Inside The Vikings

Vikings destined for greatness? Time trailing stat often leads to the Super Bowl

Destiny is calling the Vikings. Will they answer or be the anomalous non-Super Bowl team after such a dominant start?

Joe Nelson

A collage of the teams that trailed the least through five games since the NFL merger in 1970.
A collage of the teams that trailed the least through five games since the NFL merger in 1970. / © Manny Rubio-Imagn Images | © Robert Deutsch / USA TODAY NETWORK | © Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images | © James Lang-Imagn Images | © Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
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The undefeated Minnesota Vikings have trailed for a total of three minutes and 26 seconds this season. How good is that? Since the NFL/AFL merger in 1970, only four teams have spent less time trailing through five weeks.

Want a fact that will make you shake to the point that your purple glasses rattle off your face? Every team that has trailed for as little time as the Vikings have through five games has gone on to appear in the Super Bowl.

The 2009 New Orleans Saints led every second of every game the first five weeks and they went on to win the Super Bowl. Of course, one could argue that they only won the Super Bowl because they put a bounty on Brett Favre in the conference championship, but that's neither here nor there.

The 1984 Miami Dolphins trailed for only 67 seconds through five games and finished 14-2 before waxing the Seahawks and Steelers in the playoffs before getting rocked by the 49ers in the Super Bowl.

The 2023 San Francisco 49ers were trailing for only one minute and 45 seconds through five games and wound up losing a nail-biter to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in the Super Bowl.

The 1999 St. Louis Rams, nicknamed the "Greatest Show on Turf," trailed for two minutes and 30 seconds en route to a 5-0 start and eventually a 13-3 regular season and then a Super Bowl win over the Tennessee Titans.

Even the 1998 Denver Broncos, who trailed for four minutes and 23 seconds through five games, went on to win the Super Bowl. That year still stings for Minnesotans because the Vikings went 15-1 only to lose to the Atlanta Falcons in the conference title game. The Broncos, of course, would then beat the Falcons in the Super Bowl.

Destiny is calling the Vikings. Will they answer or be the anomalous non-Super Bowl team after such a dominant start?

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Joe Nelson
JOE NELSON

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