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Not only were the Vikings on the wrong side on the first day of six NFL touchdowns since Gale Sayers in 1965, but the Vikings also had one of their worst defensive performances in the team’s history.
The 52 points allowed by the Vikings became the first time that the Vikings have yielded 50 or more points since 1984, in a 51-7 loss to the 49ers during a one-season disaster at Les Steckel.
It is also the highest number of points allowed by the Vikings since 1963, when the Cardinals defeated the Vikings 56 to 14 in Minnesota’s third year of existence.
The Vikings have another 50-point game against them: in 1961 against Bears, a 52-35 defeat.
So yes, today was the worst of all time for the defense of Minnesota, in a season that still had semi-plausible hope for containment of the playoffs before the game started. Now? Do not.
The exhibition reinforces the reality that, by 2021, many people in the organization will be in a hot chair. Given the way things have gone since Mike Zimmer became head coach in 2014, however, next year will culminate with a guaranteed playoff spot; Vikings make it in the odd years and miss the postseason in the even years.