PurplePTSD: The O’Connell Revenge Tour, Change Your Week 15 Plans, Garoppolo
Dustin Baker
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The sister-site to VikingsTerritory is PurplePTSD.com, and the guys and gals over there roll out the Minnesota Vikings analysis just as much as we do.
Here is some of their top content from the last couple of days:
1 – Kevin O’Connell has defeated every team that employed him as a player so far in 2022.
2 – The NFL made a decision on the Vikings Week 15 game.
3 – A wrench into the NFC playoff picture, San Francisco 49ers QB1 Jimmy Garoppolo is done for the year.
4 – In the daily video segment, Dustin Baker examines the broad takeaways from MIN-NYJ.
5 – And just like that, Akayleb Evans is out again.
The Vikings defeated the New York Jets, 27-22, in a playoff-style game at U.S. Bank Stadium in Week 13. Minnesota started hot on defense, fell asleep on offense and defense in the 3rd Quarter, and rallied back in the 4th Quarter to win the team’s ninth one-score game of 2022.
Wide receiver Justin Jefferson recorded 7 receptions, 45 receiving yards, and 1 touchdown, grabbing the one paydirt at a time when the Vikings desperately needed points. Jefferson is now on pace for 1,809 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns.
The Vikings are early one-point underdogs on the road against the Detroit Lions in Week 14, a team that bashed the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, 40-14. The Lions offense is sometimes pretty nifty, but Detroit’s defense is awful.
The Packers won in Week 13, a road triumph against the Chicago Bears. But the Packers, Lions, and Bears playoff hopes are all but vanquished. The Vikings are the No. 2 seed in the NFC behind the Eagles and would host a home playoff game versus the Seattle Seahawks if the playoffs started today.
Health should improve a bit on Minnesota’s roster as the team expects starting cornerback Cameron Dantzler to return from an ankle injury this weekend. Dalvin Tomlinson came back against the Jets from an extended calf-related absence and quickly thrived.
A 1-4 or 0-5 record the rest of the way would plop the Vikings in the postseason. Of course, winning the division is preferred, but subpar football, as a worst-case scenario, would net a playoff berth. That’s the perk of a 10-2 start. The Vikings have a > 99% probability of reaching the postseason, per FiveThirtyEight. They can wrap up the NFC North with a win against Detroit.
The Vikings have won 9 of the last 10 matchups against the Lions.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
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