The Minnesota Vikings had just finished an encouraging seven-win season under first-year head coach Mike Zimmer and rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, but the self-congratulating was on hold.
There was no time for reflection inside the Vikings locker room. Focus had already shifted to 2015. An unshakable confidence had taken root in Minnesota's next opportunity to return to the postseason.
"I think we can be great," defensive end Everson Griffen said, via Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "We got a lot of young players who stepped up and played big roles.