8 Things to Know about Vikings Football Right before Week 1
In one day, the Minnesota Vikings regular season gets underway.
8 Things to Know about Vikings Football Right before Week 1
Minnesota is on deck to win about six or seven games, according to oddsmakers, and some consider this campaign a transformation season or flyover year to get to 2025. Minnesota said goodbye to Kirk Cousins in March, while 2025 and beyond will be all about J.J. McCarthy’s development.
So, with game day about 24 hours away, these are the eight things to know about the 2024 Vikings, ranked in no particular order.
1. Fix the Rushing Offense — Please.
In 2022, Minnesota’s ground game ranked 27th in the NFL per DVOA, an efficiency metric. Then, during the 2023 offseason, the club swore a fix was on the way. It then finished 27th per DVOA again in 2023. The same spot.
Thankfully, former Green Bay Packer Aaron Jones is in the house as a potential fix. He and Ty Chandler are tasked with improving the sixth-worst rushing attack in the business.
2. Vikings Football Is Just a Turnover Stat
Here are the numbers.
Vikings’ Record under Kevin O’Connell,
Breaking Even or Winning Turnover Battle:
17-0
Vikings’ Record under Kevin O’Connell,
Losing Turnover Battle:
3-14
Under O’Connell, when the Vikings turn the ball over, they lose. When they don’t, they win. All O’Connell-led Vikings games are really that simple.
3. JJM and JJets Directly Line Up on the Books
Justin Jefferson decided to stay in Minnesota for the long haul, and per his contract, his deal and J.J. McCarthy’s expire after the 2028 season.
Vikings football is about how Jefferson and McCarthy mix — with the hope the defense becomes formidable.
4. No Blowouts (17+ Points) since 2019
The last time Minnesota crushed a team … was in 2019. The Vikings abused the Los Angeles Chargers, led by Philip Rivers, and then that was that for blowouts. No more in the last five years.
In fact, Minnesota has scored 40+ points in a game just once in the last five years. For context, the Dallas Cowboys have scored 40+ points 18 times.
5. They Got the Pass Rushing Depth
Folks panicked about Danielle Hunter’s free agency, which was understandable. Now, however, Minnesota boasts its deepest overall EDGE room in years:
- Jonathan Greenard
- Dallas Turner
- Andrew Van Ginkel
- Patrick Jones II
- Jihad Ward
6. Holiday Games Relent
For the first time in five years, the Vikings have no games on holidays like Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, New Year’s, etc.
Your family holidays won’t be uprooted by Vikings games.
7. Total Coaching Continuity
The Vikings’ 2024 season will be the first time since 2015-2016 that they’ve rolled in a year with the same head coach, offensive coordinator, and defensive coordinator in consecutive seasons. So, about 8-9 years since full continuity.
- Head Coach = Kevin O’Connell
- Offensive Coordinator = Wes Phillips
- Defensive Coordinator = Brian Flores
8. All the New Guys
An example of the Vikings’ roster turnover during this offseason alone per starters’ jobs:
- Dean Lowry➡️ Jerry Tillery
- Greg Joseph ➡️ Will Reichard
- Kirk Cousins ➡️ Sam Darnold | J.J. McCarthy
- K.J. Osborn ➡️ Trent Sherfield
- Jordan Hicks ➡️ Blake Cashman
- Marcus Davenport ➡️ Dallas Turner
- Alexander Mattison ➡️ Aaron Jones
- Danielle Hunter ➡️ Jonathan Greenard
- Andrew Booth ➡️ Stephon Gilmore | Shaquill Griffin
Vikings Free Up Some Cap Space
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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