Minnesota Vikings: Stefon Diggs says team underachieved in 2018

Minnesota Vikings receiver Stefon Diggs said what we were all thinking about his team’s 2018 season: they vastly underachieved.

Minnesota Vikings receiver Stefon Diggs stated the obvious in a recent interview with FOX Sports’ Doug Gottlieb during Super Week in Atlanta. Gottlieb asked Diggs to describe the Vikings 2018 season, to which Diggs responded with two words: “We underachieved.”

He’s certainly not wrong, and at 8-7-1 it could be argued that the Vikings finished as one of the most disappointing teams in 2018. But give Diggs credit. It’s not easy for any human being to admit defeat, especially on a radio show being broadcast to millions.

“We came out average because we didn’t do the things we were coached to do. We were bad in situational football. … We made a lot of mistakes and penalties, stuff like that. Stuff that’ll get you beat.” Diggs later said.

Touted as potential Super Bowl contenders, and just one season removed from playing in the NFC Championship game, the Vikings had a lot to live up to this past season.

And while Diggs certainly wasn’t the reason the Vikings had a down-year, he wasn’t afraid to criticize his own play. On himself, Diggs said, “I had a solid season, I think I had an OK year. I have a lot of room to grow, and I think I can play a lot better and make a lot more plays [in 2019].”

The Vikings enter the offseason with a few question marks, but none bigger than the offensive line. Minnesota’s O-line was easily the biggest flaw on the roster in 2018, which hampered an offense that looked to be explosive with the likes of Diggs, Adam Thielen, Kyle Rudolph, Dalvin Cook, Latavius Murray, and, of course, Kirk Cousins.

Their stats looked great at the end of the season, especially for Thielen and Diggs, but you’d have to think any of those players would have traded any personal accolades for team success. Diggs finished 2018 with 102 receptions for 1,021 yards and nine touchdowns.