The 3 Most Pleasant Surprises for the Vikings in 2024
The Minnesota Vikings journey to Detroit for a date with the Lions this weekend, and the winner will clinch homefield advantage throughout the postseason.
The 3 Most Pleasant Surprises for the Vikings in 2024
A tie would break in the Lions’ favor for homefield advantage.
So, with the Vikings’ regular season nearing the finish line, these are the most pleasant surprises, ranked in ascending order (No. 1 = top surprise).
3. Commitment to Running the Ball
Minnesota isn’t an elite rushing football team — yet — but unlike 2023, it did not abandon running the rock altogether.
Last year, the Vikings ranked 30th per rushing playcall percentage. That’s third-least or third-worst.
Fast forward to this season — the one where Minnesota has a 14-2 record — and Kevin O’Connell’s team ranks 13th per rushing playcall percentage. Somebody on the purple coaching staff realized that offensive playcalling must have balance.
It helps that Aaron Jones is so damn dependable.
2. “Too Many” Good EDGE Rushers
Long-time pass rusher Danielle Hunter bolted for the Houston Texans last March, and to fill that void, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah signed Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel as veteran replacements.
Neither have disappointed, and in fact, both earned Pro Bowl nods this week.
Life is good, right? Yes. But on top of Greenard and Van Ginkel, Minnesota drafted Alabama’s Dallas Turner from Round 1 last April, and he doesn’t play anything close to starter’s snaps because Greenard and Van Ginkel are too good.
The Vikings went from zero EDGE rushers — and panic — when Hunter signed in Houston to too many for equitable playing time.
1. Samuel Richard Darnold
Sam Darnold has 36 total touchdowns this season. His previous high? 21.
Many Vikings fans predicted a reclamation season for Darnold that might resemble Baker Mayfield’s from 2023. Darnold has far surpassed that.
The 27-year-old is playing so well that most discussions surrounding his name involve the fear of letting him go. Months ago, it was a foregone conclusion that Darnold would drop by the Twin Cities for a year, throw 20-25 touchdowns, and bounce. Now, though, a sizable faction of Vikings fans want him back.
The guy is deadly in the clutch, has not regressed one bit, and is guiding a 14- or 15-win team into the postseason. He’s the Vikings’ most pleasant surprise in 2024. By a mile.
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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