Vikings Face Brutal Path the Rest of the Way
The Minnesota Vikings are now 3-2 heading into the bye week after a comeback win in London against the Cleveland Browns.
The biggest story so far, after five games, has been the number of injuries they have already sustained. It has been crazy to put it mildly.
The Vikings sit at 3-2, but injuries and a tough schedule loom large, leaving Minnesota with a daunting road ahead after their London win.
Despite the injuries, though, they should have won at least one more game. They nearly pulled off a comeback win two weeks ago against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Ireland. The 22-6 home opening loss to the Atlanta Falcons was a disappointing one. There was no excuse for that performance.
The Vikings’ Schedule Turns Ruthless
Even with the win this past Sunday, the outlook for the rest of the season is not looking particularly promising at the moment. Of course, things would have looked even worse had they been 2-3 or even 1-4. Both could have easily happened, but again, they also could have easily been 4-1, which would have put them in much better shape.
Can they still turn things around? They absolutely can. The league is very unpredictable, and the bye week comes at a perfect time. They will get more guys healthy, and it is a long season, but the schedule will get much tougher afterwards.
They host the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders, Green Bay Packers, and the Detroit Lions. On the road, they face the Los Angeles Chargers, Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay, and Detroit. Those are all good teams.
Los Angeles has lost its past two games, but it still has a good team and will be on the road.
They will also face the Baltimore Ravens at home. Despite their 1-4 record, they have a talented team, and Lamar Jackson is expected to return by then. The road game against the Dallas Cowboys will not be easy either.
Ryan Kelly has suffered two concussions already this season and has a history of them, too. You have to wonder how long he will be out. He was placed on injured reserve, so he will miss four games at the very least, but you have to wonder if, at age 32, he could sit out the rest of the season and call it a career. That would not be a bad decision at all, by the way.
Brian O’Neill suffered a sprained MCL against Pittsburgh. True, the injury could have been much worse, but regardless, he could be out for a while.
After the bye week, they could get Donovan Jackson (wrist) and Blake Cashman (hamstring) back, but having Kelly and O’Neill out for perhaps an extended period would really hurt. Blake Brandel looked good at center in the last game, but can he maintain that level of consistency?
It is still unknown when Andrew Van Ginkel (neck) will be ready to return to play.
J.J. McCarthy could be healthy after the bye week, and it would be a shock if they continue to stick with Carson Wentz. Even if Minnesota went 3-0 with Wentz, they should have went back to McCarthy. He needs to keep playing if they want him to develop. Wentz does not have a future with this team.
Even if Wentz was under center the rest of the season, would this team have a shot at making it to the Super Bowl? Very unlikely, even though crazy things happen frequently in this league. In the best-case scenario, they may win a playoff game in the first round, but even that could be very tough.
Sure, it is usually the right move to stick with the hot hand, but this is a much different situation. This team also needs to look beyond 2025.
How will McCarthy play the rest of the season if he can stay healthy? Will he do enough for Minnesota to go on a nice run and make the playoffs for the third time in four years under Kevin O’Connell? Maybe he will, but it could be asking a lot from a first-year starter, especially if the team’s injuries keep piling up.
If the team had been healthier, he would not have needed to do as much.
Good news, though, is that he will have Christian Darrisaw and Jordan Addison this time. Neither was playing during the two games he was under center. McCarthy could end up being this franchise’s quarterback for many years to come, even if he has a mediocre season. It is still too early to say he will not be.
The 2017 team started 2-2 before finishing at 13-3 and advancing to the NFC Championship Game. They did that despite the absence of starting quarterback Sam Bradford and running back Dalvin Cook. That team did not have a very tough schedule, but it was still awe-inspiring and surprising that they went on that run without those two. Improbable that this team goes on a run like that.
Will this team make it to the playoffs? They could perhaps, but at the moment, the chances of that happening do not look too good. Even finishing at 9-8 is not looking too likely. Realistically, 7-10 may be the most likely outcome.
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