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ST. PAUL, Minn. - The unthinkable lows of the Vikings' 2011 season have players yearning for the days of innocence and optimism, as Minnesota wraps up its season on Sunday against the Chicago Bears.
Percy Harvin revisited such a moment last week, a play that evoked sideline chatter of fate and destiny on a sunny day in Southern California.
When Harvin returned the season-opening kickoff 103 yards for a touchdown against the San Diego Chargers on Sept. 11, the Vikings felt invincible.
“We were saying it was hard to believe that we opened up the season with a kick return like that,” Harvin said. “A play like that, you just know your season is going to go up. Instead, it went the total opposite.”
It's been 111 days since Harvin split two Chargers defenders, cut back and strutted into the end zone.
Since then, the Vikings have been shaken at their core, marred by a 3-12 record and forced to re-evaluate the entire operation.
The Vikings never had the personnel to be an elite team, but with a few more plays like Harvin's touchdown, they might have squeezed out six or seven wins.
If only a series of mishaps hadn't doomed their season.
1. The penalties
Down 24-17 with three timeouts and the Chargers offense taking the field with 3:01 left, the Vikings still had a chance to beat a good team on the road despite 39 passing yards from quarterback Donovan McNabb.
But three inexplicable defensive penalties in the final series - two offside calls against tackle Letroy Guion and an encroachment by tackle Fred Evans - sealed the Chargers' win.
Evans' penalty came on a third-and-2 with two minutes left.
No way the Vikings' coaching staff anticipated this clumsy attempt at defense.
2. The butter hands
The next week, safety Tyrell Johnson's dropped interception at the goal line set the stage for Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman's game-winning touchdown in the final minute.
Johnson could have made a career-defining play when he jumped Freeman's pass at midfield with 1:56 left and the Vikings up 20-17. Three plays later, Bucs running back LeGarrette Blount bulldozed through the Vikings' line for a 4-yard touchdown.
3. The bad luck
In Week 3, the Vikings' lost coin toss in overtime was all the Detroit Lions needed to put Minnesota away. Five plays later, Jason Hanson's 32-yard field goal pushed the Vikings to 0-3.
And to think Minnesota had momentum entering overtime. Minnesota held the Lions to a field goal and a three-and-out on their final two possessions of regulation, which were sandwiched between the Vikings' nine-play, 52-yard drive ending in a Ryan Longwell field goal.
In the days after that game, most Minnesota fans knew the stats. The Vikings outscored their first three opponents 54-7 in the first half, only to be outscored 67-6 in the second half.
