Sep 8, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Fans react during the second half of a game between the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images.
The following questions are about current Minnesota Vikings topics, answered by VikingsTerritory. Today is the September 17th edition, addressed in a from-the-hip fashion. If you have questions, please email them to DustinBakerNFL@gmail.com.
Also, please note: These are opinion-based responses. Some answers will be incorrect from time to time. But we’ll try to keep that to a minimum.
Answer: A contender, for sure. Maybe not for the Super Bowl, but a playoff contender, nevertheless.
The Vikings ranked fourth in the NFL per defensive DVOA and sixth offensively. They’re not winning accidentally or via last-second field goals. So far, the team has played competently on all sides of the ball, even looking better than the 2022 team that finished 13-4.
Sam Darnold’s production may come back to earth, but Minnesota is playing terrific defense and should be able to hang with anybody accordingly. Put it this way: if a team can defeat the San Francisco 49ers, no team besides the Kansas City Chiefs is off-limits.
Minnesota is a playoff contender that needs several more wins before Super Bowl whispers.
A: Rushing the football efficiently.
In 2022 and 2023, Minnesota ranked 27th per rushing DVOA. Back-to-back seasons of futility. This year, at least for now, the ground attack has stabilized. Aaron Jones and Ty Chandler are averaging 5.9 yards per touch — apiece.
The run sets up the pass, and Vikings fans are just not familiar with this football brand under Kevin O’Connell. It’s marvelous.
Returning to one-dimensional pass-first tendencies would likely put Minnseota back around .500. Just like last year.
Answer: None of them, really. The 49ers were the trickiest game on the schedule. And Minnesota won that badboy.
If forced to pick, assuming the game has stakes, probably the Detroit Lions on the road in Week 18. Usually, however, the Week 18 game is meaningless for the Vikings, so we’ll have to wait and see what December and January bring.
This weekend versus Houston won’t be easy. Homefield advantage helps. Maybe the Vikings will even end the Seattle drought in two months.
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 MIN 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.