On December 17, 2022, the Minnesota Vikings trailed the Indianapolis Colts 33-0 at halftime. The first half featured a blocked punt for a touchdown, Kirk Cousins‘ pick-six, and 66,801 people inside U.S. Bank Stadium in total shock.
At that point, winning was an afterthought. Some may have turned their focus to a family Christmas gathering. Fans who attended the game may have driven home. Even Cousins’ wife, Julie, admitted she considered leaving during the Netflix docuseries Quarterback.
But Vikings fans know how this game ends. Minnesota mounted the largest comeback in NFL history and earned a 39-36 overtime win that clinched the NFC North title.
It was the most improbable win in Vikings history. It perplexed everyone. A year later, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah asked Kevin O’Connell, “How did you do that?”
It’s a win that recalls Minnesota’s current state and how sometimes the best expectations are not having any expectations.
Like many of us, Adofo-Mensah was stunned that the Vikings could pull off that victory. Besides, there weren’t just low expectations. There were no expectations. But O’Connell approached it methodically, taking things one play and one drive at a time.
It started with a two-yard touchdown pass from Cousins to K.J. Osborn that cut the lead down to 33-7. Vikings fans rolled their eyes when Chase McLaughlin hit a 52-yard field goal. However, the Vikings pulled off another drive, ending in a one-yard touchdown run to C.J. Ham.
The momentum carried into the fourth quarter as the Vikings pieced together quality drives. Justin Jefferson caught an eight-yard touchdown pass from Cousins to cut the lead down to 36-21, and Adam Thielen caught a one-yard touchdown to make it a one-possession game with 5:30 to go.
The defense took the same approach, getting the Colts off the field throughout the second half, which gave the offense the chance to tie the game. A 64-yard screen pass to Dalvin Cook and a two-point conversion sent the game into overtime, and Greg Joseph hit a 40-yard field goal to clinch the victory.
Some may consider that win a fun blip on the radar in a season that ended with the New York Giants beating Minnesota in the first round. But it’s also a microcosm of the way the Vikings could approach the 2024 season — not to mention a roadmap for Adofo-Mensah over the next several seasons.
Adofo-Mensah’s ultimate goal is for the Vikings to win the Super Bowl, but that might not seem realistic in 2024. The Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers made the playoffs a year ago. The Chicago Bears also took a step forward in their rebuild, adding Keenan Allen, Caleb Williams, and Rome Odunze.
We haven’t even talked about the rest of the NFC, where the San Francisco 49ers, Cousins’s Atlanta Falcons, and the Philadelphia Eagles are contenders. The Vikings could struggle to make the playoffs with Sam Darnold under center. That doesn’t bode well for a brain trust entering the third year of their four-year contracts.
However, Adofo-Mensah has grown as a general manager. When he arrived in Minnesota in 2022, he fixated on winning the Super Bowl. He made several all-in moves, such as reworking contracts and adding Za’Darius Smith. He also made bold trades to acquire extra capital in the 2022 draft and T.J. Hockenson at the 2022 trade deadline.
The Hockenson trade panned out, but they used their first two draft picks on Lewis Cine and Andrew Booth, who are no longer on the roster. A 50% hit rate on these moves is common among general managers. Still, Minnesota’s perceived window, fueled by a 13-win season in 2022, created a sense of urgency. Instead of pushing to go all-in, they should have tried to build a winning roster in smaller increments.
“When I entered the building, trying to compete [with an] aging roster [and] salary cup stuff, there were times where I felt down 33-0,” Adofo-Mensah told reporters on Thursday. “As we all know that game, it starts with one play, one drive, and you build. And I think, at times, I might have been guilty of trying to maybe have a 33-point play all at once.”
The 2023 offseason may have been the first step in that process. Adofo-Mensah worked to clear the salary cap and eliminate long-time veterans Cook, Thielen, and Eric Kendricks. He tried to make shorter-term moves to fill those gaps, but few worked out. Cousins and Jefferson suffered injuries, and Minnesota limped to a 7-10 record.
It was the stage for this offseason where the Vikings took another step by saying goodbye to Cousins. Although Darnold is the short-term replacement, the Vikings selected J.J. McCarthy as their quarterback of the future, complete with a development plan focused on stacking smaller things together to reach a larger outcome.
It contrasts the way many fans think of building a roster. In franchise mode in Madden, players choose whether they are all in or are accumulating draft picks as part of a rebuild. That’s why some fans were miffed when the Vikings signed Aaron Jones and Stephon Gilmore or made moves to make the roster more immediately competitive.
But winning is a part of the process. The Los Angeles Rams and Packers looked like they were heading for a rebuild in 2023 before they made the playoffs last season. Both teams are considered playoff contenders in 2024 and could make another leap toward the top of the NFC this season.
The Lions were one of the league’s worst teams until Dan Campbell led them to eight wins in the final 10 games of the 2022 season. Detroit used it as a springboard, winning the division and holding a 24-7 lead over the San Francisco 49ers at halftime of the NFC Championship game.
Then there are the Eagles. People considered them one of the most hapless seven-seeds ever in 2020. However, they used that momentum and a ton of cap space to go to the Super Bowl the following year.
Good things matter, and accomplishing smaller goals could be how Vikings fans measure their success. If Dallas Turner erupts in his rookie season, the defense suddenly has a dynamic weapon to get to the quarterback. Suppose Jones revives the running game. That could bode well for Ty Chandler or a draft pick to get the bulk of the work in 2025.
If the Vikings win nine games and/or reach the playoffs with Darnold, it could create optimism when they turn to McCarthy next fall.
The Vikings should use the process they used to stun the Colts on that December afternoon. It could help them reach their ultimate goal, even if there are few expectations this season.
