back at the numbers, I’m not sure another Vikings team was as poised to win it all as this one.
The 1969 Vikings were so dominant that they were favored in Super Bowl IV by 12 points. It would be 20 more years before another team reached a similar spread. We shouldn’t be surprised. The ’69 team had the league’s No. 1 defense that season – for which they received their nickname – and also the league’s No. 1 offense.
It wasn’t Vikings legend Fran Tarkenton behind the helm that season, but Joe Kapp, the NFL’s first Mexican-American Super Bowl quarterback. Like Sam Darnold this year, Kapp had a career season, having earned all-pro status and finished second in MVP voting behind the Los Angeles Rams’ Roman Gabriel.
The 2024 Vikings don’t rank as high in offense or overall defense, but their well-balanced identity is similar. They have an explosive offense led by the surprise MVP-conversation quarterback in Darnold.
Like the ‘69 team, they also have a defense feared by many offensive minds for their ability to disrupt schemes and stir up quarterback confidence. Sure, if they make it to New Orleans in February, they won’t have a -12 spread. Still, their grit and balanced game draw fair comparisons to the old guard.
1998: Three Deep
1998 was beyond special. Pundits still refer to this team when comparing great modern offenses and, of course, the history then-rookie Randy Moss made when he set a rookie-record 17 touchdowns that year. The Vikings scored 556 total points in 1998, an NFL record at the time.
While not all the numbers match up, there’s a sense that few other Vikings teams can hold a candle to Minnesota’s current wide receiver talent. Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison regularly draw comparisons with Moss and Cris Carter. Their tandem is one of a defensive back’s nightmares; either left in single coverage is asking for a big play.
Looking at the stats for these duos, Moss and Carter finished 1998 with a combined 149 receptions and 2,324 yards. Jefferson and Addison are on pace this season to match that yardage in the same number of games. As of the start of Week 15, the young duo has combined for 1,878 yards on 119 receptions with three games left to match the 16-game season from ’98.
The flashy wide receivers are nice and make a difference every game. However, a superb defense may be a forgotten-about identity factor of the ‘98 season, which also aligns with the current team’s identity. The defense ranked sixth overall back then. Would you believe it? This year’s team boasts the same spot in the league.
Sure, the 2024 Vikes will not be 15-1 with home-field advantage, and they aren’t breaking records in points scored. However, there’s plenty of the same excitement around this team, and the talent is reminiscent of our coveted ‘98 squad.
2009: Enemy of the State
There are a lot of comparisons you can draw from the 2009 team.
Brett Favre was enemy No. 1 for two decades on this side of the St. Croix. Then, in August 2009, the unthinkable happened. The would-be Hall Of Famer and career cheesehead became one of us. After Favre’s controversies, it may prove difficult to look back and relive the excitement of that time, especially for younger fans. However, Favre made the team true contenders, and we were all-in on the signing back then.
This year, another former enemy threw on a purple jersey. Aaron Jones signed a one-year deal to don the horns and has proven he’s still a top back in the league. However, the Green Bay-to-Minnesota narrative isn’t the only commonality this team shares.
In terms of stats, both teams share several rankings on either side of the ball. This will be a fire hose, but I promise it’s worth it.
- The 2009 Vikings ranked eighth in passing offense. The 2024 Vikings rank eighth in passing offense.
- The 2009 Vikings ranked second in rushing defense. The 2024 Vikings? Yep, second in rushing defense.
- Both teams share top-five numbers in sacks.
- Despite both teams’ offensive talent, the early buzz surrounded their respective defenses and their ability to penetrate the opposing offensive lines.
Another commonality – perhaps a frustrating one for more sentimental fans – is that both teams’ successes suffer from being overshadowed by a historically deprived franchise. The New Orleans Saints were America’s darling in 2009, an explosive team that had never even reached a Super Bowl.
Sound familiar? Of course, the Detroit Lions currently act as a protagonist of that same poor-us narrative. Their coach, Dan Campbell – though he didn’t play – was on the roster for that same 2009 Saints team.
2024: Redemption
So, the 2024 Vikings aren’t breaking headline-worthy records this year, and their defensive line doesn’t have a fun nickname. In rankings and player narratives, they probably most resemble the 2009 team. Let’s hope fortune favors our team this time – and, you know, no one gets taken out at the knees or throws an atrocious interception.
If they’re lucky, when it’s all over, the Vikings’ identity for the 2024 season will be one of redemption. A tale of redemption for their journeyman quarterback, for Aaron Jones, cut by the team he loved, and for a franchise that hasn’t seen the Super Bowl stage in nearly 50 years.
