EAGAN, Minn. -- A season-long debate about the Minnesota Vikings is nearing an end, and here's the best we can say: They have produced a season unlike any other in modern NFL history.
Their performance has shocked analysts who track metrics that usually reflect reliable outcomes, and it has left supporters to invoke an aphorism attributed to Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells: "You are what your record says you are." Teams that fit the Vikings' performance profile have typically finished their seasons with records around .500, and they have never -- not a single time -- gone 12-4 through 16 games and been poised to host at least one home playoff game.