Vikings hoping Adrian Peterson carries them to playoffs: Win total examined for 2014 season

After a 10-6 finish in 2012, the Vikings couldn’t get over the hump. Instead, Minnesota fell to 4-12 with Matt Cassel and Christian Ponder sharing the blame. The offense was horrendous ranking 23rd in passing.

That explains why the team traded up into the first round to get quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. As for rushing, Peterson kept them honest with a solid season that landed the team 8th in rushing.

As bad as the offense was, the Vikings defense was even worse ranking 31st against the pass and 16 against the run. The hope is first round pick Anthony Barr will beef up the linebacker squad.

Looking to this season, the Vikings face five playoff teams with an overall schedule featuring opponents boasting a .477 winning percentage last year (21st toughest in the league). Furthermore, the Vikings will be playing two sets of back-to-back road games.

Oddsmakers have the Vikings posted at 6 (under -120) for o/u wins. Even though Cassell has come on strong in preseason, it’s hard to imagine the Vikings squeaking out many wins against their tough NFC North foes.