2001 Bears VS 2022 Vikings

[74_75_78_79_]

Two 13-win one-and-done teams similar for obvious-enough reasons. Both posted negative differentials in total yardage - each in the hundreds.

Another common similarity, with me, is the HC spot! Winning close games, if however paper-tiger-looking, is a reflection on the coaching/attention paid to detail. Jauron truly earned his 'Coach of the Year' nod. The question, however, is what didn't he do in the two succeeding years in Chi-town along with his time in Buffalo that he did do in 2001 (perhaps an assistant that was there that year who wasn't there afterward)? Kevin O'Connell also reeks of the reason for Minny's W/L regular season success in 2022 but strongly seems to me like he will not be a one-year wonder (even if '23 is a letdown). He, of course, is from the School of Belichick.

Cousins is the other big reason for last year's run in the Twin Cities! This clearly gives the '22 Vikings a 'checkmark' at QB over the '01 Bears. Vikings seemed to have more talent. Unlike the '01 Bears (as flukey as they seemed), when they would lose - BOY would they lose! Eagles putting up a convincer on them early on as well as allowing Dallas to wallop them in Minny, 40-3, as well as letting Packers blast them near season's end, Yes, they wrapped their division up by then, but still had top-seed to play for. '85 Cowboys are another team to compare this '22 Vikings installment to.

Points-wise, the Bears had the #1 defense and were #11 on offense. But yardage-wise, only #15 at D with a real paltry #26 at O. With Minny - points or yardage - ranked high enough in O but near the bottom at D. Each teams had numerous Pro Bowlers representing them.

Thoughts?

[CSKreager]

The strength of one was the weakness of the other (offense to defense)

[Brian wolf]

Statistics or not, Cousins is still a flop to me. Needing a first down in the playoffs, his willingness to checkdown five yards short epitomizes his career. The Vikings get rid of everyone but him. The defense is bad but he isnt exactly inspiring them as well. He has probably made more money than Manning or Brady without sniffing a championship game ... Can he do a Matthew Stafford type turnaround?

[racepug]

I don't know about comparisons between those two teams but I was astounded to find out that despite winning 13 games last season the Vikings were actually outscored on the year (and I believe I read that that's the first time in the history of the league that a team with 13 wins was outscored on the year). I, for one, was NOT surprised when they lost their first playoff game last season. Too many close, fluky wins for them last season - I don't see them repeating that this season. To me they felt more like a 9 or 10 win team than a 13-win team last season and I think that 8 or 9 wins this season is probably a reasonable expectation for them (lucky for them CHI is so awful and that Aaron Rodgers left Green Bay for New York). Having typed that, it's probably not unreasonable to expect them to contend in the not-very-strong N.F.C. North. The only team in the N.F.C. North that I don't see as truly competitive is "Da Bears." I view them in the same way that I view ARZ in the N.F.C. West - I'll be surprised if they finish in any spot other than last place in their division.

[Brian wolf]

Whats crazy about Arizona, racepug, is that they are going into their season with tough but limited Colt McCoy as QB ... why isnt Gannon going after someone who not only can win games but challenge Murray for the job? Mariota, Ryan, Flacco, Wentz, Foles, Bridgewater and others?

[74_75_78_79_]

At first I didn't see him as any better than the average fan thought of him early in his career. But I feel that Cousins is getting better and better and better. He beating the Saints at NO in the playoffs a few years back, to me, is the start of he getting out of that early funk/rep. Yes, who "didn't" upset the '10s Saints in the post-season, you'd ask? But doing just that is a reasonable-enough 'start' on the road to legitimacy. Until proven otherwise, I'm going to humbly opine that Kirk's tour de force year is yet to come.

Keep in mind that this year will be the first year since 2016 that Cousins has had the same OC as he did the year before. And O'Connell simply looks like a HC who's out to further build upon what he established in 2022. Yes, it looked paper-tiger-ish all along. Especially those big losses I previously mentioned. Going one-and-done to plain-"good" Giants at home was no surprise to me either. But I see that 13-4 campaign - that included a suspenseful win at Buffalo and the Greatest Comeback in NFL History - as simply a 'start'. I wouldn't be surprised either if Minny takes a step back in '23 (maybe, maybe not). I don't remember what my take on the upcoming 2002 Bears was at the time nor remember the general consensus, but I can't help but to feel that this Viking team looks to have noticeably more promise than Jauron/Urlacher's Bears had after posting their own 13-win campaign.

We'll see.

[CSKreager]

I don't know about comparisons between those two teams but I was astounded to find out that despite winning 13 games last season the Vikings were actually outscored on the year (and I believe I read that that's the first time in the history of the league that a team with 13 wins was outscored on the year). I, for one, was NOT surprised when they lost their first playoff game last season. Too many close, fluky wins for them last season - I don't see them repeating that this season. To me they felt more like a 9 or 10 win team than a 13-win team last season and I think that 8 or 9 wins this season is probably a reasonable expectation for them (lucky for them CHI is so awful and that Aaron Rodgers left Green Bay for New York). Having typed that, it's probably not unreasonable to expect them to contend in the not-very-strong N.F.C. North. The only team in the N.F.C. North that I don't see as truly competitive is "Da Bears." I view them in the same way that I view ARZ in the N.F.C. West - I'll be surprised if they finish in any spot other than last place in their division.

I don't care about point differential or being outscored. YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME The 2021 Bills led the NFL in point differential but couldn't win a close game to save their lives. They tried the opposite of MIN and it got them nowhere.

Winning close games means something. Ask the 07 Patriots what all those gaudy blowouts got them in the end.

And keep in mind the 2021 Vikings LOST 8 one score games. How to explain those close fluky losses?

Winning close games is NOT fluky. A lack of winning close games means you don't have what it takes.

Point differential doesn't win SB's.

[Brian wolf]

Youre right CS ...

Yet with 13 wins ... Cousins needs to win at home in the postseason, despite a shaky defense ...
Maybe this year ...

[CSKreager]

01 Bears for what it’s worth had a +135 PD, 3rd overall behind only STL/PIT