Dan Campbell Is an Appropriate Final Boss for the Minnesota Vikings

admin | December 23, 2023 | Other Clubs | No Comments

The Minnesota Vikings’ playoff dreams are in jeopardy heading into Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions.

The Vikings have recovered from a 1-4 start to find themselves in the thick of the NFC playoff chase despite missing their primary quarterback and numerous key players.

Anyone looking at their resume would be perplexed as to how this squad is still alive. However, it is similar to the Metallica song “One,” which is appropriate given that Dan Campbell has become Minnesota’s ultimate boss. Metallica’s 1988 song, inspired by Dalton Trumbo’s novel Johnny Got His Gun, tells the narrative of a gravely injured soldier during World War I who is somehow still alive, confined in a jail where he can no longer live or die.

On the surface, Vikings fans may not believe Campbell’s Lions pose a significant threat. Campbell, nicknamed “Dantallica” because of his passion of the metal band, threatened to eat the kneecaps of any team that crossed Detroit’s path during his debut press conference.

Football supporters laughed all the way through the Lions’ 1-6 start in 2022. However, just as the Hard Knocks star appeared to be on the hot seat, things changed.

Since then, the Lions have an 18-6 record and are on the verge of winning their first division title since 1993. From afar, Vikings fans can easily remark “same old Lions” and predict a disaster. Still, given Campbell’s success in his prior four encounters with Minnesota, it’s difficult to conceive.

Campbell’s Lions nearly pulled off an upset over the Vikings in his debut game in 2021, which may have ended the Mike Zimmer reign. Alexander Mattison fumbled in the fourth quarter with Minnesota leading 16-9, giving the 0-4 Lions life. D’Andre Swift scored from seven yards out for Detroit. However, Kirk Cousins drove the Vikings 46 yards in 37 seconds to set up Greg Joseph’s 54-yard field goal, which left Campbell in tears.

“It’s tough when you see your players give everything they have and you lose that way,” Campbell said after the game. “You know what I mean?” That is not what you want for them. But it will make us stronger.”

The Lions made no quick progress. They came into their second game against Minnesota on December 5 with a 0-10-1 record. With the Vikings’ playoff chances still alive, the Lions brought it to Minnesota and surged out to a 20-6 lead at halftime.

The Vikings rallied to take a 27-23 lead on Cousins’ touchdown pass to Justin Jefferson with 1:50 remaining. However, as time expired, Jared Goff struck Amon-Ra St. Brown for an 11-yard touchdown throw, giving Campbell his first career victory.

The victory propelled St. Brown to stardom, as he caught 41 receptions for 474 yards and four touchdowns in the final five games of the 2021 season. Over the last two seasons, he has caught 200 receptions for 2,336 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Goff also utilized the game as a watershed moment, emerging as Detroit’s long-term quarterback solution.

The Lions entered their next game against the Vikings with a 1-1 record, looking to establish themselves as a danger in the NFC North. The Lions took a pair of 14-point leads at U.S. Bank Stadium before Mattison’s score with 7:50 remaining made it a 24-21 contest.

Detroit moved the ball easily against Ed Donatell’s defense, going 4 of 6 on fourth-down conversions before facing a fourth-and-four with 1:14 remaining. With a chance to win the game with a first down, Campbell chose a field goal, which Austin Seibert missed. With 45 seconds remaining, Cousins connected with K.J. Osborn for the game-winning touchdown.

A few months later, Campbell regretted his decision not to go for the win. “Look, it burns me,” Campbell told reporters ahead of their showdown at Ford Field in December. “Of course, it hurts. That will remain until the day I die. That is not going away.”

Perhaps leaving that victory on the field ignited Campbell’s Lions, who destroyed the Vikings in their most recent matchup.

The Vikings passed on Jameson Williams in the previous draft, and he scored on his only reception of the season, a 41-yard touchdown. With 5:44 remaining in the third quarter, Goff’s touchdown pass to Josh Reynolds put the Lions up 21-7.

Detroit didn’t require a comeback. Their 34-28 triumph reflects more accurately what the Lions have become under Campbell.

The public perception of Campbell is that he’s a guy with a Starbucks venti in one hand and a Panera supercharged lemonade in the other who listens to …And Justice For All at maximum volume. But he’s turned out to be a damn good coach.

That should come as no surprise given that Campbell comes from the same Bill Parcells coaching lineage as Zimmer. He worked with Sean Payton in New Orleans before taking over as interim coach of the Miami Dolphins. His guys are willing to break down barriers for him. He, like Kevin O’Connell, keeps his players’ attention even when things are difficult.

He’s an appropriate last boss for the Vikings, who appear to be stuck in the football version of the soldier represented in a song that Campbell has heard many times.

For years, the Vikings have been a mediocre team, content to remain “super competitive” and in contention for a postseason position. The problem isn’t just making the playoffs; it’s making noise while they’re there.

Since 1987, Minnesota has not won multiple playoff games in a single season. Their most recent appearance in the NFC Championship game came six years ago. Even if the Vikings make the playoffs this year, it’s difficult to see them making a deep run with so many key players out.

They’ve built a jail in which they’re excellent enough to compete but not good enough to be considered a real contender. The Vikings are usually good enough to win a few games but not good enough to obtain the long-term consistency they want, particularly at quarterback.

Perhaps defeating Campbell’s Lions, a team they’ll face twice in the remaining three weeks and a third time in the Wild Card round, would be enough to get them out of this jam. But failure to do so would leave the Vikings defenseless, trapped in the prison they built.