The nonsense of the NFL preseason is finally over and the 2022 NFL season is upon us. That means the time for speculation is over and the time for results is here. Well, almost over. There is still time for some Minnesota Vikings' bold predictions for the 2022 NFL season heading into Week 1 vs. the Green Bay Packers. What will the Vikings 2022 NFL season bring? The Vikings 2022 roster is one of the best in the league, and few teams did as much as Minnesota did to upgrade its chances this season. For that reason, many of the Vikings' predictions for 2022 are quite optimistic.
Between missing the playoffs last season and kicking off the 2022 NFL season, the Vikings have fired overly conservative head coach Mike Zimmer and replaced him with the young, offensive-minded Kevin O’Connell.
The franchise also fully committed to quarterback Kirk Cousins, signed impact pass-rusher Za’Darius Smith, drafted some intriguing prospects (especially on the defensive side of the ball), and even made late-in-camp trades to upgrade the backup QB spot (Nick Mullens from the Raiders) and WR4 (Jalen Reagor from the Eagles).
After all that, the Vikings 2022 NFL season is about to begin, so here are four bold Vikings predictions for 2022.
4. Kirk Cousins becomes a top five QB this season
For all the Vikings' 2022 NFL season moves, the most important might be pairing quarterback Kirk Cousins with first-time head coach Kevin O’Connell. Many (if not most) new Vikings coaches would have tried to get rid of Cousins, or at the very least, made the 2022 NFL season a “prove it” year for the signal-caller.
Not O’Connell, though.
The 37-year-old coach was Cousins’ quarterbacks coach back in Washington, so O’Connell not only knows the former Michigan State Spartan well, he seems to truly believe in him. That will go a long way toward helping Cousins have a great year.
While the narrative (or the wins) in Minnesota didn’t really suggest it, Cousins was a top 10 NFL QB last season in almost every statistical category. And that was with Mike Zimmer pumping the breaks on the passing game at every opportunity.
During the Vikings 2022 season, with O’Connell at the controls and weapons galore on offense, Cousins should take that next statistical step and put up numbers comparable to the most prolific passers in the game.
3. The Vikings will have a top 10 defense this season
While Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings offense put up excellent numbers in 2021, the defense was a problem. The unit ranked 30th in yards allowed (6,522) and 24th in points allowed (426). This is the biggest reason why the team finished 8-9 last season.
One of the big Vikings 2022 plans was to upgrade this unit. The franchise did this by singing Za’Darius Smith from the Packers and drafting heavily on that side of the ball. Georgia S Lewis Cine, Clemson CB Andrew Booth Jr., and Oklahoma LB Brian Asamoah could all play major roles this season.
Smith, with his 26 sacks during his last two healthy seasons, and the upgraded secondary should go a long way toward improving the Vikings’ 2022 defensive ranking. The bold Vikings predictions for 2022 piece is that the defense will be so improved it will crack the top 10 in points and yards allowed.
2. The Vikings will win the NFC North
The Vikings haven’t won the NFC North since 2017, and the franchise has only won it twice since 2010. That will change this season.
The Vikings' 2022 improvement in the NFC North standings will have as much to do with their offseason moves as it does with the other three members’ transactions. The Detroit Lions got better ahead of the 2022 NFL season but not good enough to challenge for the division crown. And the Chicago Bears may have somehow actually gotten worse.
That leaves the defending champion Green Bay Packers. This offseason, the team traded top WR, Davante Adams, and Aaron Rodgers will turn 39 during the season. The organization did add some young wideout talent and upgraded the defense. But it seems like all these moves will come out in the wash and make Green Bay about the same or slightly worse than last season, especially early in the year.
Look for the Vikings to get a jump on the Packers in Week 1 and ride that victory to an NFC North title.
1. Minnesota loses to Green Bay in the NFC Championship Game
The last bold Vikings prediction of 2022 is one that Vikings fans aren’t going to like. While the team will make a nice playoff run, Kirk Cousins, Kevin O’Connell, and company will ultimately fall short of the Super Bowl. And they will fall short to hated rivals, the Green Bay Packers.
The Vikings offense and defense will feast on bad teams this year, propelling them to dizzying statistical heights and an impressive regular season record this year. However, the playoffs are a different story.
As good as Cousins will be, in the playoffs, QBs have to be perfect, and that just isn’t Cousins. On the flip side, Green Bay might start slow, but its young talent will gel over the course of the year and hit a crescendo in the postseason.
The NFC Championship Game will come down to an NFC North duel between Aaron Rodgers and Kirk Cousins, and, in a do-or-die scenario, Rodgers has to be the pick.
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