The Minnesota Vikings’ 3-0 start is not a fluke. In the offseason, Vegas had the Vikings winning approximately 6.5 games. Well, we’re three games in, and most of the experts look like fools.
On paper, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s offseason looked like a ho-hum summer without a big-ticket signing to excite fans. It didn’t appear that the Vikings had added the pieces they needed to have a top-tier defense or a prolific offense. They dropped Kirk Cousins but didn’t immediately jump into the free-agent market to spend all the savings. Instead, they brought in numerous veterans to strengthen Brian Flores’s scheme.
They brought Andrew Van Ginkel, Jonathan Bullard, Jonathan Greenard, Blake Cashman, Shaquill Griffin, Jihad Ward, and Jerry Tillery aboard. Notably, the Vikings signed veteran Stephon Gilmore during camp. In doing so, they quietly built one of the best defenses in the NFL. On the other side of the ball, they signed Sam Darnold as a bridge and a mentor to rookie J.J. McCarthy. Instead, they brought in one of the best QBs in the league through three weeks. Oh, and let’s not forget game-changer RB Aaron Jones.
After three games, we’ve learned that Kevin O’Connell and Brian Flores know their stuff. What might not be as obvious is that Adofo-Mensah quietly gave them the pieces they needed to be successful. On offense, in addition to the resurgence of Darnold, Jones has proven to be an electric player who also knows how to get the tough yards needed to win games.
Jones ranks fourth leaguewide in Success Rate on runs. He and Ty Chandler have proven to be a steady NFL duo, helping the Vikings to sit at 11th in the NFL currently in yards per rush at 4.8. Jones is also dangerous as a receiver, and the third member of the Vikings RB room, C.J. Ham, has proven adept at serving as the team’s third-and-long blocking back.
The wide receiver corps has taken a step forward, as third WR Jalen Nailor has stepped up in the absence of Jordan Addison, scoring in each of Minnesota’s first three games. The Vikings have also gotten contributions from Brandon Powell and Trishton Jackson. The TE position has also been solid in T.J. Hockenson‘s absence, with Johnny Mundt doing well as a receiver and playing to his strengths in the ground game. The OL has held up admirably, likely due to the strong running game that helped keep defenses on their heels and Darnold’s escape-ability.
Minnesota’s defense has been exceptional. Minnesota’s interior defensive line appeared to be a weakness in the preseason, but it has been a strength. Harrison Phillips is playing almost exclusively in base packages, short-yardage, and goal-line situations and has played incredibly well. Bullard and Tillery have been more than up to the task. The LBer core has been exceptional, with Cashman and Van Ginkel playing incredible football to date. Minnesota’s DB room, which welcomed the steady presence of veterans, has helped confuse and befuddle opposing offenses with solid play and incredible versatility.
In the win over the Houston Texans, the Vikings did just about whatever they wanted on offense. Across the ball, their defense stymied a Texans offense that had been exceptional for the previous nine weeks of NFL play.
Plays like these are becoming increasingly less surprising for Vikings fans to watch but no less impressive:
On a second down near the end of the second quarter, a clear passing situation for the Texans offense, Flores dials up what has become a staple of his third-and-long package: The Vikings line up in an even front, but with three of the four D-linemen aligned to the left of the Texans’ center.
Stephon Gilmore is also aligned in a press position to the single WR side. Because of Gilmore’s alignment (he is a blitz threat), the Texans have their RG and RB scan to the right side. However, Gilmore drops into coverage. On the other side, Jihad Ward and Patrick Jones II rush hard into the A and B gap. Andrew Van Ginkel takes two steps upfield and then loops back into the backside A gap. However, the RG is not there and he has a free path to Stroud. That’s such an incredible execution of scheme that plays to each defender’s strengths and challenges Houston’s protection principles.
The other thing we learned on Sunday against the Texans is that the home crowd in Minnesota and Flores’ defensive scheme are a dangerous combination. Below you see the Texans lined up for a key third-and-nine, just barely in field goal range. The crowd noise and confusion are just too much for the Texans.
Amazingly, on the next play, something very similar happened when Laremy Tunsil, once again, starts too early.
That brought up a third-and-19, with the Texans no longer in FG range. The normally efficient Stroud ends up throwing a floater that by all rights should have been an interception. (I still think it should count as one.) However, Byron Murphy shows the hands that likely contributed to his conversion to CB at some point of his career. Amazingly, there was another penalty on the Texans on this play, but the Vikings were happy to decline.
Sam Darnold currently ranks second in passer rating, with a 117.3, behind only Josh Allen. The only complaint so far is that Darnold still has occasional, What the hell, Sam!? moments, like this play, in which he shows his athleticism but narrowly escapes what would have been a costly turnover deep in enemy territory when he somehow makes the decision to flip the ball from one yard away to Ham.
Here’s another forehead-slapping moment where Darnold rashly throws the ball backwards and on the ground to Brandon Powell. Powell saves the play, but another dangerous decision by Darnold.
Of course, Darnold also has started to make ridiculous throws on the regular, like this dart put in the perfect spot to Nailor for the TD.
It’s clear that Kevin O’Connell’s biggest challenge with Darnold is to continue to work with him to not try to do too much. Fans can count on Darnold making at least one, What the hell? play each week, but thus far it hasn’t cost the Vikings a win. If KOC can keep whispering, and Darnold continues to listen, this could get very, very exciting.
