All of Vikings Nation Is Asking One Question
The Minnesota Vikings own an unblemished 4-0 record heading into October, sharing the undefeated mark with the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs as the league’s only unbeatens.
All of Vikings Nation Is Asking One Question
Just like everybody drew it up, huh?
The Vikings take on the New York Jets next in London, and en route to that game, plus for the regular season’s remainder on the whole, Vikings fans are asking one question.
The Question: “Is It Sustainable? or “Are They for Real?
Because fans lived through the 2016 season not long ago, paranoia suggests the 4-0 standing could be a mirage. And 21 years ago, Minnesota started the 2003 campaign with a whopping 6-0 record before collapsing and missing the postseason altogether. Vikings’ current quarterback coach, Josh McCown, was the Week 17 architect who kept the team from the playoffs.
And heading into the 2024 season — like all spring and summer — most reasonable Vikings enthusiasts, plus NFL punditry, believed the team would win between six and eight games in a transformational year when Sam Darnold would probably play like Sam Darnold.
Instead, Darnold has played like prime Tony Romo, and onlookers want to know if the overall team success is sustainable. It’s the magic question.
Why It IS Sustainable
The Vikings, at the moment, are an incredibly balanced enterprise. In 2016 — the year that the bottom, indeed, fell out — the offense always lagged behind the defense and special teams and was finally exposed after the bye. In fact, the Vikings’ rushing totals from 2016 were a franchise low per yards and efficiency. Without Adrian Peterson — a torn meniscus: sound familiar? — the ground game descended to hell. Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata did their damndest to keep up, but it didn’t work. Minnesota doesn’t have the rushing demons in 2024. Aaron Jones and Ty Chandler have the special sauce.
This year, the Vikings’ defense ranks first in the NFL per DVOA and first in EPA/Play. It has surrendered a gaudy amount of passing yards, but that’s because the Vikings have led on the scoreboard for all but three minutes of the 2024 regular season. In fact, opposing teams are forced to throw the football 71% of the time against the purple team.
The offense ranks seventh per EPA/Play and 13th per DVOA. One side is not carrying the other. The team has the balance of an elite, Super Bowl-contending team.
How the Bottom Could Fall Out
Minnesota’s season could become rotten in three ways.
1. For now, the club has handed the football to opponents seven times via turnover. Thankfully, the defense has forced 10 turnovers of its own. If the offensive and special teams turnovers persist while the defensive playmaking levels off, Kevin O’Connell’s team would be in trouble. Rest assured.
2. The defense dies — like it did in a game at the Cincinnati Bengals last year. In 2023, Minnesota’s defense ranked tops in the business from Weeks 4 to 14. But then it faceplanted. It never recovered. Folks who attended games versus the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium can attest.
3. Darnold encounters an injury. Nick Mullens could probably gun-sling his way to some wins, but his recklessness might sink the operation.
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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