The Minnesota Vikings' organizational mismanagement was on full display during Super Bowl LX. Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold executed now-former offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak's game plan to perfection all season, culminating in the second championship in franchise history with a 29-13 win over the New England Patriots. Kubiak has since taken the Las Vegas Raiders' head coaching job.
There's a reason the Detroit Lions take the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears more seriously than Minnesota. Seattle's success on Sunday night is a big part of why this is the case.
Darnold, of course, was the Vikings' QB last year. Minnesota went 14-3 but lost big in the NFC wild-card round to the Los Angeles Rams. The Vikings famously lost Darnold in free agency because they wanted to promote 2024 draft pick J.J. McCarthy. Now, Minnesota is reportedly looking to bring in veteran help to compete with McCarthy in the QB room.
Kubiak, meanwhile, was in the Vikings organization during two different stints. Most recently, he was the team's offensive coordinator in 2021. Then, the Denver Broncos hired Kubiak back for a second stint in the Mile High City, with Minnesota doing little to stop them.
Squander that much talent, and you're not exactly the team others will focus on when building out a roster capable of beating their biggest threats to success.
Minnesota's Mistakes Outshined Detroit's Misses During Super Bowl LX
It's not as if some of Brad Holmes' mistakes weren't plastered on a billboard during Super Bowl LX as well. Certain players the Lions front office didn't extend were on the New England Patriots' roster. Cornerback Carlton Davis, who spent a year in Detroit but ended the season injured, had a solid performance for the Pats, committing no penalties. New England's defensive futility wasn't his fault.
Linebacker Jahlani Tavai didn't get much of a chance to make an impact on the Super Bowl, getting injured in the first half, but was a Lions 2019 second-round pick who signed with the Patriots in 2021 and hasn't looked back since.
In addition to those two specific examples, several former practice squad players were found in New England and Seattle's organizations during the 2025 campaign.
Of course, no decision Detroit has made in recent years was as consequential as Minnesota's. Darnold and Kubiak almost singlehandedly decided the "Big Game" on Sunday evening, and the Vikings are directly to blame, at least for the former.
Still, it's fair to say that both teams have heavily contributed to the NFC North's 15-year streak of not winning the Super Bowl.
Certainly, one more than the other in this year's game.