The Pair of Problems the Vikings Can’t Seem to Shake
After Week 3, when the Minnesota Vikings bashed the Cincinnati Bengals by a score of 48-10, the team’s fans revelled in a feeling of renewal. The club avoided a 1-2 start and will now head overseas for two games. Two problems remain, though, with the enterprise: 3rd Down conversion percentage on offense and penalties, on the whole.
The Minnesota Vikings are 2-1 through three games, but two problems have followed the team out of the gate this season.
Thankfully for Kevin O’Connell’s team, it’s still early enough in the regular season to right the ship.
Two Issues Prevent the Vikings from Clean Football
The team may rectify the situation as early as this Sunday.
No. 1 = 3rd Down Conversion Percentage on Offense
One buried item from the Vikings’ pounding of the Bengals last weekend? The 3rd Down offense still stunk despite positive vibes throughout the entire contest everywhere else.
Led by Carson Wentz, a temporary replacement for J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota converted 4 of 12 3rd Downs in Week 3, a stunningly low mark for a team that won by 38 points. In fact, at 31.43% in three games, Kevin O’Connell’s team ranks 28th in the NFL per offensive 3rd Down conversion percentage, which is also known as fifth worst.
McCarthy did the offense no favors in his first two games, which is understandable for a de facto rookie passer in his first two career starts, but then Wentz entered the lineup and toed the line — in a bad way.
Last year, with Sam Darnold at QB1, Minnesota ranked 14th per 3rd Down conversion percentage. And in O’Connell’s first season, 2022, Kirk Cousins and friends checked in at No. 11. So, yes — this is very much a quarterback-driven stat.
No. 2 = Penalties
The Vikings have been assessed penalties 29 times in three games. That’s terrible. Dreadful, even. Only the Tennessee Titans and New Orleans Saints — two awful teams in 2025 — have been penalized more with three weeks in the books.
In fact, one might consider it a mini-miracle that Minnesota won a game by 38 points last weekend while being penalized 13 times for 105 yards.
For clarity, Kevin O’Connell’s team has 15 penalties on offense, 10 on defense, and 4 on special teams. They’re spreading the affliction around the team with some unfortunate equity, though the offense is taking the cake so far.
False start infractions are particularly bad with 7.
Fixing No. 1
A repair for 3rd Down conversion percentage will take a group effort, but mostly boils down to two people: the head coach (or playcaller) and quarterback.
O’Connell didn’t have too many problems in past seasons with converting 3rd Downs, so, yes, this is McCarthy and Wentz stat and problem. Teams that take care of 3rd Downs on offense usually tunnel deep into the playoffs, meaning Minnesota will have a vested interest in figuring this one out.
The solution might start with running back Jordan Mason setting the team up with manageable 3rd Downs using his legs. A 3rd and 3 is much easier to convert than 3rd and 9. Then, in any event, the Vikings’ offensive line must do its part on 3rd Down. To date, the envisioned offensive line from the spring and summer has not played in totality. Christian Darrisaw just returned, but now rookie Donovan Jackson is out for a few weeks.
Minnesota probably won’t showcase its ideal offensive trenches until Week 7. Perhaps that’s when the 3rd Down woes can end.
Fixing No. 2
Penalties are slightly simpler to fix than 3rd Down conversion. They’re mental errors, and at times in the past under O’Connell, Minnesota has been forced to prioritize and fix the penalty problem — and it worked.
There is precedent for overhauling a turnover concern by this very coaching staff. The group must basically lock in. It’s really that easy: play more disciplined.
Other frequent scourges around the NFL are harder to fix, like turnovers, for example. Minnesota won the turnover battle last week by 5. That is low on the list of problems at the moment.
Additional Context on Minnesota’s 2 Problems
Vikings Wire‘s Cole Smith noted on the penalties last weekend: “The Bad: Penalties. As good as the Vikings played for the most part, penalties were an issue all day. They committed 13 penalties for 105 yards, far exceeding the four penalties for 45 yards the Bengals had.”
“Many of these came pre-snap on offense, creating unnecessary 3rd-and-long opportunities. The early lead helped minimize the impact, but the Vikings have to be more disciplined moving forward.”
And O’Connell said about Wentz, in particular, after Sunday’s dub: “I thought he was very sharp fundamentally. There were quite a few reps where the ground is the quarterback’s friend, from a standpoint of keeping your foundation or your base, balance and body position, in the ground so you can make quick decisions.”
“I thought he progressed multiple times. I thought he threw with anticipation. I thought he really got into a groove once we got into the meat of the game, which can be hard sometimes, which we’ll take, when the defense is scoring points.”
Wentz will get the start once again this Sunday in an Ireland game against Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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