Bleacher Report Outlines Doomsday Scenario for Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings’ regular season is 82 days away, and the club will travel to Chicago for a date with the Bears on Monday Night Football.
Bleacher Report has a doomsday for the Vikings in 2025. This is what could go wrong, evidently, and here’s why.
Fans have high hopes for Minnesota this season, fresh off an offseason stuffed to the gills with roster enhancements, mainly building the offensive and defensive trenches. Assuming quarterback J.J. McCarthy doesn’t perform woefully, the playoffs and even the Super Bowl could be within the franchise’s grasp.
But according to Bleacher Report, Minnesota has one worst-case scenario: failing to fix the rushing offense.
Bleacher Report Reveals Vikings’ Worst-Case Scenario
BR’s Alex Ballentine outlined one doomsday scenario for each NFL team this week, and for Kevin O’Connell’s squad, it’s continued ground game troubles.
Ballentine explained, “Worst-Case Scenario: Run game struggles behind new interior offensive line. The Vikings clearly felt they needed to upgrade the interior offensive line this offseason. Creating a new starting trio in one offseason is a drastic move that should make the offense better. But there are some questions inside the tackles.”
“Jackson will need to prove himself as a rookie and Fries is ‘on track to be ready for camp,’ but still recovering from the fractured tibia he suffered last season. Kelly is 32 and hasn’t played all 17 games in a season the last two years. That trio will be blocking for a 30-year-old Aaron Jones.”
As a playcaller, O’Connell has chosen to rest on his laurels and throw the football more than most teams, but recent trends suggest the young skipper is hellbent on more balance — i.e., running the football efficiently.
Ballentine added, “Jordan Mason is behind him on the depth chart, but there’s a world in which the Vikings’ run game is not good enough to help McCarthy as he navigates his first season as a starter. That would put too much on the second-year quarterback and result in an offense that is much closer to average than it should be.”
What about the Best-Case Scenario?
That wasn’t all.
Ballentine also uplifted the best-case scenario: “Best-Case Scenario: J.J. McCarthy is an instant upgrade over Sam Darnold. There aren’t many weaknesses to speak of for the Vikings offense on paper. They dropped Sam Darnold into their ecosystem last year, and he threw for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns.”
“One of the only things that could slow them now is J.J. McCarthy’s development. The 22-year-old missed his rookie year with a meniscus tear, clearing the way for Darnold’s comeback season. Theoretically, the environment is set up even better for McCarthy, the Vikings added Will Fries, Donovan Jackson and Ryan Kelly to form a new trio on the interior of the offensive line.”
While perhaps assuming too much in a favorable direction, this outcome feels more likely than another year of flimsy rushing offense.
Ballentine concluded about the best-case scenario: “If McCarthy can step into the role behind that offensive line with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson and Aaron Jones at his disposal, Minnesota will be formidable.”
Ongoing Rushing Offense Woes for the Vikings
Here’s why Ballentine mentioned the Vikings’ rushing offense in the first place:
Vikings Rushing DVOA,
NFL Ranking,
in the Kevin O’Connell Era:
2022: 27th
2023: 27th
2024: 20th
Teams rarely win the Super Bowl — or even reach it — with rushing rankings this low. Minnesota probably must climb into the Top 15 to be taken seriously as a Super Bowl contender.
It Would Be Rather Odd if This Plan Doesn’t Work
Let’s face it: it would be quite strange if Minnesota’s offseason plan to fix the rushing attack simply flops. Signing Will Fries and Ryan Kelly, drafting Donovan Jackson, re-upping with Aaron Jones, and trading for Jordan Mason are not half-measured solutions. They’re profound, in fact, if the end game is to promote better rushing efficiency.
If the plan falters, it will have meant that Fries and Kelly got hurt, Jones hit an age-related decline, or that Mason was a one-hit wonder in San Francisco.
It’s a nuanced way of saying that this offseason plan will likely yield dividends.
Doomsday Scenario for Vikings’ Rivals
We know you’re wondering, so here’s the doomsday scenario for the Green Bay Packers, per Ballentine: “Worst-Case Scenario: Jordan Love struggles behind shaky offensive Line. The Packers upgraded Love’s weaponry through the draft, but there are questions on the offensive line.”
“They made a sizable investment to add Aaron Banks at left guard, but his pass-blocking grade ranked 77th among all guards graded by PFF. Elgton Jenkins is slated to move to center, but he’s holding in at Packers minicamp. Jordan Morgan could be starting at left tackle or right guard, but he’ll have to show he can improve after a tumultuous rookie season. Love is already willing to take too many risks as a quarterback.”
Green Bay is expected to finish in second place inside the NFC North, with Minnesota and Chicago dueling to avoid last, per sportsbooks.
Ballentine added, “If the Packers offensive line doesn’t jell and Golden doesn’t add much to the passing game, we could see more of the ugly side of the signal-caller’s game.”
On the whole, O’Connell’s rushing offense should finally be in a good spot.
Report Reveals Vikings’ Real Plan at QB
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