The Vikings may have put their 2-game losing streak to an end when they defeated the Raiders 3-0 in Week 14, but head coach Kevin O'Connell has a boatload of problems to deal with immediately. The once-formidable offense has fallen apart, and while much of it is due to injuries, that's not going to satisfy anyone associated with the team.
The Vikings have a major quarterback issue. It seemed they had been thrown a lifeline when they acquired Josh Dobbs at the trade deadline shortly after Kirk Cousins suffered a season-ending Achilles injury and he led the Vikings to heart-stopping victories over the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints.
Since then, he has become the Passtronaut who fell to earth. He looked decent for slightly more than a half before the Vikings lost to the Broncos in Week 11 and then fell apart with 4 interceptions in Week 12 against the improving Bears.
Dobbs was able to do nothing with the offense against the Raiders, and the Vikings were fortunate to win the game on a late field goal by Greg Joseph. Backup quarterback Nick Mullens replaced Dobbs and he sparked the team.
O'Connell must decide who will start at quarterback on a short week, as they are back in action Saturday when they go to against the suddenly impressive Cincinnati Bengals.
In addition to the quarterback situation, the Vikings have a slew of injuries on the offensive side of the ball and a limited number of weapons.
Justin Jefferson goes down again, tearing apart Vikings WR crew
The Vikings were hoping for a major upgrade at the wide receiver position when Jefferson returned from the hamstring strain against the Raiders after being sidelined since early October. However, Jefferson took a brutal hit against the Raiders to his lower back after making a catch over the middle, and he left the game and was ultimately taken to the hospital.
The Vikings were able to rule out any major internal injury and there is some hope that Jefferson will be able to play this week against the Bengals.
If he can play in Week 15, the combination of Jefferson, rookie Jordan Addison, tight end T.J. Hockenson and veteran wideout K.J. Osborn will be more than respectable.
However, the quarterback position is a quagmire. Perhaps O'Connell will come to the conclusion that Dobbs cannot get the job done at this point. That seems to be a logical belief.
Mullens did enough to get the Vikings in a position to kick the game-winning field goal with 1:57 left in the 4th quarter and that won the game. That may get him a start, but there is little reason for confidence that he can get the job done over a 60-minute game.
Can Vikings offer any semblance of a running game?
With an inexperienced and unproven quarterback in Mullens likely to get the start, the Vikings need to have some semblance of a running game.
That possibility appears to be unlikely. The Vikings average 97.2 rushing yards per game and rank 27th in the league. However, they are unlikely to reach that level against the Bengals, because running back Alexander Mattison suffered an ankle injury against the Raiders and had to come out of the game after 10 carries for 66 yards.
Ty Chandler is a decent change of pace back who had 12 carries for 35 yards, but he is not a No. 1 running back. Speedy Kene Nwangwu is not the answer as he appeared to be misaligned on his 2 carries against the Raiders.
If Mattison can't play against the Bengals, the Vikings would appear to be a one-dimensional offensive team, and that would give O'Connell a nearly impossible task in putting together a feasible game plan against the Bengals.
Vikings defense takes charge
Brian Flores has built one of the best defenses in the league. The Vikings have allowed 2 touchdowns in their last 4 games, and the turnaround from last season is remarkable.
The Vikings ranked 31st in yards allowed and 30th in points allowed last season, and the group that includes Danielle Hunter, Ivan Pace, Josh Metellus, Cam Bynum and Harrison Smith ranks 10th in yards allowed and 5th in points allowed in 2023.
Minnesota registered a shutout for the first time since the 2017 season. The Bengals seem likely to put points on the board as backup quarterback Jake Browning has led his team to impressive victories over the Jaguars and the Colts, but it is clear Flores & Co. will make life quite difficult for the Cincinnati offense.
O'Connell must respond to the challenge
The Vikings head coach was hired prior to the 2022 season because he was an offensive innovator who could build a dangerous attack. He did just that last year when the Vikings went 13-4 and won the NFC North.
They had Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson for a full season and a brilliant running back in Dalvin Cook. Cousins is hurt, Cook is gone and Jefferson may have limited availability.
O'Connell must figure out a way to put a semblance of an offense on the field against Cincinnati in Week 15 and the remaining 3 games against Detroit (2) and Green Bay if the Vikings are going to participate in the postseason.
It is a daunting task, but one that he must accept.
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