Getty Sam Darnold #14 of the Minnesota Vikings.
The Minnesota Vikings are no longer among the ranks of the undefeated. Following the Vikings’ 31-29 loss to the Detroit Lions, the Kansas City Chiefs are the lone team boasting an unblemished record.
If the loss alone was not enough, it came against a divisional opponent and ceded control of the No. 1 spot within the NFC North.
Adding insult to the injury of defeat, Hall of Famer Larry Csonka celebrated the Vikings’ loss.
“I was keeping one eye on the #DETvsMIN game today,” Csonka posted on X on October 20. “The @Vikings have a helluva team this year! But thanks to the @Lions they won’t go undefeated. #perfectville #72Dolphins #FinsUp”
https://twitter.com/Larry_Csonka39/status/1848097390420472039
The Vikings are now tied with the Lions as the NFL’s two 1-loss teams. But there are nine two-loss squads, four of whom reside in the NFC, underscoring how much more precarious the Vikings perch atop the NFC is after their first loss.
Csonka is a member of the only team to have an undefeated season in NFL history, the 1972 Miami Dolphins.
That team won the first of the organization’s back-to-back and only two Super Bowls.
Vikings Inextricably Linked to Super Bowl Dolphins
GettyFootball Hall of Fame member Larry Csonka.
The Dolphins went 17-0 in 1972 – 14-0 during the regular season – beating the then-Washington Redskins in the 1973 Super Bowl. Team members celebrate remaining alone on their perch following the first loss of the last unbeaten team for several years running.
Their greatest scare came in 2007 from the Tom Brady-led New England Patriots, who went 16-0 during the regular season.
The Patriots lost to the New York Giants in the 2008 Super Bowl.
The Vikings have put them on alert several times before. Minnesota began the 1973 season 9-0. They posted a 12-2 final mark in the regular season and lost to the Dolphins in the 1974 Super Bowl.
Csonka rushed for 145 yards and 2 touchdowns on 33 carries in that game, leading the Dolphins to a 24-7 victory.
The Vikings went 10-0 to start the 1975 campaign.
They finished with a 12-2 mark in the regular season and suffered an early postseason exit, losing to the Dallas Cowboys in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. This was the ninth time the Vikings started a season 5-0.
They have started seasons 7-0 four times (including 1998 and 2000) and 6-0 six times (including the 2003 and 2009 seasons).
Vikings’ Path to Playoffs Still Tough After Loss to Lions
GettyHead coaches Kevin O’Connell of the Minnesota Vikings and Dan Campbell of the Detroit Lions.
The Vikings have the 13th-toughest remaining strength of schedule, per Tankathon. Six teams are in first or second place in their respective divisions and have an easier slate. None of those teams reside in the NFC North.
Minnesota will also face three of the teams on the list, though, hosting the Indianapolis Colts in Week 9 and the Atlanta Falcons in Week 14 before visiting the Seattle Seahawks in Week 16.
The Vikings are 1-1 in the division after their Week 7 loss to the Lions.
They beat the Green Bay Packers in Week 4 and will see them again in Week 17. The Vikings will see the Lions again in Week 18. They will play the Chicago Bears in Weeks 12 and 15. The NFC North is the only division with four winning teams.
The Vikings are the only team in the division to face at least two of the other teams. Their remaining opponents have a combined 7-18 record.
Comments
Legendary Hall of Famer Takes Victory Lap Over Vikings Loss to Lions