Predicting each NFC North team's record for the 2019 NFL season

#3 Minnesota Vikings: 8-8

Kirk Cousins

After a disappointing season, in which many people, myself included, expected the Vikings to be a playoff team, they finished the 2018 season with a very disappointing 8-7-1 record. Going into this season, their defense is still among the NFL's best, there's no denying that. However, I still have major concerns with their offensive line, despite drafting center Garrett Bradbury this past April.

The offensive line was, without a doubt, the Vikings' biggest issue last season. The group tied with division-rival Detroit Lions for surrendering the tenth-most sacks in 2018 with 40, which isn't exactly something to be proud of. Anyway, even behind a treacherous offensive line, Kirk Cousins still managed to throw for over 4,000 yards and garner a 30:10 TD:INT ratio with a 99.7 QBR.

Don't let these numbers fool you, though. Kirk Cousins had his fair share of struggles last season. Granted, the offensive line woes certainly didn't help Cousins. But, similar to Mitchell Trubisky, I think now's the time for Cousins to become that force multiplier the Vikings expect him to be, and ultimately prove that he is worth that 3-year, $84 million contract the team gave him two offseasons ago.

It pretty much goes without saying that the play of Kirk Cousins and this "improved" offensive line is going to be vital in the Vikings' amount of success this season. That said, I don't believe this line is improved enough to handle either Green Bay's, Chicago's, or Detroit's defenses this season. For these reasons listed above, I don't see the Vikings winning more than eight games this season.