The Minnesota Vikings climbed from the depths to a 9-8 record last season after starting 4-8.
Minnesota managed to string 5 wins in a row to finish the year, making the 3rd out of 4 years Kevin O’Connell led them to a winning record. Obviously, every NFL team is aiming to win on Sunday or whatever day of the calendar the league is attempting to lay claim to. No one can fault a team for trying to win.
Still, though winning is nice, there is a flip-side to it. Minnesota came out of 2025 with a winning record, but it may have cost them in 2026.
Vikings’ 2025 Win-Streak May Cost Them Big in 2026
GettyJ.J. McCarthy #9 of the Minnesota Vikings celebrates after running into the end zone for a touchdown during the fourth quarter of the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on September 08, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
The Vikings winning 5 in a row to end the year is objectively a good thing. However, they might’ve cost themselves in 2026.
With the win-streak, they took their draft pick from top 10 all the way down to 18th overall. With how the draft shook out, it was the difference between Caleb Banks and Caleb Downs. At the end of the day, though, it’s unfair to say that they’ve cost themselves anything in regard to the draft since we simply haven’t seen the kids play yet.
The Vikings also made their schedule for 2026 harder, albeit on paper. The Vikings took 3rd place in the NFC North from the Detroit Lions, who fell to last. They now may benefit from an easier schedule.
Jonathan Harrison from Sports Illustrated explained.
“The Lions have the same schedule, except that instead of third-place opponents, they got the fourth-place opponents from the NFC East, NFC West, and AFC South. This means the Vikings will take on the Commanders, Colts, and 49ers this season, while the Lions get the Titans, Giants, and Cardinals.
That’s a difference of 25 combined wins in 2025 for the Vikings’ set of fellow third-place teams, as opposed to 10 combined wins in 2025 for the Lions’ fourth-place opponents.”
Minnesota Probably Isn’t Losing Sleep Over Semantics
GettyDENVER, COLORADO – NOVEMBER 19: Head coach Kevin O’Connell of the Minnesota Vikings reacts during the fourth quarter of the NFL game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field At Mile High on November 19, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. The Broncos defeated the Vikings 21-20. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
The Vikings likely aren’t thinking too much about it all. NFL teams often believe in building off of small wins from the year prior. and expanding upon them. A 5 game win-streak when the team could’ve easily rolled over and given up is something to be proud of.
Still, for the fanbase this offseason, there could be a feeling of missed opportunity.
“While the Bears, Packers, and Vikings are all fairly close, you can see the noticeable impact the Lions’ fourth-place schedule has on their strength of schedule. How low is that 136.5 total compared to the rest of the league? According to Sharp Football Analysis, which uses a similar method based on Vegas win totals, it’s the easiest in the league.”
The Vikings won’t let this hold them back on their journey for a Lombardi Trophy. They have missed out on the easiest schedule in the NFL, but you can’t really be mad at an NFL team for trying to win the few games they play.
Vikings Cost Themselves Huge Advantage in 2026