As we noted earlier, the Minnesota Vikings are underdogs in 14 of 17 games on their 2024 schedule. Sports Illustrated's analysts appear to be taking that literally as Gilbert Manzano is predicting the Vikings to go 3-14 this upcoming season. 

Manzano has the Lions going 13-4, the Bears finishing 11-6 and the Packers winding up third in the NFC North at 8-9. Why the three-win prediction for Minnesota?

"The Vikings will open training camp with a quarterback competition between veteran newcomer Sam Darnold and rookie J.J. McCarthy. If McCarthy isn’t ready to be the immediate starter, the Vikings’ offense could take a hit this season with Darnold, who struggled with the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers early in his career," Manzano writes. 

"But the Vikings added plenty of talent on the defensive side to possibly make up for the adjustment year the offense might have without Kirk Cousins. Jonathan Greenard and rookie Dallas Turner form the new passing-rushing duo in Minnesota."

The only games Manzano has Minnesota winning are home contests against the Colts and Packers and a road game against Jacksonville. 

It's a very limited view of what the Vikings will be all about. He makes no mention that the Vikings won seven games in 2023 despite losing Justin Jefferson for seven games and playing without Kirk Cousins for nine.

He also makes no mention of Darnold's past struggles being related to terrible rosters around him, which won't be the case in Minnesota as he'll have one of the game's brightest offensive minds in head coach Kevin O'Connell calling the plays, and he'll be surrounded by explosive talent in wide receivers Jefferson and Jordan Addison, tight end T.J. Hockenson, running backs Aaron Jones and Ty Chandler, and a solid offensive line headlined by standout tackles Christian Darrisaw and Brian O'Neill. 

If Darnold is ever going to live up to the hype of being the No. 3 overall pick in 2018, it's this season with the Vikings. 

Manzano also didn't recognize that Minnesota was leaps and bounds better in 2023 than 2022 with Brian Flores coordinating the defense. What did the Vikings do to get better in 2024, despite losing Danielle Hunter and Jordan Hicks in free agency?

• Signed edge rusher Jonathan Greenard
• Signed inside linebacker Blake Cashman
• Signed outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel
• Signed defensive tackle Jerry Tillery
• Drafted edge rusher Dallas Turner
• Signed cornerback Shaq Griffin

Griffin and Byron Murphy Jr. starting as outside cornerbacks is a step up from Murphy and Akayleb Evans last season.

And there's an argument to be made that the edge rushing depth of Greenard, Van Ginkel and Turner is notch better than Hunter and D.J. Wonnum. The same argument can be made that an inside linebacker duo of Cashman and Ivan Pace Jr. in Year 2 is better than Hicks and the rookie version of Pace Jr. 

In the middle of the secondary, the Vikings still have Harrison Smith while Josh Metellus and Cam Bynum should only get better with the experience they gained in their first season under Flores' tutelage. 

Three wins for the Vikings? It's actually hard to win just three games. A grand total of 23 teams have finished a season with three or fewer wins over the last 10 seasons, which is an average of about two teams per season. 

If it happens to the Vikings in 2024, they'll have one of the top picks in the 2025 NFL draft and that will yield better long-term results as the reins are eventually handed to rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy.