This past Minnesota Vikings’ season is one that won’t be easily forgotten.

Finishing the year with a whopping 14 wins and only 3 losses, the local favorites powered to their 2nd best record in franchise history and obliterated preseason odds of 6.5 wins. Rumbling behind an explosive 9th ranked offense and deadly 5th ranked defense, the Vikings were among the most well-rounded teams in the league. Facilitating this success were unlikely superstars emerging on both sides of the ball, namely quarterback Sam Darnold and linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel.

Expectations were low for the journeyman Darnold, and he shattered anything imaginable by even the most hopeful of fans going into the season. The former 3rd overall pick threw for 4319 yards and 35 touchdowns, sneaking into top five rankings in the league for each of those categories.

Van Ginkel also crept onto the scene in a surprising way. With the splash free agency signing of Jonathan Greenard and blockbuster draft night trade to acquire highly-touted rookie Dallas Turner, the Vikings linebacker room looked like it had little room for the relatively unknown former Miami Dolphin. After just one season in purple, Andrew Van Ginkel is now a name that won’t be soon forgotten. Through a combination of relentless effort, stunning physical talent, and mind-bogglingly astute football IQ, Van Ginkel was able to lead the NFL with 2 interceptions returned for touchdowns, a feat unheard of for an outside linebacker. Teaming back up with his former head coach and current Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, Van Ginkel also managed to take down opposing quarterbacks 11.5 times, enough to break into the top 10 in sacks across the entire league.

Darnold and Van Ginkel’s efforts earned each of them the honor of being named to their first Pro Bowl. The team rode the pair, along with 5 other Pro Bowlers, to their 2nd playoff berth in 3 years under current betting favorite for Coach of the Year Kevin O’Connell.

How do Century College students feel their local NFL team’s record-breaking season went?

“Terrible.”– Joe Hansen, Student

The sentiment was nearly universally negative.

Both hardcore Vikings fans and casual observers shared the feeling that this season was an expected failure. How can a season that looks so amazing on paper be so horrible in reality? A story is only as good as its ending, and if this Vikings season were a TV show it would be Game of Thrones.

Minnesota only amassed 3 losses this season, the first two of which were more than excusable. Their first defeat came in Week 6 against the NFC’s eventual No. 1 seed, the Detroit Lions. A last second field goal stamped a W in the book for Detroit and left the Vikings disappointed, but hopeful.

Still reeling from the loss the previous week, and warming up from their week 5 bye, the Vikes made their way to Los Angeles to take on the Matthew Stafford led Rams. The game was back forth, and it culminated in what should have been a thrilling drive by the Vikings at the end of the 4th quarter. With time on the clock, and the chance to tie, Sam Darnold took the field near his own endzone.

The Rams’ powerhouse of a defensive line quickly broke through the depleted Vikings OL (who had lost their star left tackle for the rest of the season right before halftime), and Byron Young of the LA Rams grabbed the QB by his facemask and swung him to the ground. Young immediately put his hands to his face in dismay at his crucial mistake, and other Rams players displayed similar reactions. Except no flag was thrown. The Rams were awarded a safety, and the game ended 20-30.

So, two tough, but excusable, losses and a single more loss in the regular season? What could have been so terrible about that? The answer is simple: Sam Darnold. His ascension from underdog to hero was just as fast as his crash down to villain.

For context on why the Vikings’ final regular season loss was particularly heartbreaking for fans–especially with the playoff defeat the following week–one only needs to look at their schedule. The final week of the season was a loss to the Lions, and then the Rams bounced Minnesota in the Wild Card round the following week. Feel like Deja Vu?

“…things always just fall apart.”- Sherri Kittelson, Student

Darnold had no expectations on him coming into this season. Many fans hoped he would play at a mediocre level and maybe help the team sneak into the Wild Card round, but he blew everyone out of the water.

With the level he was playing at, expectations were then quickly placed upon him midseason. Heading into the final two games of the Vikings’ season, fans and players alike hoped he would play around the level he was averaging throughout the season: 244 yards per game, 2 touchdowns, and 69% completions.

His actual stats in the two final games? 206 yds/game, 0.5 touchdowns, and an abysmal 53% completions. He nearly single-handedly destroyed any chances in the redzone, missing at least 4 opportunities for touchdowns. He was also taking sacks at an unsustainable rate and couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn with any of his throws. To quote Sam’s infamous phrase from his early days as a New York Jet, he was “seeing ghosts.”

“If they want[ed] that new house, we should’ve gotten a ring first.”- Sherri Kittelson, Student

You don’t need to watch Secret Base’s famous 9 hour documentary series detailing the Vikings’ tortured history to know this isn’t their first time blowing it when it mattered the most. Darnold can’t be solely blamed, he wasn’t the only player out there crumbling under the pressure. The defense fell apart as well. A unit that held opponents to under 19 points per game throughout the season suddenly allowed 29 points per game in those final two of the year.

Ultimately, a historic season ended in a collapse that felt all too familiar, leaving fans with a bitter taste in their mouths. Despite the sentiment regarding the franchise as a whole, all hope isn’t lost though.

“…press forward towards where we want to be.”- Coach Kevin O’Connell

This season was seen as a lost cause before it even began, and as it unfolded, it quickly became underappreciated. The team overcame tremendous amounts of turmoil, from the loss of a teammate to season-ending injuries, yet still fought their way to a 14-record and a playoff berth. This past Minnesota Vikings’ season is one that won’t be easily forgotten.

The future in Minnesota is bright behind the ever-passionate Coach O’Connell, superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson, and promising young quarterback J.J. Mccarthy. With ample cap space, and opportunities in free agency and the draft looming ahead, the Vikings can improve on their success.

With the right moves this offseason, who knows? Maybe, for the first time in recent memory, Vikings fans might still have one more game to look forward to at this time next year.