
We'll all emerge soon from "list" season — that gray zone in the NFL where things are happening, but not really happening, and to keep the mill grinding out content you find all sorts of lists on various sites.
One such list on ESPN.com got me thinking, though — not so much for its bold proclamations or inclusion of two Vikings quarterbacks, but more so because of what it means in the big-picture history of the Vikings.
First, the list: It purported to rank the top 10 "fluke" seasons by NFL quarterbacks in history. These sorts of things are of course highly subjective, but it's hard to argue against the two Vikings on the list.
Checking in at No. 6 was Randall Cunningham's 1998 season. And at the very top, No. 1, was Case Keenum's 2017 season. So yes, that means two of the greatest seasons in recent Vikings memory were fueled by fluke performances.
Or were they?
See, here's where things get sort of interesting. Cunningham and Keenum are part of an interesting pattern that has seen virtually every Vikings quarterback of note from the last 25 years have the best season of his career while playing here.
Cunningham in 1998 set a career high for touchdown passes (34), while his passer rating of 106.0 was nearly 25 points higher than his career mark (81.6).
Keenum in 2017 completed 67.6 percent of his passes, avoided turnovers, posted a QBR of 74.3 (more than 25 points higher than any other of his seasons) and went 11-3 as a starter.