they left after a 1-6 start or whatever it was
I believe it was 1-5. Finishing 7-9 is actually not that bad considering the 1-5 start. The Bears made the playoffs at 8-8 so the Vikings were only 1 game out of a playoff spot. Granted, the NFC is quite porous compared to the AFC this year. The Dolphins missed the playoffs completely with a 10-6 record in the AFC.