NFL
The Minnesota Vikings’ Super Bowl Chances Just Got a Massive Boost
Writing professionally since 2015, Jack Dougherty spent six years as a sportswriter with publications such as GoPSUSports.com, the Centre Daily Times, and the Associated Press before joining Sportscasting in 2020. He covers the NBA, the NFL, and the world of golf extensively and has added expertise on any team located in or around his hometown of Philadelphia. Yes, that includes the Philadelphia Eagles, the Philadelphia 76ers, and Philadelphia Phillies. When Jack isn't writing about sports, he's watching them or playing them as he regularly heads to the gym for some pickup basketball or the golf course to hit the links. He's also an avid participant in the sports betting scene who worked at a casino sportsbook for a year and learned the ins and outs of the industry before bringing his expertise to Sportscasting with one excellent gambling recommendation after another.
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The Minnesota Vikings have never won a Super Bowl in the 59-year history of the franchise. Under Kirk Cousins, the Vikings have been fringe contenders for a few years now, but they haven’t been able to make a deep playoff run. After Stefon Diggs and Everson Griffen departed this offseason, it seemed as if Minnesota was destined for another mediocre year.
But the Vikings made a surprising splash in the trade market just two weeks before the start of the season. On Sunday morning, Minnesota completed a trade for former Pro Bowl DE Yannick Ngakoue, shoring up a hole on the defensive line and boosting their Super Bowl chances.
The Vikings make a last-second move and trade for DE Yannick Ngakoue
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With the 2020-21 NFL season right around the corner, the Vikings just made a last-second move to replace their Pro Bowl DE Everson Griffen. Griffen left Minnesota in free agency to join the Dallas Cowboys, creating a massive hole on the defensive line.
So, Minnesota went out and stole the best pass rusher on the market — Yannick Ngakoue. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Vikings are sending the Jaguars a second- and conditional fifth-round pick for the star DE.
Ngakoue has been trying to get out of Jacksonville all offseason. The young, hungry pass rusher wants a chance to compete for a Super Bowl, and that’s just what he’ll be getting in Minnesota.
The Vikings now have arguably the best defensive end duo in the NFL
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In today’s NFL, pass rushers are at a premium. Quarterbacks are dropping back deeper and more often than ever before, and defenses must counter the long passing game with a strong pass rush.
The Vikings had that with Griffen, but he’s now on the downside of his career. Now with Danielle Hunter on one side and Ngakoue on the other, Minnesota has one of, if not the best, pass rush duo in the NFL.
Hunter is coming off two straight Pro Bowl seasons in which he recorded 14.5 sacks in each year. Ngakoue doesn’t have a season with fewer than eight sacks in his young career. Both Hunter and Ngakoue are at the top of the ladder in terms of NFL pass rushers, and now they’ll be chasing the same quarterback together.
Both Hunter and Ngakoue are also under the age of 26. The Vikings have a chance to be one of the best pass rush teams in the league for years to come.
The Vikings are now 30/1 to win the Super Bowl
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After the trade for Ngakoue, the Vikings now sit at 30/1 odds to win the Super Bowl in 2020-21, according to Bovada. They sit at 13/1 to win the NFC and +155 to win the NFC North.
Is adding Ngakoue enough to push the Vikings over the top?
All stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference
