The Vikings are in a weird place. They're coming off one of the best seasons in franchise history, but 2009 ended in miserable, torturous fashion. If you-know-who comes back in 2010, the Vikings have a chance to keep that momentum going. Let's take a look at Minnesota in stop No. 12 on NESN.com's 32-day ride through the NFL.
2009 Record: 12-4, NFC North champions (lost to Saints in NFC Championship)
2010 Schedule Difficulty: Their opponents went a combined 129-127 (.504 winning percentage) in 2009, which is tied for the 14th most difficult schedule in the NFL.
Key Additions: Cornerback Lito Sheppard, defensive back Chris Cook (draft), running back Toby Gerhart (draft), defensive end Everson Griffen (draft)
Key Losses: Running back Chester Taylor
Burning Question: Why didn’t the Vikings better prepare for a possible future without Brett Favre? The veteran quarterback was really good last season, the playoff interception be damned, but the Vikings remain in limbo over his return. In the event that Favre retires, do the Vikings really want to embark on 2010 with Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels as their quarterbacks? Minnesota's draft was suspect, but waiting until the sixth round to take a quarterback (Joe Webb from UAB — although, he was taken No. 199, so he might have that going for him) seemed irresponsible.
At this point, the Vikings can only hope Favre returns. Even if he does, though, it might have been more beneficial if he spent 2010 grooming someone like Jimmy Clausen or Colt McCoy.
2010 Outlook: This really hinges on Favre, who certainly proved he could still sling it last season. If Favre returns, the Vikings and Packers will have another great fight for the NFC North crown, and Minnesota could be primed for another deep playoff run. And if running back Adrian Peterson cures his fumbling problems, well, that would obviously also bode well for the Vikings. Yes, there are some big ifs in Minnesota, but they could potentially translate into big rewards.
