Sep 22, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (33) runs the ball against the Houston Texans during the fourth quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.
Each week, we offer a “snap reactions” piece detailing thoughts and analysis after the latest Minnesota Vikings game.
This will be off-the-cuff, a wee bit random, and hopefully insightful.
The Vikings won at home on Sunday afternoon over the Houston Texans 34-7, continuing their blistering hot start that feels out of nowhere.
1 — The Vikings are flat-out good and in no way accidental or fluky. It’s time to start viewing them through a lens of NFC North frontrunners rather than little-engine-that-could Wildcard sniffers.
2 — Minnesota finally got a win in its fabulous throwback uniforms, ending the nonsensical, naughty 0-2 streak. The organization won’t do it, but we’d endorse making those full-time uniforms. They’re just so wonderful.
3 — Vikings fans will hold their breath early this week while Sam Darnold gets the precautionary MRI on his knee. We believe he’ll be just fine because the medical staff would not have whimsically thrown him back in the game. However, there is generalized Vikings-themed paranoia that this 3-0 start is “too good to be true” and that Darnold will end up with a torn meniscus, for example. But that’s just stinking thinking.
4 — Props to the “fill-in guys” like linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill, wide receiver Jalen Nailor, and outside linebacker Patrick Jones II who made the game so enjoyable that it “didn’t matter” that Ivan Pace Jr., Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson missed the contest due to injury. Minnesota has verifiable roster depth from head to toe for the first time in years.
5 — Kevin O’Connell’s team is winning games for four key reasons: 1) It’s winning the turnover battle — every game. 2) 3rd Down efficiency on both sides of the ball is evident. 3) Redzone trips are translated into points if not outright touchdowns 4) Aaron Jones is making the offense multidimensional.
6 — Sam Darnold will not encounter an utter downturn or all-out regression. That fate is reserved for players who have suspect arm talent. Darnold’s arm talent is unquestionable. If he regresses, it will be minor — not Joshua Dobbisan.
7 — Aaron Jones is the straw that stirs the drink on offense. Without him, the Vikings would still have too many 3-and-Outs and pass the football about 70% of the time. O’Connell finally fixed his rushing problem. The solution is named Aaron Jones.
8 — Minnesota now has 69% odds of reaching the playoffs, according to sportsbooks. That mark was 28% three weeks ago. It arrived at the regular season with no rust from skimpy participation by starters in the preseason. Whatever O’Connell did in July and August to prepare for September … he should jot it down and replicate it. The Vikings are one of the only teams in the business with no visible early-season rust.
9 — The Houston Texans are a really good football team. They’re not just overachievers. The roster talent is undeniable. And Minnesota beat them by 27 points.
10 — Imagine how the Vikings’ offense will look when Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson return. We can’t recall any Vikings team — ever — where injuries just didn’t matter. Did you care today around 2:30 pm CST that Addison, Hockenson, Pace Jr., and Turner were missing? Their absences didn’t matter. Mind-boggling.
11 — Will Reichard drilling a 58-yard field goal as a cake topper was obscenely fun. What a perfect situation for the young man to get his first mammoth field goal (distance) out of the way.
12 — We fully expect Jordan Love to return just in time for Packers-Vikings. We also fully expect that to not really matter. These Vikings take on all comers.
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.