This is the most Vikings of all Vikings stats
The Minnesota Vikings were a thoroughly mediocre 7-9 this season, and one stat perfectly reflects it.
From a 1-5 start to winning five of their next six to losing three in a row to eliminate themselves from playoff contention with one game to go, it all added up to a 7-9 record for the Minnesota Vikings this year.
The Vikings had the NFL’s fourth-best yardage offense, and the 27th-ranked defense. In points scored and allowed, the difference was also dramatic (11th and 29th respectively).
In terms of net yardage, we have this.
Yes, the Vikings both gained and allowed precisely 6,292 yards this season. The only thing that would have made it better was an 8-8 record, to define the perfectly mediocre symmetry. Jeff Fisher as the head coach (Rams’ version) would have been icing on that mediocre cake. Pro Football Reference shows a difference of just 13 total plays too, and similar close gaps in average time of drive, yards per drive, plays per drive (naturally) and points per drive
Allowing and gaining the exact same amount of yardage in a season is the most Vikings of Vikings’ stats, and it defines what they are as a franchise. Never good enough to be a real Super Bowl contender, and never bad enough to bottom out.