All Things 2025 Minnesota Vikings In-Season Thread

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Excuses are for losers but one can lament that injuries are a factor. On D we didn't have Smith, VanGinkel, Cash, and on O Darrisaw, Kelly, and bad boy Addison. Plus a rookie at LG and QB.

There are glaring weaknesses with this squad. They have not been good against the run, are lacking big playmakers on D, the O has no identity, weak running game, Jefferson and TE Hawkenson have been nuetralized and a struggling QB and very weak OL.

Unless they get people healthy in short order, this team will not make the playoffs.
 

Really poor performance but it's a really long season. 1 game out of first to a team we play twice. Yes, plenty of issues and injuries could kill us, but let's wait 5 or 6 games b4 we make season conclusion.
 

Bayfield Gopher said:
Excuses are for losers but one can lament that injuries are a factor. On D we didn't have Smith, VanGinkel, Cash, and on O Darrisaw, Kelly, and bad boy Addison. Plus a rookie at LG and QB.

There are glaring weaknesses with this squad. They have not been good against the run, are lacking big playmakers on D, the O has no identity, weak running game, Jefferson and TE Hawkenson have been nuetralized and a struggling QB and very weak OL.

Unless they get people healthy in short order, this team will not make the playoffs.
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Over 200 yards given up on the ground tonight is eye opening to say the least.

That's called getting blown off the ball.
 





It's early to panic. Bo Nix looked awful the first 2-3 games last year and then it came together pretty fast. The defense played well. The offensive line is a concern.

They gambled on Kelly and it appears they will lose. And they should have let Aaron Jones go and gotten another younger option.
 

howeda7 said:
It's early to panic. Bo Nix looked awful the first 2-3 games last year and then it came together pretty fast. The defense played well. The offensive line is a concern.

They gambled on Kelly and it appears they will lose. And they should have let Aaron Jones go and gotten another younger option.
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part of the problem with that analogy is Nix is 25 (as is Penix).

Some interesting comp stats on why I will be pretty surprised if Mccarthy has it figured out even by season's end (though he has the KOC advantage you hope)

Career stats prior to start of NFL career
Nix (25): 1286/1936, 66.4%, 15352 yds, 113TD-19Int, 1613 rush yds, 38 rush TDs
Penix (25): 1067/1685, 63.3%, 13741 yds, 96TD-34Int, 265 rush yds, 13 rush TDs
Daniels (24): 953/1438, 66.3%, 12749 yds, 89TD-20Int, 3307 rush yds, 34 rush TDs
Mccarthy (22): 482/713, 67.6%, 6226 yds, 49TD-11Int, 632 rush yds, 10 rush TDs

Or if you want closer to age
Williams (23): 735/1099, 66.9%, 10082 yds, 93TD-14Int, 960 rush yds, 27 rush TDs
Maye (23): 618/952, 64.9%, 8018 yds, 63TD-16Int, 1209 rush yds, 16 rush TDs

It was part of the intrigue of JJ is he was so young and likely hadn't even scratched the surface. But part of that is you have to willing to suffer a bit while he figures it out. Maye and Williams were also pretty meh last year with Nix and Daniels figuring it out sooner. It takes snaps and learning to get there. Joy of why he looks so damn confused out there is he simply hasn't seen it (like when he threw the pick 6 last week and KOC just says "you have to know").


Unfortunately, the blood-letting cap wise is going to have to start next year as JJs contract jumps 23 mil, Darrisaws 14 mil, Kellys 12mil, Fries 7 mil, Allen 15 mil, Hargrave 14mil, Van Ginkel 8mil and Murphy 9 mil so we're projected about 27mil over cap. So your window with this roster is pretty limited
 



I said it last year and I’ll say it again, KOC is not a good play caller and needs to give up that responsibility.
 

GopherWeatherGuy said:
I said it last year and I’ll say it again, KOC is not a good play caller and needs to give up that responsibility.
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interestingly enough, most league people and talking heads would disagree with you. The wheel route iso to get Jones open for his TD and the keeper call for Mccarthy in the RZ for the rush TD.

I think the bigger problem is McCarthy is not there yet even getting us out of the huddle. KOC is known for having long and complicated play calls. young kid just trying to figure it out. That works with Darnold, Cousins, and even Dobbs who are more cerebral guys who have been around. That is extremely challenging for a young guy and it feels like he's protecting McCarthy because of it. Didn't help that he lost his center last night who i'm sure was making almost all the protection calls and is playing now down multiple OL.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think KOC is God's gift to earth like some, but again there's a reason that so many QBs (whether rookies or otherwise) either wanted to come here or have put up some of their best numbers playing here.
 

Wow. Early line has the Vikings favored by 3.5 pts. That's a lot of disrespect for Jake Browning, who has filled in more than admirably for the Bengals when Burrow has been out. I think I need to take a piece of the Bengals at that price, considering the injuries the Vikings are looking at.
 

upnorthkid said:
interestingly enough, most league people and talking heads would disagree with you. The wheel route iso to get Jones open for his TD and the keeper call for Mccarthy in the RZ for the rush TD.

I think the bigger problem is McCarthy is not there yet even getting us out of the huddle. KOC is known for having long and complicated play calls. young kid just trying to figure it out. That works with Darnold, Cousins, and even Dobbs who are more cerebral guys who have been around. That is extremely challenging for a young guy and it feels like he's protecting McCarthy because of it. Didn't help that he lost his center last night who i'm sure was making almost all the protection calls and is playing now down multiple OL.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think KOC is God's gift to earth like some, but again there's a reason that so many QBs (whether rookies or otherwise) either wanted to come here or have put up some of their best numbers playing here.
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JJ will get out of the huddle faster as he gets more comfortable, I'm not too worried about that. I also like KOC as a head coach and a QB coach. My issue is strictly play calling and he was never a play calling OC prior to becoming HC here.

Just like when the Oline struggled at the end of last year, he let Darnold take 5 step drops and get killed. Same thing with JJ so far this year. There's nothing quick, no adjustments when the Oline is getting killed.

Red zone/goal line play calling has been just as problematic. Nothing quick here either, just like last year. They picked up Mason to help with goal line carries, he was a big reason they got to the 2 yard line last night, then they didn't give him the ball and had to settle for a field goal.
 



GopherWeatherGuy said:
I said it last year and I’ll say it again, KOC is not a good play caller and needs to give up that responsibility.
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Every play caller can benefit greatly having an experienced, cerebral QB that has the ability to read the defensive alignment at the LOS and make the appropriate audibles when necessary. This can cover up a lot of poor calls from the sidelines.

I'm of the belief that KOC has reigned in his aggressiveness trying to cover for JJM's inexperience and is far too predictable with his offensive approach thus far. We might waste an entire season trying to determine if JJM can be the right guy. We have a huge problem if he's not.
 

According to NFL Next Gen Stats, the Falcons pressured McCarthy on 53.5% of his dropbacks, their highest rate in a game since Week 15 of the 2018 season. Six different pass rushers pressured McCarthy at least three times, and Atlanta’s six sacks were the fourth-most the Vikings have surrendered in O’Connell’s four seasons.

“We got to get in and out of the huddle fast,” McCarthy said. “We got to get the right calls protectionwise. And I got to get the ball out as quickly as possible for the guys that can go make plays. There’s a lot of opportunities where we left it on the table. I feel like it’s an all-11 thing. And, you know, it starts with me first.”

www.startribune.com

Analysis: Vikings’ home opener vs. Falcons generates more concern than celebration

J.J. McCarthy, hero of Game 1 but now leading an offense beset by injuries, was sacked six times, threw two interceptions and lost a fumble.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com

Skol Vikes!!
 

It’s way too early to know anything about JJ or the team; the Twitter world has created a dearth of impatience. I’m glad Um old enough to remember when a fax machine was high tech.

“But the ticket, enjoy the ride,” Hunter S. Thompson.

Here’s KOC’s post game autopsy -

 

BleedGopher said:
According to NFL Next Gen Stats, the Falcons pressured McCarthy on 53.5% of his dropbacks, their highest rate in a game since Week 15 of the 2018 season. Six different pass rushers pressured McCarthy at least three times, and Atlanta’s six sacks were the fourth-most the Vikings have surrendered in O’Connell’s four seasons.

“We got to get in and out of the huddle fast,” McCarthy said. “We got to get the right calls protectionwise. And I got to get the ball out as quickly as possible for the guys that can go make plays. There’s a lot of opportunities where we left it on the table. I feel like it’s an all-11 thing. And, you know, it starts with me first.”

www.startribune.com

Analysis: Vikings’ home opener vs. Falcons generates more concern than celebration

J.J. McCarthy, hero of Game 1 but now leading an offense beset by injuries, was sacked six times, threw two interceptions and lost a fumble.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com

Skol Vikes!!
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This sure seems right to me. Slow out of the huddle is less time to adjust and presnap your matchups. Just takes time and reps
 



Slim Tubby said:
Every play caller can benefit greatly having an experienced, cerebral QB that has the ability to read the defensive alignment at the LOS and make the appropriate audibles when necessary. This can cover up a lot of poor calls from the sidelines.
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And since they are breaking huddle with only 10-12 seconds remaining on the play clock, that gives very little time for an inexperienced QB to make reads and alter protection or the play. They should try a more hurry-up style of play calling, so he can stand there and look at the defense without being rushed every single play.
 

From the Parkinglot said:
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Gophers1992 said:
Not sure it would have mattered but people aren't talking enough about what a god awful decision that was. Punting in that situation in the 2nd quarter is a bad call, doing it with less than 10 minutes left is a borderline fireable offense.
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What's puzzling is that they did go for it earlier in the game, failed and were fortunate to only surrender a FG to only go down 6-0.

Late in the game, down 2 scores to not go for it was "wave the white flag" time essentially, with how efficient the Falcons were running the ball.
 

Prior to last night, have to go back not 1 but 2 calendar years to find a Regular Season or Playoff game in which the Vikings lost to a team besides the Lions or Rams:

12/31/2023 - Green Bay Packers

Speaking of which, going back to earlier this calendar year, the Vikings have looked just god awful in 15 of the 16 quarters played of meaningful football. All in Prime Time.

Crazy that it's following a stretch of going 14-2.
 

kg21 said:
Over 200 yards given up on the ground tonight is eye opening to say the least.

That's called getting blown off the ball.
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maybe trading DT Phillips wasn't smart after all. Teams need players who do the dirty work, even if they aren't good pass rushers.
 

This game looked like the Lions and Rams games. Oline folding like a deck chair. QB getting tons of blame as WR's are running double moves and taking 3 seconds to get open when qb has 2. Where are the quick slants, the screen passes? Hell fake an end around to JJ to open up something? We have an athletic QB ever thought of rolling him out, or bootlegging him. WE were very easy to defend!
 

Last Years QB's though 2 games. McCarthy's 2nd start. Only Maye looks very good early.
C Williams 400 y 3 td 1 int.
Daniels 433 y 3 td 0 int
Maye 500y 3 td 1 int
Pennix 430y 1 td 0 int, with a great running game.
McCarthy 300y 2 td 3 int
Nix 380y 4 td 3 int. Great Defense.

All these guys are athletic and making defenses think with many more rushing attempts than JJ is getting.
 

march madness said:
This game looked like the Lions and Rams games. Oline folding like a deck chair. QB getting tons of blame as WR's are running double moves and taking 3 seconds to get open when qb has 2. Where are the quick slants, the screen passes? Hell fake an end around to JJ to open up something? We have an athletic QB ever thought of rolling him out, or bootlegging him. WE were very easy to defend!
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With offensive line play like we are talking, people think I'm crazy, but I think McCarthy is doing fairly well.

He gets little to no time to throw. Then, if he does have time, he's seeing ghosts because he's in his second start.

And again, outside of Jefferson, this receiving core is pure trash

I sure wish Addison was coming back this week.

Obviously, it would be awesome if we could come out and make a drive on our first series. We have about 20 yards total in the first quarter of both games. HIDEOUS
 

This is likely an overreaction, but has anyone given any thought to the fact that maybe the NFL has figured out O’Connell’s scheme? In the last four games played the Vikings have only scored three touchdowns and that was last week when the Bears were Bearing (not to mention that same defense gave up 50+ to the lions this week). The defensive game plans have been the same too, apply an insane amount of pressure and make it so the long developing routes don’t have time to develop. Thoughts on this angle?
 

GopherMenace said:
This is likely an overreaction, but has anyone given any thought to the fact that maybe the NFL has figured out O’Connell’s scheme? In the last four games played the Vikings have only scored three touchdowns and that was last week when the Bears were Bearing (not to mention that same defense gave up 50+ to the lions this week). The defensive game plans have been the same too, apply an insane amount of pressure and make it so the long developing routes don’t have time to develop. Thoughts on this angle?
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Maybe, maybe not, but the reality is you can only hide a shitty QB for so long. Darnold spent most of his career being terrible, and JJM hasn't proven anything besides that he can hand the ball off in college to NFL RBs playing behind an NFL O-Line.
 

kg21 said:
With offensive line play like we are talking, people think I'm crazy, but I think McCarthy is doing fairly well.

He gets little to no time to throw. Then, if he does have time, he's seeing ghosts because he's in his second start.

And again, outside of Jefferson, this receiving core is pure trash

I sure wish Addison was coming back this week.

Obviously, it would be awesome if we could come out and make a drive on our first series. We have about 20 yards total in the first quarter of both games. HIDEOUS
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In hindsight, McConnell should have played McCarthy many preseason series. Nix played many quarters of the preseason last year. Not sure on the other '24 QB class.
 


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