Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings throws on the mound at Target Field throwing the … [+]
The Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings used to have a lot in common. In the early years of both franchises, venerable Metropolitan Stadium – the old Met – was their shared home.
The Twins’ first season in Minnesota was in 1961 after the old, old Washington Senators moved from the nation’s capital to the upper Midwest.
The Vikings played their first NFL season in 1961. They were an expansion franchise that could have started playing one year earlier in the American Football League, but an enticement that emanated from NFL kingpin/founder and Chicago Bears owner George Halas gave the Twin Cities entry into the exclusive NFL.
Both teams were in lock step with each other as they played in their open air home, and some of the best teams in either franchise history came in that first decade. The Twins went to the World Series in 1965 against the Los Angeles Dodgers and battled for 7 games before falling short to a pretty good pitcher named Sandy Koufax.
The Vikings were the best team in the NFL in 1969 by a fairly wide margin, but Bud Grant and Joe Kapp’s favored team dropped Super Bowl IV to Hank Stram and Len Dawson by a 23-7 margin.
Both teams left the beloved Met following 1981 seasons before going indoors at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, once referred to as the Rollerdome by former Bears coach Mike Ditka. The Vikings played there from 1982 through 2013 while the Vikings called that building home from 1982 through 2009.
The Twins won two World Series there in 1987 and 1991, but the Vikings could not come through. They had a brilliant team in 1998 that went 15-1 and was the odds-on favorite to win the Super Bowl, but that team lost to the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC title game.
Both teams have long separated from each other in their home venues, as the Twins play at picturesque Target Field while the Vikings probably have the best home facility in the NFL in U.S. Bank Stadium.
But one thing they still have in common is the strength – or lack thereof – of their current divisions.
The Twins are largely mediocre, but their 67-62 record is good enough to have them in first place in the American League Central by 6 games over the Cleveland Guardians and 7.5 games over the Detroit Tigers. The Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals are the division’s tail enders, and two of the worst teams in baseball.
Kirk Cousins hopes to lead the Vikings to the top of the NFC North once again in 2023. (Photo by … [+]
The Vikings were the best team in the NFC North last year with a 13-4 record, but they suffered badly with the 31st-ranked defense in the NFL last year. They were bounced out of the playoffs by the mediocre New York Giants in the Wild Card round last year, and many observers were not even surprised to see the Vikings fall short at home in that game.
The Vikings should once again have a good chance of winning the division in 2023, although many of the cognoscenti are saying the Detroit Lions are the team to beat. The Lions won 8 of their last 10 games last season, and that has led to the conclusion that they will supplant the Vikings as the division champions.
That thought will likely disappear shortly after the season opener when Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs light them up on the NFL’s opening night. The Lions had a worse defense than the Vikings last year, ranking 32nd in yards allowed.
Look for the Vikings to remain at the top of the division this season. But much like the Twins in the American League Central, it will not be a huge accomplishment.
The competition in the NFC North will not be formidable. Head coach Dan Campbell and the Lions will put a decent offense on the field and could approach .500, but they are a long way from championship material.
The Green Bay Packers have a huge adjustment to make without Aaron Rodgers and it will take quarterback Jordan Love time to adjust. The Packers could emerge as a decent challenger, but it will take time for quarterback Jordan Love to find his stride.
The Chicago Bears appear to be a last-place team once again in 2023.
First place appears to be in reach for both the Twins and the Vikings. But it will take a shocking reversal of fortune in the postseason for either team to gain the respect of their peers and belief by their home fans.