About That Vikings’ Offseason Plan …
Right after the Minnesota Vikings lost to the Detroit Lions in Week 18 of the 2023 season, folks wondered about the franchise’s future, including the fates of quarterback Kirk Cousins and outside linebacker Danielle Hunter.
About That Vikings’ Offseason Plan …
Fast forward to Week 2 of the NFL season, and Minnesota’s offseason plan looks wise as hell, if only for one week.
Minnesota knocked off the New York Giants 28-6 at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, crippling all facets of the Giants’ operation, mainly based on newcomers’ performances. Most onlookers would argue that Sam Darnold, Aaron Jones, and Andrew Van Ginkel provided the special sauce sparking the blowout.
Not for nothing, the Vikings hadn’t defeated an opponent by 17 or more points since December 2019 — so five years ago.
New quarterback Sam Darnold — who was supposed to be the patchover passer to J.J. McCarthy, but that plan derailed after McCarthy’s season-ending meniscus tear — immediately looked the part of a man chomping at the bit for redemption. He started the game perfectly with a string of a dozen completions, commanding the offense in a manner that would make Kirk Cousins jealous in The Big Peach.
All told, Darnold tabulated 208 passing yards, 2 touchdown passes, one interception, and the NFL’s best efficiency rating among quarterbacks (before Monday Night Football, New York Jets at San Francisco 49ers). Put bluntly, Darnold was nearly flawless, even if the Giants’ defense appeared inept.
Then, Aaron Jones provided relief on the ground. In back-to-back seasons, 2022 and 2023, Minnesota ranked near the NFL’s bottom tier per rushing efficiency, and Jones came along Sunday and thwacked that stat in the mouth. He registered 109 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown, making Minnesota’s offense multi-dimensional for the first time since Dalvin Cook’s heyday. If Jones continues this pace and remains healthy, head coach Kevin O’Connell won’t have to pass the football at a dangerously high clip, which usually sinks an offense.
The $7 million Jones investment paid immediate dividends after general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah dropped Alexander Mattison seven months ago.
Finally, Andrew Van Ginkel, a Brian Flores’ carryover from the Miami Dolphins days, stole fans’ hearts with a sack, four tackles, and a blowout-solidifying pick-six. The long-haired, Viking-doppelganger defender flew all over the place, a free-agent steal of a deal at $10 million per season.
And all of this was on top of rookie outside linebacker Dallas Turner banking a sack, new EDGE Jihad Ward effectuating QB pressures, and Blake Cashman’s six tackles.
Adofo-Mensah’s offseason looked brilliant for a week. Plain and simple.
Ivan Pace Jr. Was Right
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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