History doesn’t repeat itself, but it rhymes. In the Minnesota Vikings’ case, the discordant cacophony will ring in their ears throughout the offseason.
The Los Angeles Rams beat them 27-9 on Monday night. Because of the L.A. wildfires, the team played a neutral-site game in Glendale, Ariz., and had a pseudo-home game, as they have in Sun Belt stadiums throughout the year. Still, they got the same result they did in Week 8. It’s a loss that leaves them with more questions than answers.
It’s rare that a team wins 14 games with a relatively young core and enters an offseason with no clear direction. Still, few teams have lost four games but to the same two opponents in the same sequence. The Detroit Lions beat them after the bye in Week 7, then they lost to the Rams in L.A. the following week.
Last week, the Vikings lost in Detroit, then the Rams eliminated them in Glendale.
Sound familiar?
The Vikings went 1-0 14 times in the regular season. However, they emphasized that they were starting the postseason 0-0. They finished it 0-1, just as they did two years ago when Daniel Jones and the New York Giants eliminated them after a 13-win season.
It rings familiar, right?
There was a lot of emotion in the locker room after the loss. Aaron Jones had glassy eyes; Josh Metellus’ tears were drying on his cheeks. Kevin O’Connell got choked up talking about Minnesota’s unique chemistry this year.
“This stings,” O’Connell acknowledged. “I know it stings for our fans.
“It hurts, and we’ve got to use this as fuel moving forward. But at the same time, understand the special group we had and acknowledge it. Acknowledge it and make sure we’re aware of how we move forward, trying to build upon this team next year.”
Jefferson echoed O’Connell’s sentiment. He highlighted how rare it is for a team to bond as quickly as they did, given how much roster turnover they had in the offseason.
“The team chemistry that we had with this team was like no other,” he said. “This year was special for us, just as a team.
“Just seeing the faces, seeing the tears in some of these guys’ eyes, it means a lot. It means a lot to these guys. The bond that we really created together, it’s something that can’t be broken.”
While the players’ relationships will carry on, Minnesota’s roster will turn over again. They must decide whether to franchise-tag Sam Darnold or let him hit free agency. Regardless of whether they re-sign Darnold, the Vikings won’t be able to bring everyone back, given how many free agents they have entering the offseason.
“It hurts even more when you feel you have all the pieces that you need,” said Jones. “A lot of times, teams aren’t going to be the same.”
Jones, 30, will enter free agency after one year in Minnesota. He spent the first seven years of his career with the Green Bay Packers but feels at home with the Vikings. While he doesn’t know what the future holds, he would like to finish his career in Minnesota.
“This is where I want to finish my career,” he said. “Hopefully, it plays out that way. This is a great organization. I want to be a Viking for a second year.”
The Vikings must reconcile why they can win 13 and 14 games in two of the past three seasons but haven’t won in the playoffs. O’Connell has shown he can produce regular-season results if his quarterback is healthy, but Minnesota feels caught in a time loop.
O’Connell has set a new standard, but the team has faced an abrupt ending to two storybook seasons.
“You hate it more than anything for your team,” said O’Connell. “For the look in the eye of this group.
“All year long, every time I spoke with them, every time I was fortunate enough to stand before them, you have such a strong desire to do absolutely anything to make these guys not feel that.”
O’Connell says he will spend “every waking moment” trying to turn regular-season success into a postseason run. He will work to remove the ring of defeat from echoing after a playoff loss.
However, if he does that, it will be with a different group. One that may be more talented or complement each other more on the field, but also one that may not have the bond that this team formed.