Mediocrity Is Still on the Table for Vikings
There are levels as to what can be accomplished during an NFL season. The Minnesota Vikings currently own a 3-4 record after a pair of losses in games they didn’t need to drop. Los Angeles was the latest opponent to embarrass Kevin O’Connell and his roster, but better futures could be on the horizon.
The Minnesota Vikings would be considered mediocre with a 9-8 record this season, but at 3-4, that’s something they should embrace.
This offseason, the Vikings turned their focus to young quarterback J.J. McCarthy. The assumption was that the first-round pick would take over and lead the team to new heights. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen out of the gate.
No Stranger to Mediocrity, It May Be on the Way for the Vikings Again
McCarthy was both mediocre and hurt. He has been hurt for the past handful of weeks, and while he is expected to return against the Detroit Lions in Week 9, there has already been plenty of tread on the tires. McCarthy now faces an uphill battle trying to right a wronged team, and the weight of the world lands on his shoulders.
Despite a pair of ugly losses, all is not lost for O’Connell and his team. The Vikings are still in position to make something of this season, and it starts coming off their mini bye week.
If the Vikings can get healthy and turn the page from what they showed in Los Angeles, then opportunity stays in front of them. A 9-8 record may not get them to the playoffs, but it would represent a best-foot-forward scenario and present a reason to believe in the future. That’s still a very realistic outcome for this season, and it’s something the team must strive for.
Should the Vikings steal a couple of outcomes, they could find themselves in position for 10 or 11 wins. Both of those digits should generate playoff positioning, and that would be a welcome result after starting the year with a record below .500 through their first seven games.
It’s also possible that Minnesota falls off a cliff and very little is added to the three wins already on the ledger. That would reflect McCarthy being over his head and a very steep learning curve throughout the rest of the season. Honestly, that may be the most straightforward outcome for a 22-year-old with two starts under his belt. It would be unfortunate, but not at all unexpected.
Where Minnesota goes from here remains to be seen. The opportunity for punting is gone, though, and immediate results needing to take hold is where this team is at.
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