Odds of Winning a Super Bowl High for Vikings
What are the Vikings chances of winning a Super Bowl sooner rather than later? According to Fox Sports writer Alex Marvez, the chances are pretty good.
Marvez tackled a column in which he **ranked the 13 NFL teams** who have never won a Super Bowl in the order of their likelihood to take home the Lombardi Trophy after Super Bowl LI. The Vikings came in No. 2 behind Carolina. Marvez wrote:
A four-time Super Bowl loser, the Vikings' penchant for heartbreak continued during the playoffs when Kevin McDermott missed a 27-yard field goal in the closing seconds of a 10-9 home loss to Seattle. A strong nucleus of young talent, along with NFL rushing leader Adrian Peterson, gives Minnesota a bona fide chance to exorcise those ghosts this season.
The Panthers topped Marvez's list after going 15-1 in the regular season and falling to the Broncos in Super Bowl 50. Marvez cited avoidable errors as the biggest reason for the Panthers' defeat and said they have an equally good shot to make it all the way in 2016.
The Panthers went from tight to shell-shocked as the game unfolded, particularly quarterback Cam Newton. The best Carolina can do is learn from the experience if another chance comes at Super Bowl 51, which is likely if the Panthers duplicate last season's success.
The Cardinals came in at No. 3, followed by the Bengals and Lions at Nos. 4 and 5, respectively. Detroit is the only NFC North division team to have never made it to the Super Bowl. Three other NFL teams – Houston, Jacksonville and Cleveland – are also waiting for their shot at the big dance.
Assessing Minnesota's receiving game for 2016
The Vikings totaled 3,246 receiving yards in 2015, an average of 202.9 receiving yards per game that ranked 31st in the league. Of that total, wide receivers and tight ends accounted for 2,624 receiving yards with the remaining balance of 622 credited to running backs and full backs.
The *Star Tribune's *Matt Vensel took a look at the **Vikings receiving game** in 2015 and how the team might work to develop it during the offseason.
Despite the lower overall receiving numbers, the Vikings saw plenty of potential from young players, primarily rookie receiver Stefon Diggs. Diggs emerged as Minnesota's leading receiver, recording 52 receptions and 720 receiving yards in just 13 games.
Two of the biggest bright spots came from the draft class. [Wide receiver Stefon] Diggs burst onto the scene to lead the team with 52 catches and 720 yards. Fellow fifth-round pick MyCole Pruitt showed promise, too, from the tight end position.
Pruitt, picked three spots ahead of Diggs in the draft, added 10 catches for 89 yards as the team's third tight end in 2015.