Wild – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Dry Spell Way Too Long on Vikings Postseason Consistency

Posted on February 4, 2026February 4, 2026 by David Shama

In four seasons under the leadership of recently dismissed GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and current head coach Kevin O’Connell, the Vikings have made the playoffs twice, qualifying in alternate years going back to 2022. Go back almost to the start of the new millennium and the Vikings have shown similar frustration and inconsistency in earning a postseason spot.

It hasn’t been since 2000 that the Vikings strung together three consecutive playoff appearances. Coach Denny Green’s teams made the playoffs five consecutive times from 1996-2000. In Green’s first season, 1992, he also started a run of three straight playoff appearances.

Bud Grant’s Vikings had a streak of six consecutive playoff seasons from 1973-1978. Although there were three Super Bowl losses in that period, it was clearly a period of glory for the franchise.

Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell image by David Shama — Kevin O’Connell

What the current Viking drought shows is the lack of consistency by the Vikings in the new millennium. NFL teams who have achieved three straight playoff years and sometimes more in that time frame include the Bears, Bengals, Bills, Broncos, Bucs, Cardinals, Chiefs, Colts, Cowboys, Eagles, Falcons, Giants, Packers, Panthers, Patriots, Raiders, Rams, Ravens, Saints, Seahawks, Steelers, Texans, Titans and 49ers.

That’s 24 of the 32 NFL teams.

Teams with the most sustained success have great quarterbacks. The Vikings have been searching for “the guy” for decades while quarterbacks like Tom Brady, Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and others have lit up defenses.

Interestingly, Green never found the savior, but he found multiple quarterbacks in the 1990s that brought success. They had the support of superb linemen and receivers and an elite running back in Robert Smith.

A veteran pro football source, who has worked as an executive for NFL teams, believes the Vikings could make the playoffs after the 2026 regular season. “…It’s such a competitive league. Injuries are going to play a big part in it. The quarterback play obviously (is vital). Neither of those things lined up for them (the Vikings) this year and they still won nine games…. It shows that there’s enough talent to get it done, and if you’ve got a really top quarterback, and if (J.J.) McCarthy becomes that player, then there’s a really good chance they could have an extended streak of consistent playoff appearances and become a Super Bowl contender.”

The Vikings will be dealt an easier schedule in 2026 because of their mediocre record last season. One that figures to be more manageable than in 2025 because the Vikings had gone 14-3 in 2024.

Worth Noting

ESPN.com’s David Purdum recently wrote that approximately $1.76 billion is expected to be wagered on Sunday’s Super Bowl via U.S. Sports Books, per the American Gaming Association. That would represent a 27 percent increase from last year. Legalized gambling via Sports Books is available in 39 states and the District of Columbia, Purdum wrote.

Marshall Tanick, the Minneapolis-based attorney, writer and historian, wrote in a recent article for the Minneapolis Times that sports wagering in America had roots in Minneapolis after World War II. “The saga started here in the backroom of a cigar store on the corner of 4^th and 1^st Avenue, in what is now referred to as the Warehouse District of Minneapolis, about two blocks from where the Target Center stands. It was initially created by Leo Hirschfield, the slightly built but highly sharp son of a Minneapolis physician,” Tanick wrote.

A publication called the Green Sheet was sold by Hirschfield to clients offering odds on games involving two of the most popular sports of the day, major league baseball and college football. Ironically, Minnesota is one of the states where legalized gambling is not available. https://minneapolistimes.com/minneapolis-was-the-mecca-of-sports-betting/

In Sunday’s matchup between the favored Seahawks and Patriots, at least one former Gopher will earn a Super Bowl ring. Linebacker Boye Mafe and tight end Nick Kallerup play for the Seahawks, while linebacker Jack Gibbens is with the Seahawks.

Vikings alumni with the Seahawks are running back Cam Akers, quarterback Sam Darnold, linebacker Chazz Surratt and former offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. Alums with the Patriots include wide receiver Stefon Diggs, quarterback Josh Dobbs, center Garrett Bradbury, linebacker Christian Elliss, offensive tackle Vederian Lowe and defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga.

Darnold can become the fourth quarterback ever to win the Super Bowl in his first season with a team. The others are Tom Brady (Super Bowl LV with the Bucs), Trent Dilfer (Super Bowl XXXV, Ravens) and Matthew Stafford (Super Bowl LVI, Rams).

Chiddi Obiazor, the defensive end from Eden Prairie listed at 6-6, 275-pounds, has transferred from Kansas State to national champion Indiana. He seems a likely starter for the Hoosiers who host the Gophers October 31.

The Gophers aren’t included in the many “way too early top 25 rankings” from many sources. Opponents drawing mention on Minnesota’s 2026 12-game schedule are Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Penn State and Washington.

Twins pitchers and catchers report for their first workout next week, February12 at the Lee Health Sports Complex in Fort Myers. First full squad workout is February 16. First spring training game is at the complex February 20 against the Golden Gophers.

The Gopher men’s basketball team is averaging 8,511 in home game attendance (similar to last year’s 8,923) at Williams Arena, capacity 14,625. The St. Thomas men’s team, playing in its new Lee and Penny Anderson Arena with a capacity of 5,400, is averaging 2,723. The Tommies averaged 1,437 last season at Schoenecker Arena.

It will be interesting to see how the Wild and other playoff contending NHL teams play after a layoff of more than two weeks to accommodate the Winter Olympics. Injuries sustained in the Olympics and the issue of team chemistry are a potential nemesis because of the long break.

The Wild plays its final game before the break tonight in Nashville against the Predators, then resumes with a key matchup in Colorado against the Western Conference leading Avalanche February 26.

The highly acclaimed annual MFCA Coaches Clinic, headquartered at the DoubleTree Hotel in St. Louis Park, will be held March 26-28 and is a partnership with the football Gophers. https://www.mnfootballcoaches.com/page/show/2279758-mfca-clinic-information

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Advantage & Disadvantages: Vikes Face former QB Darnold

Posted on November 25, 2025November 25, 2025 by David Shama

Enjoy a Tuesday notes column.

The Vikings face their 2024 starting quarterback in Seattle on Sunday. The Seahawks’ Sam Darnold is sixth in the NFL in total passing yards with 2,785 and No.1 among starting quarterbacks at 9.4 yards per attempt.

The 4-7 Vikings, beleaguered by a quarterback merry-go-round, will have better insight into defending Darnold than other rivals because of his year in Minnesota. Darnold is one of the few NFL quarterbacks with double figure interceptions this season. His 10 are part of a career pattern of interceptions and fumbles (five this year).

If the blitz-happy Vikings defense can have one of its best days, they can make Darnold feel uncomfortable and prompt mistakes. That will be a challenge because Darnold’s play for the 8-3 Seahawks has been mostly outstanding.

Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell was asked yesterday about the Vikings having an advantage in knowing so much about Darnold and also the quarterback’s advantage in knowing Minnesota’s defensive schemes and personnel. He acknowledged there will be a “little of that probably on both sides.”

He didn’t reveal any secrets about how Darnold might exploit his defense but did praise his former leader. He said Darnold can make every throw “and if we’re not airtight in our coverages, they’ll be explosive.”

Superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson has been visibly frustrated this fall. An interesting stat is in the last 14 games (11 this season) he has only two receptions for touchdowns.

The Gophers defeated Nebraska 24-6 on October 17 at Huntington Bank Stadium. It was a crisp performance and widely regarded as the best game Minnesota has played this season. Since then, they have defeated 3-8 Michigan State in overtime at home, and lost road games to Iowa, Oregon and Northwestern by a combined score of 121-51.

The fanbase has wondered why Minnesota hasn’t been able to build off that Nebraska performance. “…I thought we played tremendous against Nebraska,” head coach P.J. Fleck said Monday. “But if everybody just played their absolute best and played like that every week, everybody would be 10-11 wins. That’s not realistic.”

Fleck referred to some quality opponents since the Nebraska showcase and said injuries, inexperienced players and coaching go into the explanation of how the Gophers have performed more recently.

Minnesota lost last Saturday 38-35 to Northwestern. Trailing late in the game by three points, the Gophers had an opportunity to score the winning touchdown. Two passes that debatably could have been called pass interference didn’t draw penalties. Fleck was asked if he believes coaches in the Big Ten have a clear criterion as to what constitutes pass interference.

“…I think that’s the element of the game that will never be perfect. Just like coaching will never be perfect, and the players will never be perfect, but it’s part of the game and you’ve got to overcome. Whether you agree or disagree, whether it is or it isn’t (pass interference), you have to overcome those things, and you can’t rely on that to be the reason you win or lose.”

Malachi Coleman, the 6-5 and 200-pound wide receiver transfer from Nebraska, played sparingly early in the season but is seeing the field more now including at Northwestern where the redshirt sophomore was targeted twice and had a 52-yard reception. Fleck referred to him as a young and inexperienced talent who is a “very big receiver who can run, who can stretch the field vertically.”

Fleck, who was hired when he was 36, turns 45 next Saturday—the same day his team plays Wisconsin at Huntington Bank Stadium.

With the early signing period for high school and juco football players starting on December 3, the Gophers could be positioned to have their highest rated recruiting class of the Fleck era. Minnesota is No. 24 in the 247Sports national team composite recruiting rankings.

A recruiting insider said Triton High School tight end Pierce Petersohn, one of this state’s most coveted senior players, will sign with Virginia Tech and its new coach James Franklin. Petersohn was committed to Penn State before Franklin was fired as Nittany Lions head coach.

Quarterback Troy Huhn from San Marcos, California, who ESPN reported was interested in the Gophers, will also go to Virginia Tech, per the insider.

Good news for Minnesota snowbirds in southwest Florida who head for home by the end of February. MLB teams, including the Twins, are starting spring training games earlier than in the past. The Twins open with a February 20 exhibition against the Gophers at the Lee Health Complex and have a total of five home games in February.

Prices haven’t been announced but it’s likely a ticket will cost four-figures to watch the Twins host the Phillies on August 13 for the Field of Dreams game in Dyersville, Iowa.

The Twins ownership and management could boost their image and the club’s offense by signing free agent first baseman Luis Arraez, the former Twin and three-time batting champion. Would the 28-year-old think about a one-year deal at $18 million?

Starting pitcher Joe Ryan was a steal for the Twins last season at a reported $3 million. He will be a bargain, too, in 2026. Following arbitration, he could be awarded about $6 million for the season.

Gophers public address announcer Dick Jonckowski was told by his doctor earlier this month he is cancer free and doesn’t need to be checked again for 12 months.

When Minneota won the Class 1A state football championship last week, it was the school’s 11th title. Coach Chad Johnston has won the last eight state championships. Gary Meidt won the three earlier titles.

Owen Konrad, who led Eden Prairie in rushing this fall as a sophomore, should be one of the better running backs in the state next season.

The 5-3 St. Thomas men’s basketball team has been mostly on the road to start the season, having played only two home games at the new Lee and Penny Anderson Arena, drawing announced attendances of 5,325 (capacity crowd) for the opener and 2,658 for the second game.

Ken Patera, who was a prominent wrestler years ago in the Minneapolis-based American Wrestling Association, turned 82 earlier this month

Among the Minnesota teams and athletes doing good work in the community this week is the Wild’s celebration of Native American Heritage Day on Friday when the club hosts the Colorado Avalanche at 2:30 p.m. at Grand Casino Arena. New or gently used winter coats will be collected at Gates 1-5 from 11:30 a.m. until the game starts. The Roseville-based American Indian Family Center will distribute coats to the families they serve in Minneapolis and Saint Paul.

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Why It Could be Wait Until 2026 for Vikings J.J. McCarthy

Posted on November 10, 2025November 10, 2025 by David Shama

It might be time to drag out one of the oldest rants in sports regarding J.J. McCarthy.

“WAIT UNTIL NEXT YEAR!”

To the surprise of no one with realistic expectations, the Viking quarterback has played inconsistently in his first NFL season on the field. In yesterday’s 27-19 home loss to the Ravens, he threw one touchdown pass, two interceptions and was called for one false start on a day when the team total was eight such penalties (he took the blame after the game).

He completed 20 of 42 throws for a career high 248 yards. He could have had a third interception except for a near INT by Raven linebacker Roquan Smith.

McCarthy’s completion percentage of 48 against the Ravens and 53.7 percent for the season won’t dazzle anybody. It’s a long list of rival quarterbacks who have completion percentages in the 60s and even higher. His quarterback rating of 65.8 is also subpar.

The ball sailed on McCarthy yesterday including a key fourth down ball in the fourth quarter when he overthrew a wide-open Justin Jefferson while the Vikings were trying to rally. No less authority than legendary Vikings coach Bud Grant used to say great physical attributes in a quarterback don’t mean much if accuracy is an issue.

In fairness to the 22-year-old McCarthy, we’ve seen a small sample size of his work as he made just his fourth start yesterday in the loss that dropped the Vikings record to 4-5. Daniel House, the analytics whiz, pro football authority and blogger, believes about 22 games of experience can tell the tale of a young NFL quarterback.

If that’s the metric, judgment day for McCarthy will come around mid-season in 2026. Assuming McCarthy continues his up and down play the rest of the season, but finds a steady path in 2026, he could duplicate the path of two second-season NFL quarterbacks on a roll right now.

Drake Maye and Caleb Williams were selected in the same 2024 NFL Draft that the Vikings chose McCarthy. They played as rookies, while McCarthy sat out the season with a knee injury. Maye has thrown 19 touchdown passes for the AFC East Division leading Patriots, while Williams has tossed 13 for the 6-3 Bears who finished last in the NFC North Division in 2024.

Worth Noting

Vikings linebacker Blake Cashman had 11 tackles in the loss to the Ravens, his third consecutive game with at least 10 tackles.

Kicker Will Reichard made field goals of 43 and 49 yards in the game. He has converted 18 of 20 this season, and in his second NFL season he has yet to miss an extra point.

Safety Harrison Smith, 36, is now tied with former offensive tackle Ron Yary for the sixth most games (199) ever played by a Viking.

Sharp shopper: A buyer at the Bloomington Army card show last weekend bought a limited edition signed Max Brosmer trading card for $20. The card of the former Gopher quarterback and Viking rookie is one of only eight issued by Leaf.

The football Gophers (6-3) opened as 23.5 point underdogs, per BetMGM, for Friday night’s game against No.7 ranked Oregon (8-1) in Eugene. Even folks with maroon and gold sweaters probably like the Ducks to cover.

Oregon needed a last-minute field goal in Iowa City last Saturday to defeat the Hawkeyes, 18-17. On October 25 the Gophers lost in Iowa City in a blowout, 41-3.

The 6-3 Hawkeyes have losses to Iowa State, Indiana and Oregon by a total of 10 points. They’re probably the best three loss team in the country and should be in the AP top 25.

Legendary emcee Dick Jonckowski will again work the Minnesota Old Timers Hockey Association luncheon on November 24 at Mancini’s Char House. Guest speaker will be hockey icon Natalie Darwitz.

Last Saturday University of St. Thomas basketball had a new start with the men’s and women’s teams playing first games ever at the Lee and Penny Anderson Arena. The men defeated Army West Point 83-76 before a capacity night crowd of 5,325. The women lost 67-61 to Army in the afternoon with an attendance of 984.

The basketball Gophers, with two impressive home nonconference wins against weak competition, get a major test at Missouri on Wednesday night. The Tigers are coached by Dennis Gates whose name was speculated for the Gopher job when he was coaching at Cleveland State and Minnesota was replacing Richard Pitino.

With forward Taylor Woodson lost for the season with a knee injury, it might not be surprising if University of Minnesota women’s coach Dawn Plitzuweit tries to convince forward Mallory Heyer to return. The two players had similar statistics last season and Heyer caused a stir last month with her announcement about leaving the team for personal reasons. Heyer is still enrolled at the U, per an outside source.

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch turned 56 last week and speaks to the Twin Cities Dunkers on Wednesday.

Players with ties to the Twins who are free agents this offseason include: Luis Arraez, Harrison Bader, Willi Castro, Kyle Farmer, Ty France, Mitch Garver, Liam Hendriks, Max Kepler, Tyler Mahle, Chris Paddack, Emilio Pagan, Jorge Polanco, Taylor Rogers, Michael A. Taylor and Christian Vazquez.

The Wild has a so-so start to the season and it will be interesting to see what moves GM Bill Guerin may make to improve the roster. The NHL trade deadline isn’t until March 6.

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