The Minnesota Vikings opened their season in impressive fashion. They walked into MetLife Stadium and took apart the New York Giants by a 28-6 margin on their home field.
This is a Vikings team that many NFL observers believe will finish in last place in the NFC North. The Detroit Lions are expected to be a Super Bowl contender and the Green Bay Packers are not far behind. The Chicago Bears are expected to be a much-improved team this season.
On the other hand, the Vikings are going with a retread at quarterback in Sam Darnold. He signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Vikings after Kirk Cousins was allowed to leave through free agency. The Vikings drafted quarterback J.J. McCarthy with the 10th pick in the first round and head coach Kevin O'Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah believe he has the tools to become an elite quarterback.
They may be correct, but that's not going to happen in 2024 because McCarthy tore his meniscus in his first preseason game.
The Vikings have also retooled their defense after losing sack specialist Danielle Hunter to free agency. He signed with the Houston Texans and the Vikings have added Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel and Blake Cashman. They also drafted edge rusher Dallas Turner from Alabama.
Defensive coordinator Brian Flores is one of the top defensive minds in the NFL, but it often takes time for a defensive unit to build cohesiveness. The Vikings certainly looked like a dominant defensive team right away, but it takes time for accurate conclusions to be drawn.
Longtime fans and observers of the Vikings should not overreact to the victory in the opener, even though it was quite satisfying.
Vikings schedule turns brutal
Beating the Giants in the opener was basically a requirement for the Vikings if they are going to have any chance at delivering a respectable season. The Giants finished last season with a 6-11 record, and they are very unsettled at the quarterback position with Daniel Jones.
The Giants ranked 29th on offense and 27th on defense a year ago. Even though the Vikings had undergone significant changes to their roster, there was no reason to think they couldn't compete with the Giants for 60 minutes and come out on top.
They dominated the game as their defense stepped up and held the Giants to two field goals and Van Ginkel returned an interception 10 yards for a touchdown.
Darnold was sharp under center, completing his first 12 passes and throwing a pair of touchdowns. Running back Aaron Jones looked more than capable of giving O'Connell a solid ground game.
But after winning easily against the Giants, the Vikings will follow with games against the San Francisco 49ers, Houston Texans and Green Bay Packers. Even if the Vikings play well, finding a way to win one of those games will be a challenge.
If they had lost to the Giants, it would have been hard to make a case that the team would be respectable this season. Since they won, they should have a fighting chance.
Darnold has to show that he can perform at a consistent level
O'Connell has been optimistic and hopeful when speaking about Darnold ever since the Vikings signed him. That's not a surprise, because O'Connell is an upbeat head coach who regularly tries to build his players up.
Darnold is not a star as he starts his seventh NFL season with his fourth team. He has a 22-35 record after the win over the Giants and consistency is an issue for him. He is certainly capable of having a good game from time to time, but there is nothing in his professional background that says he can string excellent games together.
O'Connell is an offensive guru and quarterbacks coach Josh McCown has a lot to offer when working with his players, but neither man is a magician or a miracle worker. Darnold could show improvement, but there is no reason to think he will suddenly turn into a dominant leader.
Reality will come calling in the weeks ahead.
Vikings defense will get severely tested
The Minnesota defense had no trouble slowing down Jones and the Giants, but that does not mean they will have similar success in Weeks 2 and 3 against Brock Purdy of the 49ers and C.J. Stroud of the Texans.
Jones is a below average quarterback and the Giants could replace him with backup Drew Lock this season or bring in a new quarterback next year.
Purdy is a dynamic leader who reads defenses well and makes correct decisions with the ball. He also has a slew of talented skill players on his side in Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey.
Trying to stop the Niners will be a major challenge. It won't get much easier the following week when the Texans come into U.S. Bank Stadium. Stroud had one of the greatest rookie seasons at the QB position in NFL history, and the Texans could be a legitimate challenger to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC this season.
The Vikings will have a much better idea of how strong their defense is after facing those two opponents.
Turnovers could be an issue once again
The Vikings had an even game again on the takeaway/turnover table against the Giants as they registered two interceptions — including Van Ginkel's pick for a TD — and another by veteran safety Harrison Smith. However, Darnold threw one interception and veteran fullback C.J. Ham lost a fumble.
Turnovers were one of the team's primary weaknesses last year. They lost four of their first five games a year ago largely because of a serious turnover issue.
The Vikings were minus-12 on the takeaway/turnover table for the season, and that left them in a tie for 30th. They will not be a winning team in 2024 if they don't improve that figure.
They played one of their best games in recent memory in Week 1, but they could only tie in the turnover battle. This issue could rear its head when the Vikings are facing elite teams.
This has to be a major concern for O'Connell and his coaching staff going forward.
Follow Us
Subscribe
