Vikings Need to Get the Offense Rolling
In the fallout of the Minnesota Vikings’ first loss of the season, aspects of their play need to be examined. Much of it is on the offensive side of the ball, and the Vikings need to get the offense rolling in LA on Thursday night.
Vikings Need to Get the Offense Rolling
The big question coming into this season — particularly after J.J. McCarthy’s injury — was whether Sam Darnold could run the Vikings’ offense well enough to make the Vikings truly competitive. With the help of Brian Flores and his defense playing lights out, the Vikings got to 5-0, and everything looked rosy. It only takes one defeat for people to start looking for cracks, and we have seen that this week with the Vikings.
There are some cracks in the Vikings’ offense, and they started appearing in the second half of the game at Green Bay. After scoring four offensive touchdowns in the first half against the Packers, Minnesota only managed to score three more in the next ten quarters of football. The lead was already big enough to secure the win in Green Bay and a strong defensive performance, and Andrew Van Ginkel’s pick-six helped secure the win against the New York Jets.
Sam Darnold
Sam Darnold’s start to the season drew MVP chatter while throwing 11 touchdown passes in the first four games. There has only been one in the last two games, and the offense doesn’t look to be running quite as smoothly. Darnold has sometimes looked a bit more flustered and missed a few throws. That’s not to say Darnold has played badly, he hasn’t. It was a struggle against the Jets, but he played well against the Lions. However, the Vikings offense has left me wanting more over the last two and a half games.
That’s not all on Darnold’s shoulders, but there are certainly things to tidy up. He has thrown an interception in every game except in Week 3 against the Texans. It is far too frequent to throw interceptions, and he really needs a couple of clean games to settle everything down. Minnesota isn’t paying big money for an elite quarterback, but Darnold has shown that he can run this offense effectively in spells. The big question at this point is whether he can do it consistently over a full season and produce in the big moments.
Kevin O’Connell
Kevin O’Connell has received a lot of praise for what he has done in Minnesota so far, and rightly so. Whenever the offense feels out of sync, it’s up to the head coach and offensive play-caller to sort things out. The Vikings offense has blown hot and cold throughout O’Connell’s tenure, rarely putting four quarters of good football together.
Does O’Connell have all the pieces to make his offense perfect? No. Darnold is the best case we can do at QB right now. There are significant issues at guard and center, and TJ Hockenson’s absence so far this season has meant the production he’d want from the TE position just hasn’t been there. O’Connell runs a notoriously complex offense with a lot of shifts, motions, and long-winded plays. That is playing its part in far too many penalty flags and breakdowns on the offensive line. More simple play calls like slants for quick-hitting gains could be beneficial.
The Vikings should soon get Hockenson back, which will be a huge boost. They could also turn to Dalton Risner, who is also returning from injury, at right guard. The Vikings are strong at tackle with Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill, but the interior has been a long-standing problem. When O’Connell has the full complement of what he has available for this season, can he keep the offense humming more consistently?
A quick turnaround for Thursday Night Football allows the Vikings to show a more polished all-around offensive performance in front of the bright lights of prime. It’s on O’Connell, Darnold, and the rest of the offense to deliver.
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