News Vikings Team Notes

[Minnesota Vikings]

Vikings at Chargers: First Injury Report

The Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Chargers have issued their first injury reports ahead of their Thursday night matchup at SoFi stadium in LA. Here they are:

Minnesota Vikings​

• FB C.J. Ham, Hand, DNP
• RT Brian O’Neill, Knee, DNP
• QB J.J. McCarthy, Ankle, Limited
• RB Zavier Scott, Wrist, Limited
• OLB Andrew Van Ginkel, Neck, Limited
• QB Carson Wentz, Left Shoulder, Limited
• DT Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, Hip, Full
• LG Donovan Jackson, Wrist, Full

The Vikings did not actually practice on Monday, so this report is an estimate of their participation had they practiced. At this point I would say most if not all of the players on the list may be available on Thursday night, although Van Ginkel is difficult to determine. I suspect O’Neill may have had more of a rest day with his knee after starting yesterday but I haven’t heard of any swelling, etc. that might keep him out on Thursday night. Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins being estimated as a full participant bodes well for his availability.

Los Angeles Chargers​

• RT Joe Alt, Ankle, Limited
• T Austin Deculus, Ankle, Limited
• LB Troy Dye, Thumb, Limited
• RB Hassan Haskins, Hamstring, DNP
• OLB Kyle Kennard, Knee, Full
• DB Elijah Molden, Thumb, Limited
• DL Otito Ogbonnia, Elbow, DNP
• G/T Trey Pipkins, Knee, Limited
• OL Jamaree Salyer, Knee, Full

The Chargers just held a walk-through for practice today so participation listing here are also estimates had they held a full practice. The key player for the Chargers is starting right takle Joe Alt, who suffered a high ankle sprain against the Giants in Week 4. He returned to practice last week for the first time since the injury and was limited in two practices but did not play this past weekend. He is probably nearing a return to the field but whether that is Thursday night or the following game remains questionable.

Left tackle Austin Deculus suffered his ankle injury in Sunday’s game against the Colts but was able to return to the game, suggesting he may be available on Thursday night. Deculus is the backup to Rashawn Slater, who was lost for the season with a torn patellar tendon suffered in training camp. The Chargers’ offensive line is beat up and with Alt not playing, have backups at both tackle positions. The interior offensive line is also mediocre.

Otito Ogbonnia is a rotating defensive lineman for the Chargers and suffered his elbow injury against the Colts on Sunday as well but did not return. He seems more doubtful to play on Thursday night. Pipkins has missed three games now with a knee injury, although he’s been limited in some practices before being ruled out of each of them. I wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t play again on a short week.

Former Viking Troy Dye is a starting linebacker for the Chargers and missed the Colts game with a thumb injury and didn’t practice all last week. His being estimated as limited is a sign he may play on Thursday night.

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We’ll have two more updates on injuries tomorrow and Wednesday that should provide more hints at who’s in and who’s out for Thursday night’s game.

Follow me on X/Bluesky @wludford

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/minne...92005/vikings-at-chargers-first-injury-report

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Minnesota Vikings News and Links: The QB Decision

Losing that game really sucked because it was there to be won. In my opinion, the play of the QB doomed the offense on some critical plays. There were a couple of plays that seemed boneheaded. You really do not expect a veteran QB to do dumb things or not see a player in the flat that is wide open (expecially when it may have been the first read). This season is beginning to turn and it might get uglier. By the time JJ comes back the team could be looking further up at other teams in the playoff hunt. That will put more pressure on JJ which is tough but it comes with the territory and those pay checks.

It is fair to wonder if the Vikings made the right decision this offseason at the QB position. It is not saying they would give up on JJ but they could have easily given him another year to actually practice on the scout team against the first string defense all season (when they had the chance). Plus, he may have gotten in due to injury. Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones are playing fairly well so far. Darnold and Jones are 5th and 7th in passing yards and 5th and 9th in passing yards respectively. Aaron Rodgers is 10th in passer rating.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/stats/player/_/table/passing/sort/QBRating/dir/desc

I will not debate the contract of Darnold and whether it was doable because it was. I could see them not wanting to go multiple years on him. But a one year deal to Jones or Rodgers would likely have seen the offense do better.

I would also say that the free agent moves seemed like they were “going all in” especially with the Kelly, Allen, Hargrave, Smith, and Jones signings. I mean, if you are going to roll with JJ and allow for any struggles then why not try to with more younger free agents?

A little note: I have no clue how any free agent discussion went or the offers made. It could simply be players chose to go somewhere else.

Now we have to hope and pray that JJ McCarthy comes back and plays fairly well. I want to believe it will happen but there simply is not much evidence thus far besides the one quarter in Chicago. That is all. The rest is just smoke being blown.

As Bum Phillips use to say (paraprasing) … We could be in more trouble than a little bit!

Minnesota Vikings News and Links​

Did the Vikings botch their QB situation? Reassessing Minnesota’s now-bumpy bet on J.J. McCarthy, backup plans

We’re nearing the midway point of the 2025 NFL season, and the Minnesota Vikings may soon be on their third starting quarterback of the year. Coach Kevin O’Connell confirmed as much this week, admitting undrafted rookie Max Brosmer is “an option” in the event Carson Wentz can’t stay on the field as J.J. McCarthy’s replacement.

Just like the Vikings drew it up, right?
…
This season was all about ushering in the J.J. McCarthy era. The 2024 first-round draft pick may have entered this year with zero real NFL experience thanks to his rookie-year injury. But O’Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah underscored his internal value at every turn of the offseason, repeatedly looking the other way when it came to more proven alternatives:

First, the Vikings declined to enter a bidding war for Darnold, who sunk under pressure in the final two games of 2024 but captained an explosive offense for much of his first year in town, as he’s now doing with the Seattle Seahawks. In some ways, this mirrored the club’s polite refusal to pay big bucks to Kirk Cousins the year prior.

At the same time, the Vikings also declined to enter a bidding war for Daniel Jones, the ex-New York Giants castoff who finished 2024 on Minnesota’s practice squad. Jones now looks like a major bargain for the Indianapolis Colts after signing a modest deal, suggesting the Vikings only viewed him as a true Plan B.

As the offseason wore on, the Vikings gave mixed signals about interest in Aaron Rodgers, their longtime Packers rival, repeatedly championing McCarthy’s potential while leaving the door open for the veteran. In the end, Rodgers put pen to paper with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who were unafraid to court the former MVP.

Not a single one of these moves was entirely objectionable at the time. Consider:

Darnold was a legitimate gunslinger for much of 2024 and still relatively young at 27 (now 28), but his end-of-season flameout was so drastic — and his free agent price tag so steep — that the one-and-done partnership made some sense.

Jones, meanwhile, would’ve been an even greater — albeit cheaper — gamble after struggling to stay healthy or push the ball downfield over more than five years with the Giants. No one had him pegged for such a sharp Indy breakout.

And Rodgers, though very accomplished, was 41 years old coming off two bruised and sluggish seasons with the New York Jets. Banking on him rediscovering high-level form would’ve also meant going “all in” on 2025, effectively redshirting McCarthy for half his initial rookie contract.

Instead, the Vikings went the route they took after a half-decade of solid, if unspectacular, work from Cousins: They said thanks but no thanks to the more proven commodities, preferring to lean on infrastructure over a splashier investment under center. They figured the greater setup would be the perfect launching pad for a green youngster like McCarthy.

No one questioned the decision internally. Especially not McCarthy’s teammates, who kept pointing to the veteran support at the skill spots, the bolstered line featuring new starters in Ryan Kelly and Will Fries, the exotic defense, the proven culture-building of O’Connell. McCarthy himself called the Vikings “stacked” in an interview with CBS Sports, and he drew lots of locker-room praise for the veteran-level composure he learned under Jim Harbaugh at Michigan; if his play were uneven, at least his posture would not be.

Except this entire plan hinged on McCarthy’s play not being so uneven … and McCarthy staying on the field in the first place. The 22-year-old looked 22, like an unofficial rookie, in his first two starts of the season, struggling to find a sustainable rhythm through the air. Even before he was revealed to have suffered an ankle injury in Week 2, McCarthy already seemed in danger of ceding snaps to Wentz, who arrived late as the top backup:

[Early-career] hiccups are absolutely not a problem … if the Vikings are intent on playing this slowly, affording their new point guard the patience he might very well require. That’s a fine approach to take, and it’s one plenty of rebuilding teams have exercised, declining to put the weight of the NFL world on a first-time starter’s shoulders. It’s just not the approach O’Connell and Co. seemed to take by suggesting they could transition from proven arms like Darnold and, previously, Kirk Cousins and still end up in the thick of the NFC postseason conversation.
…
Did they grossly miscalculate the stability (or lack thereof) of Sam Howell, their initial pick to be McCarthy’s backup, when they acquired Howell from the Washington Commanders during the draft? Did they also need all summer to determine they’d botched that bet? And why wait until late April to make that gamble at all? Is it because neither Adofo-Mensah nor O’Connell could make up their minds regarding a last-second pursuit of Rodgers, who didn’t actually sign with the Steelers until June?

We don’t know how the rest of the year will play out, but all of a sudden a one-year Rodgers deal doesn’t seem like it would’ve been such a bad idea. If the infrastructure was so rich, after all, imagine where A-Rod might have Minnesota at this juncture. And imagine how much richer McCarthy might be from watching and learning. But no, the Vikings played a different hand: Why ruin McCarthy’s chance at claiming the franchise for himself, and laying the foundation for a long run as “the guy,” just to hope an aging has-been can go the distance before retiring? It turns out the choice to let J.J. go unchallenged as the new No. 1 just might ruin any playoff chances instead.

At this point, these are just what-ifs. They’re revisionist reflections on the past. What’s done is done. The Vikings made 2025 about McCarthy. And then McCarthy sputtered out of the gate before going down (again). It should be no surprise, a few weeks later, they’re hurting to get things under control at the quarterback position, not so unlike halfway through the 2023 season when Cousins was sidelined and O’Connell was left to squeeze what he could from Joshua Dobbs, another last-minute backup addition, and assorted leftovers. In a weird way, this situation is almost worse, given that Cousins’ exit all but gave Minnesota the green light to move on and finally look to the future. McCarthy is — or was supposed to be — that future. He was also set up, this year, to be the present.

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Vikings snap count analysis and notable PFF grades from loss to Eagles

Vikings offensive snap counts vs. Eagles (out of 69)
LG Donovan Jackson: 69
RG Will Fries: 69
RT Brian O’Neill: 69
LT Christian Darrisaw: 69
QB Carson Wentz: 69
WR Justin Jefferson: 68
C Blake Brandel: 67
WR Jordan Addison: 64
TE T.J. Hockenson: 57
RB Jordan Mason: 53
WR Jalen Nailor: 41
TE Josh Oliver: 32
FB C.J. Ham: 12
RB Zavier Scott: 9
WR Adam Thielen: 8
C Michael Jurgens: 2
TE Ben Yurosek: 1

Top 5 PFF grades on offense (min. 20 snaps)

1. Nailor — 74.6
2. Addison — 73.7
3. O’Neill — 72.6
4. Mason — 70.6
5. Darrisaw — 69.3

Bottom 5 PFF grades on offense (min. 20 snaps)

1. Wentz — 45.9
2. Brandel — 51.1
3. Jackson — 53.1
4. Fries — 55.3
5. Hockenson — 56.5

Vikings defensive snap counts vs. Eagles (out of 50)
LB Blake Cashman: 50
S Josh Metellus: 50
CB Byron Murphy Jr: 50
S Harrison Smith: 50
CB Isaiah Rodgers: 49
OLB Jonathan Greenard: 47
DT Jonathan Allen: 44
S Theo Jackson: 42
LB Eric Wilson: 42
DT Jalen Redmond: 37
OLB Dallas Turner: 30
DT Levi Drake Rodriguez: 24
DT Javon Hargrave: 18
CB Jeff Okudah: 11
OLB Tyler Batty: 3
DT Elijah Williams: 2
OLB Bo Richter: 1

Top 5 PFF grades on defense (min. 20 snaps)

1. Rodriguez — 79.2
2. Jackson — 72.9
3. Allen — 69.1
4. Smith — 68.8
5. Greenard — 66.7

Bottom 4 PFF grades on defense (min. 20 snaps)

1. Rodgers — 29.3
2. Cashman — 29.7
3. Hargrave — 34.8
4. Murphy — 55.5

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Vikings’ biggest opponent this week isn’t the Chargers, it’s the clock

As Vikings players sat in the locker room after Sunday’s disappointing loss to the Eagles, the reality of what lies ahead inevitably started to creep into their minds. They weren’t going to have much time to process this defeat, because they have to quickly turn their attention towards preparing to travel west and take on the Chargers on Thursday night.

“Based on our normal game week clock, it’s already Wednesday afternoon,” right tackle Brian O’Neill said. “This one’s gonna be flushed pretty quick.”

“Your mind immediately goes to having just four days to turn this one over, which is as tough as it gets in the National Football League, not gonna lie,” said quarterback Carson Wentz. “We’ll be all right though.”
…
From a physical standpoint, players began their recovery process immediately following Sunday’s game. Wentz said at his postgame press conference that he’d be icing his body as soon as he left the podium. On the mental and strategic side, they watched the film on Sunday night and will discuss it to some extent in meetings on Monday, but the coaching staff had to turn the leaf towards the upcoming opponent much quicker than usual.

“Quite frankly, I’ve never been a huge fan of the Thursday night games for this reason,” Wentz said, “but it kind of just is what it is. It’s part of the business.”

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Vikings vs. Eagles Game Observations: Red Zone Woes & Big Plays Spoil Week 7 Return

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Vikings’ Isaiah Rodgers calls out fans for racist comments

Minnesota Vikings cornerback Isaiah Rodgers has received “some of the most racist comments” he has seen since entering the NFL, Rodgers posted Monday on X in the wake of a 28-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

A screenshot Rodgers posted on Instagram showed multiple messages that included the N-word. In another, a social media user wrote: “ur worse than Hitler.” In a separate screenshot, the same individual later apologized.

Rodgers was the Vikings’ primary defender on two big plays that sparked the Eagles, including a 79-yard touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith in the third quarter and a 45-yard completion to A.J. Brown in the fourth that sealed the game. He took full responsibility afterward, saying, “I put it on me,” while adding: “I came here for a reason, and those type of plays I know I can make. So, I put it on me.”

In a post on X, Rodgers wrote that “Racism is real.”

Racism is real keep football , football. Thats not even the worst Ive Seen.
Stay solid or stay silent
"F A N S"
Fake Applause, No Support
Or
Faithful And Never Switching

Pick a side and stay on it !

— Isaiah Rodgers Sr. (@rodgers_isaiah) October 20, 2025

The Vikings released a statement later Monday decrying the comments while calling on their fans to “continue to fight to eliminate racism.”

“We are disgusted by the racial slurs directed at Isaiah Rodgers following yesterday’s game. As we have said previously, there simply is no room for racist words or actions in sports or society. We support Isaiah and all players who, unfortunately, experience this type of ignorant and prejudicial behavior far too often,” the statement read, in part.

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Vikings Get Bad News on J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz Following Eagles Loss

Minnesota is on the road for a “Thursday Night Football” showdown with the Los Angeles Chargers on October 23, which means a short week for a banged-up quarterback room facing several questions.

“J.J. McCarthy acknowledged late last week that his injured right ankle still isn’t fully healed,” Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk wrote October 20. “Monday’s practice report indicates he’s still not at 100 percent.”
…
ESPN’s Adam Schefter told “The Pat McAfee Show that there was “a chance” McCarthy might return the following week against the Detroit Lions coming off another 10 days rest, which essentially slams the door on McCarthy playing Thursday night in L.A.
…
Judd Zulgad of SKOR North suggested on Sunday that Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell give undrafted rookie Max Brosmer a look as the potential starter in three days time.

“If McCarthy isn’t ready to play Thursday — and given how Wentz performed Sunday — is suggesting Brosmer to start really that big of a stretch?” Zulgad wrote. “After watching Wetnz against the Eagles, I’m not sure it is.”

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Vikings Get Major Jordan Addison News Ahead of NFL Trade Deadline

In the third year of his rookie deal, Addison approaching a pivotal offseason with the Vikings, who can exercise his fifth year option and potentially strike an extension this upcoming offseason.

However, the Vikings have already awarded big-money contracts to many members of the offense, including Justin Jefferson. Whether the Vikings want to pay two receivers premium contracts remains to be seen.

Given the circumstances in Minnesota, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer says Addison fits the bill of a potential trade target for an AFC foe in need of help at wide receiver.

Referring to the New England Patriots’ interest in trading for Brandon Aiyuk, Breer considers Addison a candidate that the Patriots would make a call about acquiring in exchange for “big-time draft capital” before the NFL trade deadline on Nov. 4.

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Doomsday Scenario Suddenly Emerges for Vikings Draft Pick Situation

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Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/minne...nesota-vikings-news-and-links-the-qb-decision

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Assessing the Mess (and Week 8 Preview!)

Note: After this was uploaded, it was confirmed that Carson Wentz (as expected) will be the starter Thursday night.

The Philadelphia Eagles entered U.S. Bank Stadium and laid out the red carpet for the Vikings to grab a season-defining, narrative-flipping victory. After coming together in a collective huddle to think it over, KOC and company said, “Nah, we’re good.”

It was classic Vikings for anyone who has been a fan longer than it takes to brew a pot of coffee. Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory has been commonplace for this franchise, and we added yet another chapter to our War and Peace-sized, voluminous history.

Wentz Wasn’t the Only Problem

I’m not going to pile on Carson Wentz. He was abysmal and shoulders the lion’s share of the blame. But you know what? There was also Blake Brandel’s horrible afternoon. And Wentz didn’t allow Jalen Hurts to sit back in the pocket long enough to recite Hamlet. He also didn’t let Hurts convert a 3rd and 15, 3rd and 13, and 3rd and 9 to seal the game en route to a perfect 158.3 QB rating (95.2 QBR). The defense shares blame in this fiasco, too. Let’s say they’re called team losses for a reason.

The difference between good and great teams is their ability to snatch wins when things go sideways. It’s no secret that the Eagles’ offense relies heavily on Saquon Barkley; he opens everything up and is the key to unlocking an unstoppable, well-oiled machine. If you told me we’d hold an opposing team’s best player to 44 yards and freakin’ 2.4 yards per carry, I’d say we’d be sitting at 4-2 right now. Then again, the Eagles are no ordinary NFL team; they’re great. And great teams find ways to win. Simple as that. This is what the Vikings must aspire to and achieve. When? Well, your guess is as good as mine.

Back to Wentz. The encouraging performance against an elite Browns defense may have been fool’s gold. My faith in Wentz had much to do with the fact that he objectively had the superior career resume to Sam Darnold. Therefore, if KOC turned Darnold into Dan Fouts, you’d assume doing the same for Wentz would be easy-peasy lemon squeezy. Well, you know what they say about assumptions.

He’s also clearly hurt and playing through some significant injuries. He’s gutting it out for us. We should all applaud him for that. Even so, I’d be shocked if he doesn’t get one more shot on Thursday to redeem himself on a short week. I was unwavering in my view that J.J. McCarthy must start when 100% healthy, but it makes sense to wait until the mini-bye and Week 9 to put him back in, regardless of whether he could technically go against the L.A. Chargers. The added time for the body and catching up on essential practice reps can’t hurt. But, if KOC deems McCarthy good to go this week, then let’s go, baby!

KOC: Fine, But…

Speaking of KOC, while he obviously called a game good enough to win on Sunday, some questionable decision-making is still rearing its ugly head. The inexplicable red zone decision to pass on 2nd and 1, 3rd and 1, and 4th and 1 from the six-yard line, specifically, and the larger eagerness to abandon the run continues to baffle. What was the point of signing Jordan Mason and his league-leading forced missed tackle rate (37.3%)? One of the few positives about Sunday was listening to the best in the business, Greg Olsen, call the game. He pointed out that even when we did run the ball in the first half, it tended to be right into the teeth of the Georgia Bulldog Duo of Doom (Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter). It wasn’t until the second half that we had Mason work more of the outside zone game. That made me scratch my head.

The Vikings’ offense is now 24th in rush play call percentage. You’d expect that with Mahomes, Burrow, and Allen, not McCarthy/Wentz. This is directly contributing to our putrid, 28th-ranked third-down conversion rate. It also isn’t helping keep our quarterbacks upright (29th in sack percentage). KOC must find a better balance, regardless of who’s behind center.

Nowhere Near Mike McDaniel Territory, But…

Finally, we need to address the fact that the Vikings officially have an elite team problem under KOC. With another loss to the Eagles, we are now 4-11 against legitimate Super Bowl coaches/contenders since 2022 (Lions, Eagles, Bills, Chiefs, Rams, 49ers). If you want to throw the Packers in there (I wouldn’t), it does improve to 8-13. Then again, we had no business winning the Bills game, so there’s that.

At some point, to be taken seriously and shift the national narrative, we need to win more of these types of games. That said, I’ll take any win, which brings me to…

Week 8 Preview: We Need This One

It’s hard to argue that any game played before November is a “must-win,” but we really, really, really need this one.

Like the Eagles, the L.A. Chargers play the Vikings looking for a “get right” game. They’ve lost three of their last four, with the only win (29-27) coming against a Miami Dolphins team that has officially added a white flag to their helmets.

Statistically, the Chargers look…okay. They’re fourth in total yards (372.7 per game), third in passing (261.6), and 17th in rushing (111.1). In contrast to our struggles in the area, they’re a stellar fourth in third-down percentage (46.0%). While moving the ball between the 20s has come easy enough, the issue for the Chargers has been converting it into actual points, where they’re a less impressive 20th (21.6).

Defensively, it’s similar. The Chargers are 18th in points per game (23.3) and 13th in total yards allowed. They’ve been better against the pass (eighth/192.3) than the run (19th/123.6). In terms of third-down conversion rate, they’re 19th (39.3%). What KOC does with this data is anyone’s guess. Since we’re the Vikings, it could run the gamut from the run n’ shoot with Wentz to the wishbone offense. Other than things running smoothly (of course), nothing would surprise me with this team.

In forecasting the 2025 season back in May, I had this to say regarding Week 8:

Week 8: @Los Angeles Chargers: I don’t like this spot – at all. Taking on the defending Super Bowl champs, then flying to L.A. on a short week to face another physical team in Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers is not ideal. The Chargers will be coming off a home game. It also doesn’t help that, if anyone knows how to defend J.J. McCarthy, it’s the guy who developed him in college. We hang in there, but in the end, the Chargers’ relentless ground game will set up some big Justin Herbert passes to close it out. Chalk this one up to fatigue, coupled with a strong opponent.

Los Angeles Chargers: 24

Minnesota Vikings: 17

Well, as of this writing, take the McCarthy part and toss it; it looks to be Wentz (or even…Max Brosmer) for this one. In the unlikely event it is Brosmer, I’ll work myself up with a similar degree of hope that occurred for Jaren Hall’s Week 17 start against the Packers in 2023. Hey, how’d that go?

However, the general idea is unchanged: Traveling to L.A. on a short week is challenging. The Chargers are well-coached, talented, and, worst of all, desperate. But then again, so are we, right?

The nature of the travel disadvantages the Vikings, but that’s where it ends. The Chargers have arguably the worst home-field advantage in the entire NFL, so that shouldn’t be too much of a factor. I’d expect a healthy dose of purple representation in the stands on Thursday night. Maybe not as much as if it were a traditional Sunday game, but we should be well-represented, nonetheless.

The last time we met in 2023, the Chargers got extremely lucky with Akayleb Evans gifting the winning score with that ridiculous, surefire interception turning into a Joshua Palmer touchdown. Truly one of those “only the Vikings” plays. Will luck turn the Vikings’ way for a change? Yeah, I know.

Justin Herbert also had a day, throwing for 405 yards and three touchdowns. That was Flores’s first year cleaning up the mess, with a new scheme and limited talent. We’re undoubtedly a far better defense by every statistical measure this time. I’d be surprised if such a performance were repeated on Thursday night, especially given the rare coverage breakdowns against the Eagles.

In the end, I’ll lean into the fact that (so far) the Chargers aren’t quite as good as initially expected.

If we lose this one, it’ll probably be the last time I’ll adopt the glass-half-full approach until further notice. I didn’t think we’d go 14-3 again, but equaling the number of losses after only six weeks is deflating. At 3-4 with a demanding schedule on the horizon, the prospects of the playoffs fade considerably. With it, the tedious continuation of the Vikings’ inability to have back-to-back playoff seasons since we managed it once, 2008-09, in the Brad Childress era. Achieving the consistency of the Dennis Green years would be nice, wouldn’t it? There you are, stuck in the wrong century again, Shawn.

Vikings: 24

Chargers: 23

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/minne...review-minnesota-vikings-los-angeles-chargers

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Vikes Views: Who Ya Got? – Minnesota Vikings at LA Chargers

The Minnesota Vikings go on the road for Thursday Night Football against the Los Angeles Chargers. Both teams are coming off disappointing performances on Sunday. The Chargers started off 3-0 with impressive wins over the Kansas City Chiefs and the Denver Broncos. However, they’ve lost three of the last four, with the only win during the skid a 2-point win over the lowly Miami Dolphins. The Vikings have alternated wins this year and are looking to continue that trend with a win in tonight’s game. If they do, it will be the Vikings first Thursday Night win since they defeated the New England Patriots in Week 12 of 2022.

Series Records: Vikings 8 wins, 7 losses

Road Record: 3-3

Last Matchup: Chargers 28 – Vikings 24

It’s a short week, on the road for Thursday Night Football. Last year it was the Darrisaw injury, followed by the missed face mask to end a terrible game. There’s no reason to expect the Vikings to bounce back from a disappointing loss in a winnable game. However, it’s what this team seems to do. They look like a bottom-feeder team one week, followed by a playoff-level performance the next. The Chargers are banged up and have a talented list on IR. The Vikings will likely stick with Carson Wentz another game. He’s capable of leading this offense and if he cleans up a few mistakes, he can lead them to the end zone. I’m putting my faith in KOC to get the team ready and rally them on the short week.

Vikings 24 – Chargers 17

JUSTIN JEFFERSON 52-YARD TD FOR THE LEAD

: #LACvsMIN on FOX
: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/UQdQ05hqXN pic.twitter.com/I6yR2VECKf

— NFL (@NFL) September 24, 2023

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/minne...s-who-ya-got-minnesota-vikings-at-la-chargers

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Week 8 Roundtable: Minnesota Vikings vs. Los Angeles Chargers (Short Week!)

The future is now for the Vikings and J.J. McCarthy(Photo by Kara Durrette/Getty Images)

Hello everyone, and welcome to the Week 8 Minnesota Vikings roundtable here at Daily Norseman. The Vikes are coming off a loss to the Eagles at home. Now they’re not only on the road, but also on a short week.

Can the Vikings beat Justin Herbert or will they be yet again turned aside by a well-known quarterback?

Let’s find our wives and head to P.F. Changs to talk to it.

Question 1: What are your thoughts on Thursday Night Football? How do those thoughts change when the Vikings are involved?​

Brandon Warne: I’m a simple man, so I like it just because it’s a vehicle for me to put more NFL games in front of my eyeballs. There’s also just something about drawing to the end of your day with a football game on the TV. Makes a man feel good. But for a serious answer, I’m mostly ambivalent because while I don’t like when my team has to play on a short week, the opponent does as well. Anytime that wouldn’t sync up is about the only time it would bother me that much. And NFL Sundays are a bit lonelier when your team isn’t on during the day. Hmm…maybe it does bother me more than I realized?

Christopher Gates: I’ve never been a big fan of Thursday Night Football. I know it’s a way to get the NFL on more times per week and money money money and all that, but it generally just isn’t good football. The road team gets especially hosed in most cases, because they play a game on Sunday and can’t really hold an actual practice on Monday or Tuesday before getting on a plane Wednesday. It doesn’t give either team a whole lot of time to prepare, which is too bad. I know it’s not going away, but I sort of wish it would (except for Thanksgiving, of course, because eating too much and watching football all day on Thanksgiving rules).

Craig Williams: I like Thursday Night Football as a fan. It’s a challenge the teams need to adjust to. I’d prefer not to be in LA every year for it. The NFL should do a better job of alternating those games so the same teams don’t play at home/road. There has been a streak of great Thursday Night Games. I hope this one has me wondering how I am going to sleep after the epic Viking win.

Warren Ludford: TNF is great in that it is another night to watch football, but it sucks when the Vikings are the road team on a short week. There is no statistical proof that road teams on TNF fare worse than road teams overall, but it feels like more of a disadvantage.

Sam Buegler: I enjoy Thursday Night Football! Oftentimes, the games can be… rough, but still, it is a good distraction to have on even when I don’t care about the games or teams. When it is the Vikings, my stress goes up a bit. I still like being able to watch. I get all of the injury concerns, but watching on Primetime, without worrying about which streaming service it’s on, is very convenient.

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Question 2: Be honest — Did any part of you want to see Max Brosmer start over Carson Wentz?​

BW: Not particularly. I get “let’s start Jaren Hall!” vibes from the whole discussion. From a pure team standpoint, I don’t think you can go from Wentz to Brosmer to McCarthy and then ever go back to Wentz for any reason. It’s just a weird dynamic that’s hard to explain succinctly. I’m saving the Brosmer redshirt for whenever the season is officially cooked and if I don’t have McCarthy available. It’s natural to want to know what you have, but I think throwing him out there in games that matter would actually be a detriment to his career arc.

CG: Honestly, I’d sort of like to see it. Wentz has been in the league for 10 seasons now, and at this point you basically know what you’re getting with him. At least with Brosmer you can get a little bit of the unknown and try to develop him a bit in the event that the Vikings see him as a long-term backup or a potential starter should the worst happen with J.J. McCarthy. Kevin O’Connell is obviously a big fan of Brosmer, given the way he raved about Brosmer this preseason, and I don’t think it could hurt to give him at least a few chances to see what he can do in a game that actually matters.

CW: Of course, I want to see Brosmer, for that 1% chance he’s the next great player. However, I think that feeling would go away about five snaps into seeing him play a real game.

WL: Yes, I am very curious to see how Max Brosmer performs in a real game — more than the limited snaps he had against the Bengals. He seems like he could be a better QB2 than Wentz and more of a long-term solution there. But there is part of me that thinks he could be a starter- sort of a Brock Purdy type.

SB: Yes. A real part of me did. Just to see what we had in Gopher. Wentz just disappointed me on Sunday, with the ints and the misses, we took a completely winnable game and threw it away. I’d be willing to take a flyer on Brosmer for this one game, and then reevaluate everything ahead of next week vs the Lions.

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Question 3: What’s your Worry Meter (1-100) with J.J. McCarthy? Be as specific or general as you like, but please elaborate!​

BW: I would say it’s about a 20 and it’s virtually all rooted in his injury history. We have seen a total of two bleeping games of McCarthy. To be fair, that cuts two ways: one good (small sample size) and one bad (need that sample size to actually grow). But as for JJM the player? It’s far too early to be concerned about that, in my opinion.

CG: I’m still down in the lower range, maybe a 20 or 25. I’m just not ready to bail on the kid after two preseason games and two regular season games in his career. The ankle injury has been a bit of a bummer, to be sure, but McCarthy is still only 22 years old and the team has made it obvious that they firmly believe that he’s the future at the quarterback position for this team. If we’re having this same conversation next season, then it’s going to be time to get a little worried, but I think it’s a little too early to declare the J.J. McCarthy experiment a failure at this point.

CW: Worried about his health: 90/100. Worried about his play: 50/100. It’s hard from the outside with almost no real information about McCarthy’s health. The obvious two injures in the first few games played is going to be concerning. You never know, but concern if obviously there. His play, is a lesser concern, mainly becuase we haven’t seen him play. I would love to see how he handled a five-game stretch. Too soon to tell, but it’s been a mixed bag for the youngen.

WL: My worry meter is about 60 with McCarthy. Most of that has to do with his durability. He’s been injured twice on plays that seemed routine and missed significant time- we don’t even know what play he tore his meniscus. That’s a concern because the injuries happened on relatively routine, rather than extraordinary, plays. And he’s missed significant time with both. If he is injured again this season, that almost forces the Vikings to invest a lot more in a high-end backup and possibly QB1 competition next season. And it would raise serious concerns about his viability as a starter. I have less concern about his ability to ramp up his performance after he returns and has better pass protection and Jordan Addison out there, who was his favorite receiver by far in training camp. Addison on the field also opens things up for either Jefferson or Addison, but without Addison it’s easier to take away Jefferson without another receiver picking up the slack.

SB: I would say around 38. I am a little worried about the multiple injuries and hoping that doesn’t become a trend for #9. I am less worried about his play – still having concerns of course – but I want to give him a few more games in the saddle before I really start to panic. We know he has the ability to win; he just needs to put the pieces together at the NFL level for more than one quarter.

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Question 4: What Chargers player other than Justin Herbert do you fear the most on Thursday night?​

BW: Can I say Kimani Vidal? I guess I just sort of default to the opponent’s running back based on how things have gone for the Vikings this season. Credit where due, however: they kept the Saquon Barkley funk going last week. Fool me twice, Vikings.

CG: I’m going to have to go with Derwin James, because he’s the guy on the Chargers’ defense that you need to be aware of at all times. He’s great against the run, he’s great in coverage, and if he were playing just about anywhere else he’d probably be a household name. I know that a lot of NFL fans know who he is, but I don’t feel like he’s ever really gotten the recognition that he deserves. The Chargers can move him around all over the place like the Vikings used to do with Harrison Smith in his prime, and he sets the tone for that whole Los Angeles defense.

CW: Ladd McConkey seems like someone who will tear this team up. Keenan Allen had a monster game in the last matchup between the two teams.

WL: Keenan Allen. He was brutal the last time the Vikings faced him with the Chargers.

SB: My first answer would have been Joe Alt. The dude has been a beast so far in his career, and protecting Herbert is the only way for them to succeed. HOWEVER, given that he is questionable and may or may not play, I am going to go with the boring answer of Ladd McConkey. Not only is his name too much fun to say, but he has been playing well this year. If the Herbert connection gets going, it could be very hard to stop the two of them.

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Question 5: What’s your final score/result prediction?​

BW: Last week, I did a pick ‘em where I posted a final score but not a winner. I won’t cop out quite like that this time — though in my defense, the final score was close — but I’ll just say I wish I liked the Vikings chances a little more. I foresee a 17-14 game, but I’m not sure the Vikings come out on top. Is that wishy-washy enough?

CG: Most years, the Vikings give us a game that they go into looking like they’re totally screwed and manage to come away with a win. This one has the potential to be one of those games, I think. The Chargers have had issues protecting Justin Herbert, and I think the Vikings might be able to get him off of his game a little bit. If the Vikings can keep this one close. . .and, honestly, pretty much every Vikings game winds up being close somehow. . .I think they might be able to sneak out of Los Angeles with a win. I’ll give this one to the Vikings by a score of 23-20.

CW: Vikings 24-Chargers 17. The Chargers are in terrible form right now. Their OL is beat up. I put my faith in Flores to clean up the big plays and KOC to have an effective plan.

WL: Vikings win 23-17. The Chargers aren’t a great matchup with the Vikings. Offensively, they don’t have a run game and will have a difficult time protecting Herbert even if they get Alt back. Defensively, the Chargers are a team the Vikings can run on with great success (they’re 28th in rushing yards/attempt allowed) and that will help Wentz and the offensive convert third downs and remain in manageable down-and-distance situations. I imagine Herbert will try to take some deep shots like the Eagles did, hoping Isaiah Rodgers hasn’t corrected his biting on fakes, but I don’t see them having the success that the Eagles did. Chargers are terrible (31st in the redzone) offensively, but they are 6th on defense so given how the Vikings struggled in the redzone against the Eagles (they haven’t much in other games) this will be the key to getting a much needed victory.

SB: Both the Chargers and Vikings are at weird points in the season, and this game could be the tipping point in either direction for them. I am going to say the Vikings take this one, narrowly, as both defenses step up and force a low-scoring matchup. Vikings 14, Chargers 10.

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/gener...ta-vikings-vs-los-angeles-chargers-short-week

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Vikings Completely No-Show on Thursday Night Football

A few minutes into this week’s Thursday Night Football contest in Los Angeles, it looked like the Minnesota Vikings were ready to give the Los Angeles Chargers a run for their money.

That was pretty short-lived.

Minnesota’s defense had no answers for Justin Herbert and the Chargers’ offense, and Minnesota’s offense allowed Carson Wentz to be battered all night long as Los Angeles rolled to an easy 37-10 victory over the Vikings.

The Vikings had a pick-six taken off the board on the Chargers’ second offensive play, as a pass from Herbert was initially ruled an interception and a touchdown for Isaiah Rodgers, but it was taken off the board following an official review. The Chargers took advantage of their second chance, as Justin Herbert found rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden II for an 8-yard touchdown pass to take a 7-0 lead with four minutes left in the first quarter.

Los Angeles added to their lead early in the second quarter, as they marched straight down the field once again and got a 3-yard touchdown run from Kimani Vidal to extend their lead to 14-0 around two minutes into the second quarter.

Minnesota finally got on the board midway through the second quarter, as Will Reichard connected on a 54-yard field goal attempt to make it 14-3 with just under nine minutes left in the first half. Then, the Vikings allowed another long march by the Chargers, as they went 94 yards in their two-minute offense, concluding with a 27-yard pass from Herbert to Ladd McConkey to make it 21-3 just ahead of halftime. The Vikings then got Reichard into position to attempt a field goal just before the half, but his attempt from 53 yards fell just short as time expired in the half.

The Chargers added to their lead on their first drive of the second half, as Dicker connected from 43 yards out to make it 24-3 five minutes into the third quarter of play. Then, the Vikings’ defense finally got a break, as a pass from Herbert was deflected by Jalen Redmond and intercepted by Josh Metellus for a turnover that gave the Vikings some hope.

Jalen tips it.

Josh picks it.

: @NFLonPrime pic.twitter.com/vfnSvEBetN

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) October 24, 2025

It looked like the Vikings were going to settle for another Reichard field goal after the interception, as he connected on a 32-yard attempt to make it 24-6. However, the Chargers got called for 12 men on the field on the field goal attempt, so the Vikings chose to take the three points off the board and go for it on fourth-and-goal. On that play, Wentz was sacked, but the Chargers were called for a defensive penalty to give the Vikings a fresh set of downs, and they took advantage as Wentz found Jordan Addison for a 4-yard touchdown to get the Vikings into the end zone and make the score 24-10.

Over the top to Addison!

: @NFLonPrime pic.twitter.com/hFHWHdxoEQ

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) October 24, 2025

But, as they did all night, the Chargers again marched down the field and got into the end zone again on Herbert’s third touchdown pass of the night, a 6-yarder to Tre Harris that made it a 21-point game again at 31-10.

After Carson Wentz was intercepted by R.J. Mickens on the ensuing drive, the Chargers put the game on ice with a 34-yard field goal from Dicker to make it 34-10. After a turnover on downs, Dicker tacked on a 45-yard attempt at the two-minute warning to make it 37-10, and that was how it ended.

Not really a whole lot to be said about this one, ladies and gentlemen. The Vikings simply looked ill-prepared for this one in all three phases of the game and the final score is a pretty accurate reflection of that. The Vikings fall to 3-4 on the season and will get a mini-bye before they take a trip to Detroit in Week 9.

The Vikings get crushed in prime time on Thursday Night Football, falling to the Los Angeles Chargers by a final score of 37-10. Thank you to everyone who got their coverage of this week’s game right here at The Daily Norseman!

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/minne...inal-score-game-recap-thursday-night-football

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Vikings Reach Nadir of the KOC Era

The Minnesota Vikings got curb stomped by an otherwise unremarkable Los Angeles Chargers team in prime time, a game in which the Vikings looked entirely unprepared and appeared to have checked out early. It was a complete embarrassment for the franchise and the type of performance that casts a shadow over the future of the regime. Yes, it’s only one game and every team has bad games, but this seems more like a culmination of a season of unpreparedness and poor performance than a one-off anomaly.

It’s Not Just the Injuries​

It’s certainly true that the Vikings have been hit relatively hard by injuries so far this season, but most teams have to deal with that at some point during the season, and the Vikings haven’t dealt with it well. At quarterback, the Vikings got it wrong with Sam Howell in the offseason and so picked up Carson Wentz off the couch in late August to fill the void, rather than maybe giving Max Brosmer- who exceeded all expectations- a shot. Wentz has started five games and has generally gotten worse in every game. Moreover, he compounds the offensive line injury problems by holding the ball too long consistently while having increasing accuracy issues that have proven costly.

But even more to the point this season, the Vikings don’t appear motivated and have gotten off to a poor start in six of seven games. In every game except the Bengals game the Vikings have been unable to execute early and have dug a hole they spend the rest of the game trying to dig out from. That’s not winning football and that’s not having a superior game plan. The first fifteen or so plays are scripted and are the ones the team has practiced the most. And yet many times the Vikings are unable to get off to a good start. A day in practice each week is devoted to third downs and redzone, and yet the Vikings are unable to execute consistently in either area all season. The Vikings are near the bottom of the league in third down conversions and have increasingly struggled in the redzone. The Vikings have plenty of talent on offense but can’t do anything with it.

Defensively, it’s been a similar story. Brian Flores has done a better job overall and isn’t down a quarterback, but too many times he’s been exposed either against the run with heavy formations or giving up explosives in the pass game or allowing too many third-and-long conversions or redzone touchdowns. It’s true the defense has been asked to carry the team at times as the offense has struggled, and it has in each of the Vikings’ wins, but the inconsistency and giving up some big plays has been brutal at times as well, particularly in the Vikings’ four losses.

Overall, this is a Vikings team that has underperformed its talent level and a coaching staff that has been outcoached too many times already this season.

Why the Change From Last Season?​

Last season the Vikings started the season with a 6.5 over/under win total. Sam Darnold was suspect at best after McCarthy was placed on IR. But the Vikings dominated the early part of the season, going undefeated before their bye week. This season, all but the Bengals game has been a struggle, and the team is lucky to be 3-4 at this point. One key difference from last season to this season was Kevin O’Connell’s approach to the offseason.

Last season Kevin O’Connell used the predictions that the Vikings would only win six games as motivation that put a chip on their shoulder and something to prove. They responded by winning their first five games- most in dominant fashion- and 14 overall.

This season O’Connell was a lot more casual in training camp- wisping around, cracking jokes, tossing a ball around with Justin Jefferson in shorts and t-shirts, fresh off his Coach of the Year award, 14-win season and reputation as the Quarterback Whisperer. And yet his message was that, “more is required” for the Vikings to get further into the playoffs this season. What was left out was the motivation and intensity to prepare for a tough regular season schedule- tougher than the previous season- to get to the playoffs in the first place.

O’Connell praised Justin Jefferson’s leadership during training camp, as he offered advice to some players as he strolled around the field with a mild hamstring injury, effectively skipping three weeks of training camp. That leadership example seems to have filtered down throughout the roster as a lot of guys seem to be a bit slow coming back from injuries this season. Nobody doubts Jefferson’s talent, or his competitive fire, but the optics of a team captain and best player skipping three weeks of training camp with what appeared to be a very mild hamstring issue appeared at odds with, “more is required.” The absence of another captain in Harrison Smith during training camp probably didn’t help either from a leadership standpoint.

Shades of 2023​

In any case, the Vikings started the season very sloppy. They’re tied for the most giveaways per game after eight weeks and are near the bottom of the league in penalties and penalty yards per game too. Beyond that, there have been numerous missed assignments that have resulted in big plays given up defensively, missed opportunities offensively, and in some cases costly turnovers like the pick-six given up against the Bears week one because Justin Jefferson ran the wrong route.

This is the same type of first half of the season that the Vikings had in 2023 under Kevin O’Connell, where they struggled with turnovers, sloppy play and missed assignments prior to Kirk Cousins suffering his season-ending Achilles tear. They started that season 3-4 as well, with disappointing losses to the Eagles and Chargers and a narrow win over the Bears. But after a brief rally mostly with Josh Dobbs at quarterback, the Vikings faded away to end the season with four straight losses and a 7-10 record. At the moment, that seems like the direction the Vikings are headed this season.

Hitting the Nadir of the KOC Era​

While you could argue that the 2023 season marked the bottom of the KOC era with the Vikings, or last season’s one-and-done meltdown in the playoffs, this loss against the Chargers seems at least as bad in part because it seems to mark a culmination of a poorly prepared and motivated team that has characterized the Vikings all season. And it came against a struggling Chargers team who nevertheless contrasted sharply with the Vikings in both motivation and execution. Both teams were in a similar spot needing to rebound to jump-start their season, but only one team played with that type of urgency and motivation. It was truly a humiliating performance for the Vikings’ franchise in prime time.

What’s Going on at Quarterback?​

The Vikings poor start to the season and getting curb stomped on Thursday night has led to a cascade of criticism and questions – mostly around the quarterback position. Why didn’t the Vikings sign Sam Darnold/Daniel Jones/Aaron Rodgers? Why did they play Carson Wentz so long when he was obviously injured and ineffective? Why aren’t the playing McCarthy? Is his ankle injury really a “soft benching”?

Answers to the Vikings approach to J.J. McCarthy: https://t.co/3G2ZbvswbV

— Warren Ludford (@wludford) October 24, 2025

The answers to those questions are pretty well known, they just don’t look so good given how the season has unfolded so far. The Vikings did try to sign Darnold and later Jones and considered Rodgers, but were committed to McCarthy becoming the starter- as pretty much every team that drafts a quarterback high in the first round is. They gave Darnold another short-term offer, but he got a better one from the Seahawks that didn’t make sense if the Vikings were committed to McCarthy and his rookie contract allowing them to spend more elsewhere. The Vikings also offered Jones a contract- very similar and reportedly a bit more money than the one he signed in Indianapolis, which he chose because he felt he had a better chance to become the starter there- which of course proved to be true. The Vikings decided against Rodgers because they didn’t want to postpone McCarthy’s development another year and Rodgers wasn’t going to sign to be the backup. All of that is logical and makes perfect sense, but still looks bad given that McCarthy hasn’t done much while Darnold and Jones are vying for the top QB in the league at the moment and Rodgers is enjoying a revival now that he’s with a competent team at the tail end of his career.

Hindsight is always 20/20. But extending and committing to Darnold and auctioning off McCarthy would’ve also drawn criticism- why did the Vikings draft McCarthy – and even more so if Darnold continued to stall in key games while McCarthy flourished.

I don’t fault the Vikings and O’Connell for staying the course with McCarthy. If you draft a quarterback #10 overall, you’re making at least a three-year commitment to develop him. That limits the interest other starting-caliber quarterbacks have in signing with the Vikings. But where I fault O’Connell is in trading for Sam Howell, who apparently was too deaf to hear his whispering. That led to a last-ditch signing of Carson Wentz off the couch, who also hasn’t improved under O’Connell’s tutuledge. O’Connell by-passed the only backup who has impressed in Max Brosmer, arguing that he wanted an experienced backup despite having an inexperienced starter. And Brosmer started a lot more games in college than McCarthy did. We’ll never know, but I doubt Brosmer would’ve done any worse than Wentz over five games as a starter.

Be that is it may, Alec Lewis with The Athletic reports that there was some tension within the Vikings about the decisions made at quarterback during the off-season, although he doesn’t say who was involved or what the particular decision(s) or grievence(s) were, only that it may have contributed to the team underperforming so far this season.

Will the Vikings Rebound?​

There is some prospect that the Vikings may be closer to full-strength on both sides of the ball next week as they have all season. J.J. McCarthy should be back starting at quarterback. Brian O’Neill should be back at right tackle. And compared to McCarthy’s first two starts, the Vikings should also have Christian Darrisaw back at left tackle and Jordan Addison is back at wide receiver. I expect Blake Brandel to continue to start at center- he played better against the Chargers and it appears the Vikings want him to take over that role with Ryan Kelly on IR perhaps for the season. The Vikings also have Aaron Jones back and hopefully Josh Oliver will be able to play as well. Defensively, the Vikings got Blake Cashman back and he played better against the Chargers after a slow start back against the Eagles. They may even get Andrew Van Ginkel back although that situation remains murky. Harrison Smith ramped up to 60 (of 72) snaps defensively so it appears he is back as a starter as well.

All that bodes well, as does the return of a few team captains and key veterans whose absence was likely missed from a leadership standpoint. Four of the Vikings’ eight captains have missed time in recent games.

But beyond getting starters back, there is the overall question of simply playing better. So far this season, the Vikings have just one game when the team had an overall PFF grade over 66.5. Last season, the Vikings had just one game when the graded under 66.5 until week 18. Overall, last season the Vikings average PFF grade per game was 72.1 through 17 weeks. So far this season the average is just 65.3. And without the Bengals game (89.9), the average drops to 61.3. Last season the Vikings ranked 10th in overall team PFF grade at 86.2. So far this season they rank 23rd at 69.4.

In DVOA terms, the drop is similar. This season the Vikings rank 22nd in Total DVOA at -7.8% while last season they ranked 7th at +16.1%. The percentage numbers are meant to be relative to the average NFL team. Breaking that down further, there was only one game last season where the Vikings had a Total DVOA worse than -8%: week 18 at Detroit (-36.1%). So far this season, they’ve had four games with a Total DVOA of -57.5% (Falcons), -59.5% (Steelers), -32.0% (Eagles), and certainly another very negative number against the Chargers which isn’t available yet. In other words, when the Vikings have been bad, they’ve been very bad- as bad or worse than the game at Detroit to end last season. Even in the 2023 season the Vikings had only four games with a Total DVOA below -30%. They’ve already matched that total in seven games this season. The only two games that were substantially above average for the Vikings after seven games were against the Bears (+19.9%) and Bengals (+84.0%). The Browns game was near average at +0.3%. Breaking it down even further, the offense and defense are similar in having only two games in the first seven that were above average from a DVOA perspective. They have also played way below average against teams with .500 or better records in their last four opportunities. Only against the Bears in week one did they perform above average from a DVOA perspective.

So, the challenge is clear and substantial. They need to play a lot better across the board than they have so far this season, particularly against teams with a .500 or better record- which they play a lot the rest of the season. With only marginal improvement the Vikings will likely slide to that six win team they were predicted to be a year ago.

Darkest Before the Dawn?​

The Chargers game was the worst performance for the Vikings this season, all things considered. Carson Wentz is who we thought he is. Nothing has changed since he left Philadelphia. But the prospect of J.J. McCarthy returning next week, along with a better offensive line and receiver group than he had in his first two starts, provides some hope for an improved offensive performance. Defensively, they’ve played well most of the time, the key is eliminating the explosives they’ve been giving up in the passing game and tightening up run defense against heavy formations.

The difficulty is that their next game is on the road in Detroit, which may be the most difficult game on their schedule. But while the Vikings have historically had some surprisingly bad performances against mediocre opponents like they just did against the Chargers, they’ve also had a few surprisingly good performances when they’ve been heavy underdogs, as they most surely will be at Detroit. Coming out of the Motor City with a victory would certainly change the trendline and narrative on the season so far.

But should the Vikings fall short against the Lions, they could only suffer two more losses the rest of the season and still have a decent shot to make the playoffs. And if/when the postseason looks out of reach, things could go south quickly for this Vikings team, given how the season has started.

It looks like the Vikings may have nearly all hands on deck for the Lions game, and clearly there should be some sort of pride and urgency among players after the humiliating loss they suffered on Thursday night combined with their 3-4 record. Not to mention the added intensity of it being a divisional game. Still, it’s a long shot for the Vikings to beat the Lions, who will be coming off their bye week, at home given how each team has been playing so far this season. The Lions had a couple stinkers this season against the Packers and Chiefs on the road, but have yet to play a close game at home, let alone lose.

Still, for the Vikings to change course, they’ll need to deliver at least a few upsets (as things stand now) to make that happen given how badly they’ve started.

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Follow me on X/Bluesky @wludford

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/minnesota-vikings-2025-season/92163/vikings-reach-nadir-of-the-koc-era

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Minnesota Vikings News and Links: It’s Not As Bad As It Seems

That was a good old fashioned butt whuppin! Ain’t no two ways about that. I have always felt that a team will get it’s arse handed to it at least once a year. This felt like that game. I could see how folks would feel that it could happen again especially against the Lions. The Falcons game was 12-6 to start the 4th quarter and the first play saw JJ get sacked and fumble. The defense held them to a field goal which made it 15-6. The offense went 3 and out right after that and it was a wrap. This game was a beat down from start to finish. It’s OK though. It does not look promising going forward but I think the team will get back it’s top two tackles and maybe even their center, Ryan Kelly. If he does come back then he probably received very good advice.

I think the offense is much much better with Darrisaw and O’Neill. The team is doing the right thing by taking their time with their return to action. Darrisaw has been dealing with soreness in his surgically repaired knee and the quick turnaround was always going to be tough especially after he played 69 snaps vs the Eagles. It sounds like he will be good to go vs the Lions. Brian O’Neill also played 69 snaps against the Eagles and the quick turnaround probably was not a good idea for the long haul. Having two tackles that can play the way these two can really makes a huge difference in the offense, especially the pressures a defense can generate.

Carson Wentz was banged up and took more of a beating plus he just wasn’t sharp. JJ McCarthy needs to get back out there and take his lumps. Hopefully there wont be as many since he does have a lot more mobility. We have to hope he plays more like the 4th quarter vs the Bears going forward.

The sentiment is that all is lost, that the team has a very tough schedule, that the GM should be canned, that the head coach may not be far behind, that Flores may not be a hot candidate going forward, and all other kinds of wailing and gnashing. It is as it should be.

I do not believe anything drastic is going to happen. The one thing this team needs most of all is everyone to be healthy enough to suit up. If they can get Van Ginkel back in then perhaps the team will set the edge better. Dallas Turner has a ways to go with setting the edge consistently.

I can get too down even after the spankin’. It would be too miserable to have that mindset. I have to look forward.

I think the team needs to seriously consider making a trade or two or more. Since Okudah has had his second concussion this season, they should be looking for a Cornerback. Some candidates I like would be …

Riq Woolen, CB, Seahawks. He is a free agent next year so the compensation would need to be conditional. He is reportedly not an ideal fit on Mike McDonald’s defense and could be an excellent fit in Flores defense.
Offer: 2026 5th for Woolen and a 2027 7th

Alontae Taylor, CB, New Orleans Saints. He is a free agent next year.
Offer: 2026 5th for Woolen and a 2027 7th

I would love to see them make a run at Jeffrey Simmons or Quinnen Williams but neither one seems likely to get moved due to their large contract and the draft capital that would be needed.

The team released Kobe King whom the Jets snagged via waivers (nice draft pick KAM) and may need a Linebacker. Logan Wilson requested a trade.

I would love to see trade for Russell Wilson or Jameis Winston. I do not think Wentz is going to hold up even as a backup to JJ.

What moves would you like to see?

I still have a lot of hope this year!

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Minnesota Vikings News and Links​

Overreactions to Chargers win over Vikings: Mistake letting Sam Darnold leave? Mismanagement of Carson Wentz?

The Thursday games were too good to be true, as the NFL was bound to get a clunker sooner or later.

The league can thank the Minnesota Vikings for that one, as they were blown out by the Los Angeles Chargers is a game that appeared to be a bigger blowout than the 37-10 final score indicated. The Chargers had 419 yards of offense while the Vikings ended up with just 164. Los Angeles averaged 6.0 yards per play while Minnesota averaged 3.9.

Vikings made a mistake not re-signing Sam Darnold
Overreaction or reality: Reality

The Vikings made two mistakes this offseason, as the organization had Darnold and Daniel Jones on their roster last year. They let both go in favor of J.J. McCarthy — who has been more time on the injury report than he has playing football games. Outside of one quarter, McCarthy has not been very good playing quarterback either.

The Vikings sidelined McCarthy with an ankle injury, going with Carson Wentz as the starting quarterback. Wentz hasn’t been great, but he immensely struggled on Thursday — going 15 of 27 for 144 yards with a touchdown and an interception (67.5 rating). The Vikings No. 2 quarterback was also sacked five times and looked lost as the game went on.

McCarthy was supposed to be back by now right? Why are the Vikings holding him out so long with this ankle injury? Is Minnesota afraid to admit McCarthy is a massive failure, just one year after taking him No. 10 overall in the draft?

Meanwhile in Seattle, Darnold is fourth in the NFL in passer rating (109.2), first in yards per attempt (9.1), and fourth in touchdown rate (6.3%). He’s also one of the best deep-ball throwers in the NFL, which Minnesota sorely lacks at the quarterback position.

The Vikings certainly downgraded letting Darnold walk in free agency after a career season and allowing Jones to go to the Colts for one year — all because they picked McCarthy at No. 10 overall. Not only has McCarthy had a poor start, but he’s been injured. Wentz hasn’t been a good backup either, and probably made one start too many.

Perhaps the Vikings are afraid McCarthy will stink when he returns, and then they’ll have to admit their mistake. McCarthy will have the opportunity to prove he’s a good quarterback soon right?

Kevin O’Connell management of Carson Wentz is coaching malpractice
Overreaction or reality: Reality

Wentz immensely struggled in what was likely his last start for the Vikings. Minnesota couldn’t move the ball at all on offense, as the Vikings had 135 yards on the nine possessions Wentz was in the game. Wentz couldn’t get the ball downfield, as he went 4 of 8 for 56 yards and an interception (33.3) on throws of 10+ air yards. He has sacked five times, beaten and battered, while showing frustration around his teammates on the sidelines.

Wentz continued to struggle, take hit after hit, and lose his confidence with each play — yet Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell didn’t take him out until 1:56 left in the fourth quarter. Wentz was left in the game as a sitting duck for the Chargers pass rush, just taking hit after hit as the Vikings were getting blown out.

Could Max Brosmer possibly be worse? Was Wentz just taking hit after hit because O’Connell didn’t have anyone else? (You’ll recall that J.J. McCarthy was the emergency third quarterback.) Wentz is in severe pain yet O’Connell kept him in the game. Was he supposed to take one for the team there? Wentz looked miserable out on the field, as he’s been a quarterback that’s suffered his fair share of injuries and hard luck in his decade in the NFL.

O’Connell could have pulled Wentz earlier and gotten a longer look at Brosmer. Guess the Vikings offensive line was so bad it didn’t matter who was out there, but it was unfair to Wentz to take that sort of beating late in a 20-point blowout.

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Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell defends choice to keep Carson Wentz in blowout loss for prolonged period

After the game, O’Connell explained his decision to stick with Wentz for most of the game.

“We kept on checking in [with Wentz],” the coach told reporters. “Maybe getting Max [Brosmer] ready to go. Tyler [vice president of player health and performance, Tyler Williams] was coming to me a lot tonight, but every time he seemed to update me on that. Carson was sore going into it. He took obviously quite a few hits—but he was able to—I asked him multiple times where he was at and he said he was good and wanted to keep going.”

“It did seem like he was in pain there a couple times.”
…
Reserve quarterback Max Brosmer briefly entered Thursday’s contest, completing three of his four pass attempts in the fourth quarter.

O’Connell acknowledged that he had considered inserting the rookie signal-caller earlier in the game.

“Yeah we did,” O’Connell said. “Carson’s a veteran player. He understands, kind of, some of our circumstances tonight. I think it’s very difficult to ask a rookie to go in there for his first performance and have to be kind of weathering it a little bit for the group.

“I did think about that at different times in the game but at the same time, the confidence we have in Max and the upside we see in Max is real. You also don’t want to send him out there and force a level of figure-it-outness that’s probably beyond a guy playing for the first time.”

Justin Jefferson Delivers Honest Message After Vikings Lose

Justin Jefferson Delivers Honest Message After Vikings Lose

Justin Jefferson reacts honestly after the Minnesota Vikings lose, sharing his candid thoughts on the team’s struggles.

heavy.com

“I mean just losing the way we lost,” Jefferson said postgame to reporters. “Coming off last week, just trying to get that quick turnaround and get that bad taste out, and we’re left with the same taste. So, it’s just frustrating going out there and performing the way we’ve been performing, not putting up points, and not getting stops. That’s all a team effort, and we’re just not doing enough.”

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Vikings need to see if J.J. McCarthy will succeed, or fail, at NFL level

If he’s healthy enough to play, it’s time to play. Because it’s time for the Vikings to find out what they have. Or what they don’t.

Is two years enough to make a decision? It wasn’t for the Colts, who benched Anthony Richardson for Daniel Jones after Richardson’s second year.

Franchise quarterbacks stay healthy. McCarthy suffered a season-ending knee injury in an exhibition game last year. This year, he injured his ankle in his second game. If the quarterback can’t stay on the field, that disqualifies him from being the quarterback. And it definitely prevents him from being a franchise quarterback.

And so it’s time. It’s time to see if McCarthy can play. It’s time to see if he can stay healthy. It’s time to see if he can develop.

The Vikings aren’t nearly as good as they were in 2024. While a playoff berth isn’t out of the question, this isn’t a Super Bowl team. They need to have enough data to make a decision about McCarthy, so that they can explore their options in 2026.

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2025 NFL trade deadline: Ranking top 25 players who could move

1. Riq Woolen, CB, Seattle Seahawks
   The buzz: Multiple league execs have Woolen earmarked as a strong trade candidate leading into the deadline. “They’ve been wanting to move him for a while,” one executive said. “He doesn’t fit what [Mike Macdonald] wants to do.” Woolen would be best served going to a team that can use his man-coverage traits. One potential hurdle to a deal: Seattle’s other starting corner, Devon Witherspoon, has had a difficult time staying healthy this season. — Fowler

The tape: A fourth-year pro with a 6-foot-4 frame and elite speed, Woolen has 11 interceptions and 30 pass breakups in his career. Inconsistent tackling and lapses in eye discipline have prevented him from reaching his ceiling, but Woolen has the physical traits to help a defense majoring in man coverage. — Bowen

Predicted chance of getting traded: 50%
Team fits: Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, Atlanta Falcons, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

1. Alontae Taylor, CB, New Orleans Saints
   The buzz: This would be a surprise but is still one to watch. The Saints don’t want to trade Taylor but would consider it if they receive a strong offer. He is on the radar of a few teams. Taylor is a 2026 free agent who figures to earn a big payday, and it’s worth noting that the Saints have a young core of defensive backs they like in Kool-Aid McKinstry, Quincy Riley and Jonas Sanker. — Fowler

The tape: Taylor’s versatility and urgent play style shows on the tape. He has the speed to cover on the perimeter, but he can also play a disruptive role in the slot. In four years with the Saints, Taylor has 6 sacks, 3 INTs and 36 pass breakups. — Bowen

Predicted chance of getting traded: 25%
Team fits: Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks, Dallas Cowboys

1. Michael Carter II, CB, New York Jets
   The buzz: Among all of the Jets players implicated in trade rumors, Carter might have the best chance of actually getting dealt. My understanding is there is interest in the slot corner. The Jets just picked up a corner in Jarvis Brownlee Jr., who has acquitted himself well while Carter has missed time in concussion protocol. Carter is 26 years old and could give a new team steady nickel presence. One obstacle to a trade is his $4 million injury guarantee that locks in on the fifth day of the 2026 league year. The new team must consider that. — Fowler

The tape: The splash plays are missing from Carter’s tape, but he has the play strength and competitiveness to operate in the slot. A willing run defender, Carter can cut off the ball on the edges, and he has the foot quickness to match/carry in space. Playing in his fifth pro season, Carter has two interceptions and 21 pass breakups over his career. — Bowen

Predicted chance of getting traded: 45%
Team fits: Philadelphia Eagles, Atlanta Falcons

1. Roger McCreary, CB, Tennessee Titans
   The buzz: Similar to Key, McCreary is a defensive starter who doesn’t fit the long-term plans of a team in transition. His name circulated in trade buzz at roster cutdowns too. He’s a reliable corner who can play inside or outside — traits that typically elicit some type of trade interest, even if just for Day 3 pick swaps. — Fowler

The tape: More of a ball disrupter than a playmaker (three career interceptions), McCreary is a physical cover corner with the ability to match in the slot and tackle in space. While McCreary lacks the impact plays on his résumé, his game meshes with any defense in search of an inside/outside corner who plays with an aggressive demeanor. — Bowen

Predicted chance of getting traded: 35%
Team fits: Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons

1. Cam Taylor-Britt, CB, Cincinnati Bengals
   The buzz: Taylor-Britt was a healthy scratch Thursday night against Pittsburgh, forcing him to contemplate his immediate future. DJ Turner and Dax Hill have emerged as the Bengals’ primary corners. Taylor-Britt has shown flashes, but he needs to up his 2026 free agency value. And he could use a fresh start. Perhaps the Bengals will give one to him. His former defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo is now coordinating the Colts’ defense, which is depleted at corner. — Fowler

The tape: Taylor-Britt is only 26 years old, and he has traits that might entice some teams. He can match vertically in man coverage due to his long speed, but I see a better fit in zone-heavy defenses. Taylor-Britt had seven interceptions and 15 pass breakups from 2023 to 2024. — Bowen

Predicted chance of getting traded: 25%
Team fits: Indianapolis Colts, Washington Commanders, Philadelphia Eagles

1. Kirk Cousins, QB, Atlanta Falcons
   The buzz: Like with Wilson, Cousins would need injuries at the quarterback position to spark a market. He is 37, and he struggled with interceptions last season (16), but Cousins could help a team in a bind. Wilson has a more team-friendly contract than that of Cousins, whose $10 million guarantee in 2026 is a hurdle. Carson Wentz’s Week 7 struggles with the Vikings make a Cousins reunion in Minneapolis a convenient talking point for fans and media, even with J.J. McCarthy soon returning from an ankle injury. — Fowler

The tape: At this stage of his career, Cousins is viewed as a No. 2 who fits best in a system with play-action elements. This allows Cousins to throw with rhythm on defined concepts. Cousins has a career play-action QBR of 73.6. — Bowen

Predicted chance of getting traded: 20%
Team fits: Minnesota Vikings

1. Kyle Dugger, S, New England Patriots
   The buzz: The belief in league circles is that Dugger would have been dealt before Week 1 but for his cost-prohibitive $9.75 million salary. There was interest then and could be again. Now that New England is sitting at 5-2, perhaps it will revisit a potential deal. However, Dugger has played a combined 102 defensive snaps over the past two weeks due to an injury to starter Jaylinn Hawkins, which might change things. Dugger would be a quality third-safety insurance for a team in contention. — Fowler

The tape: Yeah, Dugger can help a team looking for a No. 3 safety. He can play from depth in split-safety coverages, while his 6-1, 216-pound frame helps create more opportunities as a dime/sub-package defender in a multiple scheme. — Bowen

Predicted chance of getting traded: 25%
Team fits: New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings, Washington Commanders

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2025 NFL Trade Block Big Board Entering Week 8

1. Jackson Powers-Johnson, OL, Las Vegas Raiders
   Projected Trade Value: 2026 4th-Round Pick and/or Veteran Cornerback

The Las Vegas Raiders appear to be as low as ever on offensive lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson.

After refusing to play the 22-year-old at center early in the season and forcing him to battle for a starting job, head coach Pete Carroll benched the 2024 second-round pick during Sunday’s blowout loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

While his early 2025 campaign hasn’t made a positive impact on Powers-Johnson’s trade value, his draft pedigree, college production and rookie tape are hard to ignore.

He won the Remington Trophy in 2023 and started 14 games as a rookie.

While Powers-Johnson is a natural center, he has experience at both that position and guard. He’s shown flashes of potential, though inconsistently, in Las Vegas.

The Raiders clearly aren’t ready to win right away, even with Carroll and quarterback Geno Smith in the fold. If they can’t find a spot for Powers-Johnson in the starting lineup, they should be willing to flip him for a pick or player they’ll actually use.

Potential Suitors: Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans

1. Cody Barton, LB, Tennessee Titans
   Projected Trade Value: 2026 4th-Round Pick

The Tennessee Titans fired head coach Brian Callahan after Week 6. Heading into Week 8, it appears they are prepared to have a fire sale.

“The Titans are open for business on every player but QB Cam Ward and defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons,” The Athletic’s Dianna Russini wrote on Saturday. “They are looking to stockpile future picks.”

General manager Mike Borgonzi arrived this past offseason. Shortly after, he signed linebacker Cody Barton to a three-year, $21 million deal. Under normal circumstances, he probably wouldn’t want to part with one of his marquee additions just a few months later.

Tennessee is in a tough spot, though, and if it truly is willing to move almost any player on its roster, Barton would be one of its most attractive trade chips.

The 28-year-old has 102 games and 50 starts on his resume, and he’s been a productive starter in his last few stops—he already has 42 tackles and two interceptions this season.

More than a few teams could use help at linebacker, whether due to injuries or flat-out poor play. Barton would be a fine addition to any struggling defense with playoff aspirations.

Potential Suitors: Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys

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Current NFL Trade Candidates

Jeffery Simmons – $54.87 million thru 2027
Quinnen Williams – $56.81 million thru 2027
Logan Wilson – $17.05 million thru 2027
Tariq Woolen – $3.27 million thru 2025

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NFL trade candidates: Ranking top players who could be moved before 2025 deadline

1. Riq Woolen, CB, Seattle Seahawks
   He’s long been an outlier as a trade block candidate, with the Seahawks standing alone as the only winning team with a player on this list. But there’s no denying that he’s been a bit of an oil-and-water fit in coach Mike Macdonald’s defense. Seattle might not be inclined to toy with a unit that had 12 passes defensed in Monday’s win over the Houston Texans. But the demand for a 6-foot-4, 210-pound playmaker figures to be high, with a number of teams that lean on man coverage sure to be interested.
2. Cam Taylor-Britt, CB, Cincinnati Bengals
   Even after the cornerback was a surprise healthy scratch in last Thursday’s win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, parting with Taylor-Britt would be a decidedly uncharacteristic move for a franchise known for dragging out conflicts with players rather than seeking clean breaks. Coach Zac Taylor later said he needs to see more consistency from the fourth-year veteran, but both sides might benefit from seeking a different solution. If Cincinnati is amenable to a move, it shouldn’t have trouble drumming up interest in a talented cover man with the straight-line speed and ball skills to deter deep balls.

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Minnesota Vikings have two clear trade targets for more quarterback help

The Minnesota Vikings have a quarterback problem.

J.J. McCarthy has been recovering from a high-ankle sprain and hasn’t played since Week 2, although it looks like he’s on the cusp of returning in Week 9. Even still, he wasn’t very effective the last time we saw him, which is obviously concerning.

The Vikings’ insurance policy, Carson Wentz, is clearly not healthy after we saw him suffer through a beating against the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday night and it remains to be seen if he’ll have to miss time with his shoulder injury.
…
With Jaxson Dart taking over the starting job in New York, Wilson and Winston are both expendable. The Giants’ reported preference is to trade Wilson, seeing as how he’s only on a one-year deal, but it’s likely Winston is available for the right price.

Wilson is no doubt the less attractive option given his struggles in recent years, but it’s conceivable he could have a renaissance under head coach Kevin O’Connell, who helped revive the career of Sam Darnold.

Because of his big arm, Winston opens up all kinds of possibilities for the Vikings’ offense, but he also brings a high turnover risk due to his gunslinger mentality. Perhaps O’Connell can rein that in a bit and get the best out of Winston.

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2025 NFL trade deadline buyers and sellers: 14 teams that could shape the market

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Vikings Urged To Trade 2 x Pro Bowl Tight End To NFC Contenders

So Vinne Iyer of The Sporting News, in detailing what he believes are the top deals teams should look to make ahead of the trade deadline on November 4, writes – somewhat surprisingly – that the Vikings should deal two-time Pro Bowl tight end, TJ Hockenson, to the Los Angeles Rams.
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“Let’s start by saying the Vikings, at .500, are unlikely to make a deal either way with little glaring need and limited pending free agent assets.” Iyer wrote. “But this would be interesting, given Hockenson keeps not producing as a key target for Kevin O’Connell but could turn out to be the missing third option in the adjacent Rams offense.”
…
The Rams are not the clear and obvious destination for the Vikings, given the continued presence of Tyler Higbee and rookie second round pick, Terrance Ferguson.

And head coach, Sean McVay is hardly an enthusiastic multiple tight end-set utilizer, having been forced into using it in abundance last weekend against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

But the team could still use a reliable option beyond Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, and Hockenson is certainly a better receiver than any other wideout on their roster.
…
At the same time, it would not be totally surprising to see someone make an aggressive-ish offer for his services, so something in the fourth round pick area would feel to be about the most likely compensation if he is moved prior to the deadline.

…

Note: If the Vikings did move Hockenson then this is what happens cap wise (before the season started) …
POST-6/1 TRADE
2025 Dead Cap: $5,455,000
2026 Dead Cap: $12,465,000
2025 Savings: $11,194,118

Since he has been paid for almost half the year, the savings on his salary would get eaten up by half the 2025 dead cap. In 2026, they would have 12M in cap space though.

If they want to send back Terrence Ferguson then I would consider that.

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College Football Games Today​

12 p.m. | UCLA at No. 2 Indiana | FOX
Fernando Mendoza | Indiana | QB | 6’5″ | 225 | RJR
D’Angelo Ponds | Indiana | CBN | 5’9″ | 170 | JR
Elijah Sarratt | Indiana | WR | 6’2″ | 209 | SR
Mikail Kamara | Indiana | EDGE | 6’0″ | 265 | RSR
Amare Ferrell | Indiana | S | 6’2″ | 200 | JR
Omar Cooper Jr. | Indiana | WR | 6’0″ | 204 | RJR
Carter Smith | Indiana | OT | 6’5″ | 308 | RJR
Tyrique Tucker | Indiana | DL3T | 6’0″ | 298 | RJR
Louis Moore | Indiana | S | 5’11” | 200 | RSR
Kahlil Benson | Indiana | OT | 6’5″ | 319 | RSR
Riley Nowakowski | Indiana | TE | 6’2″ | 249 | RSR
Aiden Fisher | Indiana | ILB | 6’1″ | 233 | SR
Roman Hemby | Indiana | RB | 6’0″ | 208 | RSR
Pat Coogan | Indiana | OC | 6’5″ | 310 | RSR
Rodrick Pleasant | UCLA | CBN | 5’10” | 175 | JR
Gary Smith III | UCLA | DL1T | 6’2″ | 340 | SR
Nico Iamaleava | UCLA | QB | 6’5″ | 215 | RSO

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12 p.m. | Syracuse at No. 7 Georgia Tech | ESPN
Eric Rivers | Georgia Tech | WRS | 5’11” | 174 | RSR
Jamal Haynes | Georgia Tech | RB | 5’9″ | 190 | RSR
Keylan Rutledge | Georgia Tech | OG | 6’4″ | 320 | SR
Chris Peal | Syracuse | CB | 6’1″ | 200 | RSO
Dan Villari | Syracuse | TE | 6’4″ | 245 | RSR
Trebor Pena | Syracuse | WR | 5’11” | 184 | RSR

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12 p.m. | No. 8 Ole Miss at No. 13 Oklahoma | ABC
Suntarine Perkins | Ole Miss | EDGE | 6’1″ | 220 | JR
Zxavian Harris | Ole Miss | DL1T | 6’6″ | 320 | SR
Trinidad Chambliss | Ole Miss | QB | 6’0″ | 200 | SR
Antonio Kite | Ole Miss | CB | 6’0″ | 175 | RJR
Dae’Quan Wright | Ole Miss | TE | 6’4″ | 255 | SR
Harrison Wallace III | Ole Miss | WR | 6’1″ | 200 | RSR
Princewill Umanmielen | Ole Miss | EDGE | 6’4″ | 245 | JR
De’Zhaun Stribling | Ole Miss | WR | 6’2″ | 200 | RSR
John Mateer | Oklahoma | QB | 6’1″ | 219 | RJR
R Mason Thomas | Oklahoma | EDGE | 6’2″ | 243 | SR
Deion Burks | Oklahoma | WRS | 5’9″ | 194 | RSR
Peyton Bowen | Oklahoma | S | 6’0″ | 199 | JR
Gracen Halton | Oklahoma | DL3T | 6’2″ | 285 | SR
Febechi Nwaiwu | Oklahoma | OG | 6’4″ | 339 | RSR
Jaren Kanak | Oklahoma | TE | 6’2″ | 233 | SR
Marvin Jones Jr. | Oklahoma | EDGE | 6’5″ | 255 | SR
Gentry Williams | Oklahoma | CB | 6’0″ | 187 | SR

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12 p.m. | No. 16 Virginia at North Carolina | ACC Network
J’Mari Taylor | Virginia | RB | 5’9″ | 204 | RSR
McKale Boley | Virginia | OT | 6’4″ | 302 | SR
Thaddeus Dixon | North Carolina | CB | 6’0″ | 186 | RSR

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3:30 p.m. | No. 4 Alabama at South Carolina | ABC
Kadyn Proctor | Alabama | OT | 6’6″ | 369 | JR
L.T. Overton | Alabama | DL5T | 6’4″ | 283 | SR
Ty Simpson | Alabama | QB | 6’2″ | 208 | RJR
Domani Jackson | Alabama | CB | 6’1″ | 201 | SR
Deontae Lawson | Alabama | ILB | 6’2″ | 239 | RSR
Tim Keenan III | Alabama | DL1T | 6’2″ | 326 | RSR
Keon Sabb | Alabama | S | 6’1″ | 206 | RJR
Bray Hubbard | Alabama | S | 6’2″ | 204 | JR
Germie Bernard | Alabama | WR | 6’0″ | 209 | SR
James Smith | Alabama | DL3T | 6’3″ | 295 | JR
Qua Russaw | Alabama | EDGE | 6’2″ | 241 | RSO
Parker Brailsford | Alabama | OC | 6’2″ | 290 | RJR
Kelby Collins | Alabama | DL5T | 6’4″ | 278 | JR
Jaeden Roberts | Alabama | OG | 6’5″ | 310 | RSR
Jam Miller | Alabama | RB | 5’10” | 221 | SR
Justin Jefferson | Alabama | ILB | 6’1″ | 225 | RSR
Cameron Calhoun | Alabama | CB | 6’0″ | 177 | RSO
LaNorris Sellers | South Carolina | QB | 6’2″ | 242 | RSO
Nyck Harbor | South Carolina | WR | 6’5″ | 235 | JR
Brandon Cisse | South Carolina | CB | 6’0″ | 190 | JR
Bryan Thomas Jr. | South Carolina | EDGE | 6’2″ | 249 | SR
Jalon Kilgore | South Carolina | S | 6’1″ | 219 | JR
Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy | South Carolina | DL1T | 6’3″ | 315 | RJR

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3:30 p.m. | No. 15 Missouri at No. 10 Vanderbilt | ESPN
Cayden Green | Missouri | OT | 6’5″ | 320 | JR
Kevin Coleman Jr. | Missouri | WR | 5’11” | 180 | SR
Damon Wilson II | Missouri | EDGE | 6’4″ | 250 | JR
Zion Young | Missouri | EDGE | 6’5″ | 265 | SR
Keagen Trost | Missouri | OT | 6’4″ | 316 | RSR
Connor Tollison | Missouri | OC | 6’4″ | 209 | RSR
Jalen Catalon | Missouri | S | 5’10” | 205 | RSR
Toriano Pride Jr. | Missouri | CB | 5’10” | 190 | SR
Beau Pribula | Missouri | QB | 6’2″ | 212 | RJR
Eli Stowers | Vanderbilt | TE | 6’4″ | 235 | RSR
Diego Pavia | Vanderbilt | QB | 6’0″ | 207 | RSR

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3:30 p.m. | No. 11 BYU at Iowa State | FOX
Chase Roberts | BYU | WR | 6’4″ | 210 | RSR
Keanu Tanuvasa | BYU | DL3T | 6’3″ | 300 | RJR
Isaiah Glasker | BYU | EDGE | 6’4″ | 235 | RJR
Domonique Orange | Iowa State | DL1T | 6’3″ | 325 | SR
Jontez Williams | Iowa State | CB | 5’11” | 200 | RJR
Benjamin Brahmer | Iowa State | TE | 6’6″ | 260 | JR

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3:30 p.m. | No. 23 Illinois at Washington | Big Ten Network
Gabe Jacas | Illinois | EDGE | 6’2″ | 275 | SR
Xavier Scott | Illinois | CB | 5’11” | 190 | SR
J.C. Davis | Illinois | OT | 6’5″ | 320 | RSR
Hank Beatty | Illinois | WRS | 5’10” | 185 | SR
Josh Gesky | Illinois | OG | 6’4″ | 335 | RSR
Denzel Boston | Washington | WR | 6’3″ | 209 | RJR
Jonah Coleman | Washington | RB | 5’9″ | 229 | SR
Tacario Davis | Washington | CB | 6’3″ | 190 | SR
Carver Willis | Washington | OT | 6’5″ | 291 | RSR

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3:30 p.m. | Minnesota at Iowa | CBS
Anthony Smith | Minnesota | EDGE | 6’6″ | 285 | RJR
John Nestor | Minnesota | CB | 6’1″ | 205 | JR
Darius Taylor | Minnesota | RB | 5’11” | 215 | JR
Maverick Baranowski | Minnesota | ILB | 6’2″ | 230 | RJR
Kerry Brown | Minnesota | S | 5’10” | 190 | RSO
Gennings Dunker | Iowa | OT | 6’5″ | 316 | RSR
Logan Jones | Iowa | OC | 6’3″ | 293 | RSR
Max Llewellyn | Iowa | EDGE | 6’4″ | 263 | RSR
Beau Stephens | Iowa | OG | 6’5″ | 315 | RSR
Aaron Graves | Iowa | DL3T | 6’4″ | 300 | SR
T.J.Hall | Iowa | CB | 6’0″ | 190 | SR
Xavier Nwankpa | Iowa | S | 6’2″ | 215 | SR

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4 p.m. | Oklahoma State at No. 14 Texas Tech | ESPNU
Wes Pahl | Oklahoma State | P | 6’5″ | 205 | RSR
David Bailey | Texas Tech | EDGE | 6’3″ | 250 | SR
Romello Height | Texas Tech | EDGE | 6’3″ | 240 | RSR
Lee Hunter | Texas Tech | DL1T | 6’4″ | 320 | RSR
Jacob Rodriguez | Texas Tech | ILB | 6’1″ | 230 | RSR
Skyler Gill-Howard | Texas Tech | DL5T | 6’1″ | 290 | SR
Terrance Carter | Texas Tech | TE | 6’2″ | 239 | RJR
Cole Wisniewski | Texas Tech | S | 6’3″ | 218 | RSR
Howard Sampson | Texas Tech | OT | 6’8″ | 325 | RJR
Brice Pollock | Texas Tech | CB | 6’0″ | 195 | JR

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4 p.m. | Baylor at No. 21 Cincinnati | ESPN2
Michael Trigg | Baylor | TE | 6’4″ | 246 | RSR
Sawyer Robertson | Baylor | QB | 6’4″ | 220 | RSR
Bryson Washington | Baylor | RB | 6’0″ | 203 | RSO
Josh Cameron | Baylor | WR | 6’1″ | 218 | RSR
Omar Aigbedion | Baylor | OG | 6’2″ | 310 | SR
Jackie Marshall | Baylor | DL5T | 6’3″ | 290 | RSR
Dontay Corleone | Cincinnati | DL1T | 6’1″ | 320 | RSR
Jake Golday | Cincinnati | OLB | 6’3″ | 240 | RSR
Joe Royer | Cincinnati | TE | 6’4″ | 255 | RSR

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4:15 p.m. | No. 22 Texas at Mississippi State | SEC Network
Trevor Goosby | Texas | OT | 6’7″ | 309 | RSO
Anthony Hill Jr. | Texas | ILB | 6’3″ | 235 | JR
Malik Muhammad | Texas | CB | 6’0″ | 190 | JR
Michael Taaffe | Texas | S | 6’0″ | 195 | RSR
Jack Endries | Texas | TE | 6’4″ | 240 | RJR
Trey Moore | Texas | EDGE | 6’3″ | 245 | RSR
D.J. Campbell | Texas | OG | 6’3″ | 330 | SR
Quintrevion Wisner | Texas | RB | 5’11” | 194 | JR
DeAndre Moore Jr. | Texas | WR | 6’0″ | 195 | JR
Hero Kanu | Texas | DL3T | 6’4″ | 305 | RJR
Isaac Smith | Mississippi State | S | 6’0″ | 205 | JR
Will Whitson | Mississippi State | EDGE | 6’5″ | 295 | SR
Jayven Williams | Mississippi State | CB | 6’1″ | 185 | RJR

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7 p.m. | Wisconsin at No. 6 Oregon | FS1
Preston Zachman | Wisconsin | S | 6’1″ | 212 | RSR
Mason Reiger | Wisconsin | EDGE | 6’5″ | 248 | GR
Christian Alliegro | Wisconsin | ILB | 6’4″ | 240 | JR
Riley Mahlman | Wisconsin | OT | 6’7″ | 308 | RSR
Ricardo Hallman | Wisconsin | CBN | 5’10” | 185 | RSR
Dante Moore | Oregon | QB | 6’3″ | 206 | RSO
Matayo Uiagalelei | Oregon | EDGE | 6’4″ | 270 | JR
Isaiah World | Oregon | OT | 6’8″ | 309 | RSR
Dillon Thieneman | Oregon | S | 6’0″ | 207 | JR
Kenyon Sadiq | Oregon | TE | 6’3″ | 235 | JR
Iapani Laloulu | Oregon | OC | 6’2″ | 325 | JR
Emmanuel Pregnon | Oregon | OG | 6’5″ | 320 | RSR
Bryce Boettcher | Oregon | ILB | 6’2″ | 225 | RSR
A’Mauri Washington | Oregon | DL1T | 6’3″ | 330 | JR
Evan Stewart | Oregon | WR | 6’0″ | 175 | SR
Alex Harkey | Oregon | OT | 6’5″ | 335 | RSR
Bear Alexander | Oregon | DL1T | 6’3″ | 315 | RJR
Devon Jackson | Oregon | ILB | 6’2″ | 230 | RJR

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7 p.m. | Stanford at No. 9 Miami (Fla.) | ESPN
Collin Wright | Stanford | CBN | 6’0″ | 195 | RJR
Clay Patterson | Stanford | EDGE | 6’3″ | 280 | GR
Mark Fletcher Jr. | Miami | RB | 6’1″ | 225 | JR
Mohamed Toure | Miami | ILB | 6’1″ | 236 | RSR
Rueben Bain Jr. | Miami (FL) | EDGE | 6’3″ | 275 | JR
Francis Mauigoa | Miami (FL) | OT | 6’6″ | 315 | JR
Carson Beck | Miami (FL) | QB | 6’4″ | 220 | RSR
Akheem Mesidor | Miami (FL) | DL5T | 6’2″ | 280 | RSR
Damari Brown | Miami (FL) | CB | 6’1″ | 190 | JR
Anez Cooper | Miami (FL) | OG | 6’5″ | 350 | SR
C.J. Daniels | Miami (FL) | WR | 6’2″ | 205 | RSR
Keionte Scott | Miami (FL) | S | 5’11” | 192 | RSR

---

7:30 p.m. | No. 25 Michigan at Michigan State | NBC
Justice Haynes | Michigan | RB | 5’10” | 210 | JR
Derrick Moore | Michigan | EDGE | 6’3″ | 256 | SR
Jyaire Hill | Michigan | CB | 6’1″ | 185 | RSO
Rod Moore | Michigan | S | 5’11” | 198 | RSR
Rayshaun Benny | Michigan | DL3T | 6’3″ | 296 | RSR
T.J. Guy | Michigan | EDGE | 6’4″ | 250 | RSR
Jaishawn Barham | Michigan | ILB | 6’3″ | 248 | SR
Ernest Hausmann | Michigan | ILB | 6’2″ | 235 | SR
Zeke Berry | Michigan | CB | 5’11” | 196 | RJR
Matt Gulbin | Michigan State | OC | 6’4″ | 312 | RSR
Malik Spencer | Michigan State | S | 6’1″ | 192 | SR

---

7:45 p.m. | No. 17 Tennessee at Kentucky | SEC Network
Jermod McCoy | Tennessee | CB | 5’11” | 193 | JR
Joshua Josephs | Tennessee | EDGE | 6’3″ | 245 | SR
Colton Hood | Tennessee | CB | 5’11” | 195 | RSO
Chris Brazzell II | Tennessee | WR | 6’5″ | 200 | RJR
Wendell Moe Jr. | Tennessee | OG | 6’2″ | 339 | RJR
Star Thomas | Tennessee | RB | 6’0″ | 210 | RSR
Joey Aguilar | Tennessee | QB | 6’3″ | 225 | RSR
Lance Heard | Tennessee | OT | 6’5″ | 340 | JR
Miles Kitselman | Tennessee | TE | 6’5″ | 256 | RSR
Kahlil Saunders | Kentucky | DL3T | 6’4″ | 293 | RSR
David Gusta | Kentucky | DL3T | 6’3″ | 302 | RSR
Jager Burton | Kentucky | OC | 6’3″ | 316 | RSR
Joshua Braun | Kentucky | OG | 6’5″ | 338 | RSR

---

8 p.m. | Houston at No. 24 Arizona State | ESPN2
Tanner Koziol | Houston | TE | 6’6″ | 237 | RSR
Carlos Allen Jr. | Houston | DL3T | 6’1″ | 295 | RSR
Jordyn Tyson | Arizona State | WR | 6’1″ | 195 | RJR
Keith Abney II | Arizona State | CB | 5’10” | 195 | JR
Sam Leavitt | Arizona State | QB | 6’2″ | 200 | RSO
C.J. Fite | Arizona State | DL3T | 6’2″ | 305 | JR
Max Iheanachor | Arizona State | OT | 6’5″ | 325 | RSR
Clayton Smith | Arizona State | EDGE | 6’4″ | 245 | RSR

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YORE MOCK​

R1:14 Spencer Fano | Utah | OT | 6’5″ | 304 | JR
R2:46 Sonny Styles | Ohio State | OLB | 6’4″ | 235 | SR
R3: 78 Davison Igbinosun | Ohio State | CB | 6’2″ | 193 | SR
R3: 97 Elijah Sarratt | Indiana | WR | 6’2″ | 209 | SR
R4: 114 Justice Haynes | Michigan | RB | 5’10” | 210 | JR
R5: 153 Rayshaun Benny | Michigan | DL3T | 6’3″ | 296 | RSR
R5: 167 Tim Keenan III | Alabama | DL1T | 6’2″ | 326 | RSR
R5: 173 Taylen Green | Arkansas | QB | 6’6″ | 230 | RSR
R6: 192 Zakee Wheatley | Penn State | S | 6’2″ | 198 | RSR
R6: 206 Josh Moten | Southern Miss | CB | 6’0″ | 185 | RSR
R6: 210 Xavier Nwankpa | Iowa | S | 6’2″ | 215 | SR
R7: 227 Pat Coogan | Indiana | OC | 6’5″ | 310 | RSR

---

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Again, we all know the rules, but in case someone is new:

• No discussion of politics or religion
• No feeding of the trolls
• Leave the gender hatred at the door
• Keep the bad language to a minimum (using the spoiler tags, if you must)
• Speaking of which, if discussing a newer show or movie, please use spoiler tags
• No pictures that could get someone fired or in serious trouble with their employer
• If you can’t disagree in a civil manner, feel free to go away
• While navigating the open thread, just assume it’s sarcasm

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/minne...ngs-news-and-links-its-not-as-bad-as-it-seems

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Vikes Views: Nincompoop of the Week – TNF Vikings at Chargers

The Minnesota Vikings visited the Los Angeles Chargers. Much like last year, it did not go well for the Vikings. It was an embarrassing performance and numerous questionable decisions before and during the game. I’d would say I’m at a loss for words, but obviously you’re reading them so I’m not. Let’s jump in.

Kevin O’Connell

It’s hard to pick where to start with KOC. I am normally a big supporter. However, I am struggling to see the vision this year. The team is cautious, probably overly so, with J.J. McCarthy. That I get. What I don’t get is putting his LT out there on a short week when he clearly isn’t ready. Sticking with Wentz when he can’t even raise up his left arm enough to hold the ball with two hands is coaching malpractice. Not only can he get injured, but you can’t tell me a one armed Carson Wentz gives the team the best chance to win. Then, on top of that, every time it’s 3rd and 2 or less, KOC seems to think he can surprise the defense with a 20 yard pass. Dude, it hasn’t worked once. The clock management is always poor. Hire someone to do it if you suck at it. The end of the first half ended up in a rushed FG attempt and Will Reichard uncharacteristically hit the ground about a foot behind the ball. The Vikings are now the “get right” game for teams that are struggling. KOC’s plan will be to return J.J. McCarthy against Aiden Hutchinson and the Detroit Lions. I can foresee KOC being the leading name next week as well.

Carson Wentz

I would be just as frustrated with Wentz if I didn’t feel bad for him. Kirk Herbstreit went at him pretty hard. He isn’t a leader of a team. I think he realized his career his over when he was tearing up on the bench. He is a warning for us to have patience with J.J. McCarthy. He looked like the next great QB his rookie season. The injury changed things, but the footwork, leadership qualities, and decision making are what is hurting Wentz, not his physical ability. His terrible mechanics lead to sailed passes way too often. The interception last night should’ve been the last throw of his career. KOC still threw him back out there for another series, for some unknown reason.

RJ Mickens gets another INT for the @Chargers defense!

MINvsLAC on Prime Video
Also streaming on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/CL7woStMhA

— NFL (@NFL) October 24, 2025

Josh Metellus

Metellus just can’t cover anyone. I don’t know what happened. Metellus just seems slow out there. A simple move and he struggles to recover. The first TD he gave up was a simple in cut. He didn’t just give up leverage, he gave Gadson 5 feet of separation.

After 164 yards and a TD last week, rookie Oronde Gadsden is back in the end zone for the @Chargers!

MINvsLAC on Prime Video
Also streaming on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/RAZCq5UpeZ

— NFL (@NFL) October 24, 2025

Jonathan Allen

Jonathan Allen hasn’t been all that the team had hoped he would be. I get that he might be frustrated. Allen sacked Herbert with about 8 minutes left in the game. Most players, being down 21, would turn around and go back to line up. Allen thought to have a little dance as he got back. The Chargers lined up to kick a FG two plays later to go up by 24.

Catch Rule

Does anyone know what a catch is? If you’re not wearing purple it is ok to hit the ground as long as you control it, if you are wearing purple, incomplete? Two weeks in a row this has happened. I almost got it with the Hockenson call. I didn’t get it this week. Rodgers hands were wrapped around the ball the entire process. That’s supposed to be a catch. 7-0 Vikings and game on. It didn’t happen that way. The Vikings got demolished and in almost no scenario were they winning that game. However, calls like this ruin games. The NBA is dealing with another massive betting scandal. The trust is always on thin ice as they have every segment brought to you by another gambling site. We need to hear those conversations between the ref and the replay room. Open it up. Be transparent. What could they possibly have to hide?

Brian Flores

The Flores defense has been urban legend level for the past two years. The last two weeks, it has been poverty level on 3rd and long. He just doesn’t seem to be able to find a way to get pressure on the QB. The defense was smoked on every drive last night with the exception of the one interception on a deflected pass. They scored on every other possesion other than a missed FG. No punts.

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/minne...incompoop-of-the-week-tnf-vikings-at-chargers

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Vikings Season Hits Rock Bottom: Can KOC Turn It Around After Chargers Debacle?

The Vikings’ season is at a crossroads—can Kevin O’Connell turn things around? In this episode of “Two Old Bloggers,” hosts Darren Campbell and Dave Stefano break down the Minnesota Vikings’ crushing Thursday night loss, question the coaching decisions, and debate the team’s future. If you’re searching for Vikings analysis, hot takes, and a look at what’s next for the purple and gold, this is the episode you can’t miss.

The latest “Two Old Bloggers” show, part of the Vikings 1st & SKOL production, dives deep into the aftermath of a demoralizing defeat. Darren and Dave bring decades of Vikings commentary to the table, dissecting everything from Kevin O’Connell’s job security to the team’s injury woes and roster decisions. With fan confidence at a season low, the hosts ask the tough questions: Is it time to panic, or is there still hope for a turnaround?

This episode is packed with must-hear insights for Minnesota Vikings fans, including a candid look at player performance, coaching strategy, and what needs to change before the next game. Whether you’re a die-hard or a casual observer, you’ll find plenty to chew on in this in-depth recap and analysis.

Episode Summary & Key Points:​

• In-depth reaction to the Vikings’ Thursday night loss and what it means for the season
• Analysis of Kevin O’Connell’s coaching decisions and whether he’s on the hot seat
• Discussion of quarterback play, injury impact, and the team’s offensive struggles
• Breakdown of defensive issues, including tackling and scheme concerns
• Player spotlights: Ivan Pace Jr., Javon Hargrave, and T.J. Hockenson’s roles and futures
• Debate on roster construction, draft success, and long-term outlook
• Fan questions and live chat highlights, capturing the pulse of Vikings Nation
• Predictions for the upcoming Detroit game and what it will take to salvage the season

Listen:​

View Link

Watch:​

If you’re looking for honest, unfiltered Minnesota Vikings coverage, “Two Old Bloggers” delivers every week. Don’t miss this episode for sharp analysis, passionate debate, and a community of fans who live and breathe Vikings football. Check out the full show on Vikings 1st & SKOL, and join the conversation with Darren, Dave, and the Fans First Sports Network.

Fan With Us!​

We have your Minnesota Vikings talk amongst the Two Old Bloggers, Darren @KickassblogVike, and Dave @Luft_Krigare along with our numbers guy, Drew Bunting. Join the conversation! Fan with us at Vikings 1st & SKOL @Vikings1stSKOL and with our podcast partner Fans First Sports Network @FansFirstSN.

Open Question:​

What do you think is the biggest issue facing the Vikings right now—and do you believe Kevin O’Connell is the right coach to lead the turnaround? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/minne...can-koc-turn-it-around-after-chargers-debacle

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Daily Norseman Staff NFL Picks, Week 8

Well, the Minnesota Vikings may have embarassed themselves on national television in Week 8 of NFL action, but we’re still here making our picks. Yes, our collective of learned pro football blowhards have submitted their picks for this week, so let’s take a look at who we’re picking.

First, here’s our look at how everyone is doing this season with their picks. Again, you can take a look at pretty much anything relating to our selections, whether it’s how we’re doing over the course of the season or for any individual week.

With that, it’s time to take a look at the picks for this week. As always, we remind you that picks against the spread and over/under picks will differ for each selector based on when they punched their picks into the system that our good friends at Tallysight have provided for us. For the latest, always check your sportsbook of choice.

Unanimous Picks​

• Cincinnati Bengals over New York Jets
• Buffalo Bills over Carolina Panthers
• Philadelphia Eagles over New York Giants
• Atlanta Falcons over Miami Dolphins
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers over New Orleans Saints
• Indianapolis Colts over Tennessee Titans
• Kansas City Chiefs over Washington Commanders

6-1 Picks​

• San Francisco 49ers over Houston Texans (Chris dissenting)
• New England Patriots over Cleveland Browns (Shawn dissenting)
• Minnesota Vikings over Los Angeles Chargers (Eric gets it right and the rest of us should have known better)

5-2 Picks​

• Dallas Cowboys over Denver Broncos (Chris and Warren dissenting)
• Green Bay Packers over Pittsburgh Steelers (Chris and Warren dissenting)

4-3 Picks​

• Chicago Bears over Baltimore Ravens (Chris, GA Skol, and Warren dissenting)

Those are the picks for this week, ladies and gentlemen. Who are you rolling with this week with your NFL picks?

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/daily...eman-staff-nfl-picks-week-8-minnesota-vikings

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Vikes Views: Jalen Redmond, A Bright Spot in the Darkness

The Minnesota Vikings’ run defense has been a sore spot this season. The Defensive Interior, for the most part, has not performed up to expectations. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah invested heavily in a few high-priced, but oft injured, defensive linemen this past offseason. Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave have not lived up to their contracts. PFF has them ranked 88th and 103rd for interior defenders, respectively. The Vikings boast the 8th best pass defense (188.0 yards per game), but the 9th worst run defense (130.4 yards per game).

Despite all of the negative, there has been a bright spot on defense. Jalen Redmond, the 3rd year man out of Oklahoma, has performed exceedingly above expectations. PFF has him ranked as the 15th interior defender (out of 125). Redmond had an impressive 9 pressures in Week 8. He ranks 10th for interior defenders with 21 pressures for the season. He also made the play to give the Vikings a chance at a comeback against the Chargers. Nothing came to fruition, but plays like that can win games when they’re close.

Jalen tips it.

Josh picks it.

: @NFLonPrime pic.twitter.com/vfnSvEBetN

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) October 24, 2025

If his running mates can match Redmond’s production, this defensive line is in good shape. The Minnesota Vikings season really starts now. It’s J.J. McCarthy’s team, for better or worse. Brian Flores’ defense is going to need to help make that as easy as possible. If they are going to be able to make that happen, they will need more from the defensive front. All it takes is for the highly paid free agent acquisitions to match the production of the former XFL NT playing next to them.

Jalen Redmond

• Run Defense Grade: 66.6 (30th/125)

• Overall: 76.1 (15th/125)

• Pass Rush Grade: 79.6 (9th/125)

Sign-Up and join the conversation below!

Follow me on X @GA_Skol

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/minne...s-jalen-redmond-a-bright-spot-in-the-darkness

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

What Are We Even Doing Here?

I’ve been relatively quiet since our Minnesota Vikings lost to the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday night. Primarily because there was a lot of real-life stuff that I had to attend to, but the other part of it is that, quite frankly, I still honestly don’t know what on Earth that was we saw on Thursday night. Warren hit the low points in his piece, which you should read if you haven’t already, but man. . .if that wasn’t the single-worst performance the Vikings have put together in the Kevin O’Connell era, the list of worse performances is an awfully short one.

And now, today, we’ve gotten news that frankly boggles the mind. The Vikings are putting quarterback Carson Wentz, who has been the starter since Week 3, on injured reserve as he will require season-ending surgery on his non-throwing shoulder.

That’s not the mind-boggling part. This is.

Details on Carson Wentz: In the first half of the London game, Wentz suffered a dislocation that tore his labrum and fractured the socket, per The Insiders.

He gutted out 2.5 more games for the #Vikings with a big stabilizing brace, while JJ McCarthy (high-ankle) recovered. https://t.co/JseMqJ7fmC

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 27, 2025

Wentz suffered a dislocated shoulder that resulted in a torn labrum in the first half of the Vikings’ win over the Cleveland Browns in London.

In Week 5.

A game that took place 22 calendar days ago.

The Vikings knew about this injury three weeks ago, and took no steps to shore up the quarterback position during that time. The depth chart for the past two games has been the same: Wentz as the starter, rookie Max Brosmer as QB2, and J.J. McCarthy as the emergency quarterback. And they continued running Wentz out there for the past two games, allowing him to take a pair of sacks against the Philadelphia Eagles and then five more in whatever the hell that was in Los Angeles on Thursday night.

Everyone knew Wentz was hurt. He took hit after hit and was in pretty much constant pain for the entire game on Thursday night. And despite all of it, Kevin O’Connell just kept running Wentz out there on drive after drive until the two-minute warning, when Brosmer finally got into the ball game in garbage time.

(How bad must Brosmer look in practice at this point for the coaching staff to keep playing a quarterback with one functioning arm instead of turning to the backup? Doesn’t exactly leave you with a warm fuzzy.)

Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure that O’Connell asked Wentz numerous times whether or not he was okay to keep going out there, and Wentz answered in the affirmative. But there comes a point where you, essentially, have to save the guy from himself. That’s part of the job, and the Vikings didn’t do that on Thursday night.

Look, I’m still a believer in Kevin O’Connell as a head coach. There are still very few head coaches in this league that I would trade Kevin O’Connell for straight-up. But through the first eight weeks of the season, the Vikings have mismanaged the quarterback position about as much as you possibly can. With Wentz going on injured reserve, the Vikings now only have McCarthy and Brosmer at the quarterback spot with no other fallback option. At this point of the season, your options at that spot are pretty much slim and none, and Slim’s about ready to call for his check.

The Vikings are in a bad, bad spot right now. They’re sitting at 3-4 and at the bottom of the NFC North with a trip to Detroit coming in Week 9 and a date with Derrick Henry and (likely) Lamar Jackson the week after that. Nobody knows what’s happening with J.J. McCarthy, the offensive line has been atrocious (and the projected starting 5 going into the season has played exactly zero snaps together in 2025), the offensive side of the ball isn’t making any meaningful adjustments, and Brian Flores’ defense appears to have developed an allergy to the middle of the football field.

The time for the Vikings’ coaching staff to get things figured out and turned around is getting pretty short, as we’re nearly halfway through this season. There’s still time to make changes and adjustments and whatnot, but if they don’t make them starting this Sunday they’re on the verge of completely losing this 2025 season. As a Vikings fan, I’m always hesitant to say that it can’t get any worse because. . .well, because we all know better.

Is this rock bottom? Man, I sure hope so. We’ll find out on Sunday if it’s not.

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/minne...innesota-vikings-carson-wentz-kevin-o-connell

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Minnesota Vikings News and Links: No Time To Give Up!

After the Carson Wentz impending surgery and move to IR, the Vikings will need to add another QB to the team. The current raging topic is about how the team and, specifically, KOC handled Wentz in the Chargers game. There are plenty of fans who feel it was inexcusable to leave him in the game when he was clearly in a lot of pain at times. There are others (like myself) that feel Wentz wanted to be out there and KOC did OK since he did ask him throughout the game if he was alright. I am sure this will be beaten down for a little while longer. It is as it should be.

Looking forward, I think the team is going to look much better. The Lions are tough especially at home. But the Vikings should have Darrisaw and O’Neill back in action and might get back Josh Oliver. That could really help against the pass rush and in the run game. I also think that JJ McCarthy is going to surprise us with more efficient play.

If the offense is able to sustain longer drives then the defense wont be out on the field for 39 minutes like they were against the Chargers. Ain’t nobody gonna tell me that does not affect them. Still, they did not perform well enough and they know it. I think the team is going to be “hot” under the collar and they are going to get after it against the Lions.

The Lions are good though and will score. I am hoping the team is competitive and has a chance to win at the end. I have to hope otherwise I would be a miserable fan. Cant go out like that.

I wonder if the Vikings will try to snag a QB off a practice squad. I like Bailey Zappe, Jake Haener, and Trevor Siemian.

I am still looking for a cornerback addition and maybe a linebacker.

Keep hope alive or get your pitchforks out!

Minnesota Vikings News and Links​

‘A bleep show with the training staff’: Vikings under fire after Wentz injury fallout

Multiple insiders say Wentz played through a dislocated left shoulder that included a torn labrum and fractured socket. He suffered the original injury in Minnesota’s Week 4 game in London, though it’s unclear if the injury worsened in games that followed against the Browns, Eagles and Chargers. But last Thursday, while the Vikings were being blown out and Wentz was battling through extreme pain, O’Connell and the medical staff allowed Wentz to keep playing.

Was it the right thing to do? Why did the Vikings play him in the first place? If he didn’t have two young players behind him — undrafted rookie Max Brosmer and 22-year-old J.J. McCarthy, who was cleared but only as the emergency quarterback — would he have been allowed to play?

Wentz is a grown man who said he was “physically able to go whether it hurts or not.”

Either way, the spotlight of scrutiny is shining directly on the Vikings, specifically O’Connell and the medical staff. In fact, Vikings beat reporter Matthew Coller says he’s talked to multiple league sources who are shocked Wentz was allowed to keep playing.

“I spent the last couple of hours just talking to a few people that I know, and I’ll just say… your reactions are a lot like their reactions,” Coller said on his Purple Insider YouTube channel. “I’ll tell you one note that I got from a person with, I’ll just say with knowledge of the situation, said to me, quote, ‘This is more evidence of a bleep show with the training staff this year. So many mismanaged injuries: Van Ginkel, O’Neill, Darrisaw, Wentz, and McCarthy.’ And another person that I talked to in the league said, ‘This is how you lose a locker room. Everyone is going to be in the cold tub saying, ‘What the heck are we doing?'”

Darrisaw admitted on Monday that he came back from his torn ACL way before anyone thought he would. He certainly hasn’t been the same as he works his way back. Was it the right decision to play him in Week 2?

O’Neill suffered a sprained MCL and missed only one game before returning in Week 7 against the Eagles. He wound up missing last week’s game against the Chargers on short rest. Did the Vikings rush him back onto the field too soon?

Van Ginkel missed a ton of time during training camp and the preseason, only to suit up for the season opener and then suffer a concussion. He missed Week 2, played eight snaps in Week 3 and hasn’t played since due to a neck injury. Has his situation been mishandled?

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3 quarterbacks the Vikings could add with Carson Wentz out for the year

With Wentz landing on season-ending IR, the Vikings will need to add a third quarterback. Right now, McCarthy — who returns to the starting role this week — and rookie Max Brosmer are the only QBs on the roster. They don’t have one on the practice squad.

Desmond Ridder
Brett Rypien
C.J. Beathard

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If the Vikings become deadline sellers, who might they consider trading?

At the moment, FTN’s DVOA metric gives Minnesota a mere 2.6 percent chance to make the playoffs. The Athletic’s playoff simulator is only slightly higher, at 5 percent.

If the Vikings lose to the Lions on Sunday (they opened as 8.5-point road underdogs), those odds will drop further. And with the NFL’s trade deadline coming up on Nov. 4, just two days after that game, the Vikings might be thinking about the possibility of being sellers.

If GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah starts to look toward the future, which players could potentially be on the trade block? Here are four names who might make sense as trade candidates.

TE T.J. Hockenson
DT Javon Hargrave
RB Aaron Jones
RB Aaron Jones

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Vikings’ Monday practice provides hints on various injured players

McCarthy is fully expected to make his return on Sunday against the Lions. If Wentz doesn’t progress throughout the week, rookie Max Brosmer would be the Vikings’ backup quarterback, and they’d potentially need to think about signing someone to be an emergency No. 3 option. With that said, it’s only Monday, so there’s time for Wentz — and others who missed practice — to ramp up their activity over the course of the week.

Update: Wentz is having shoulder surgery and is out for the year.

On that note, the other notable players who weren’t on the practice field on Monday were outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard and tight end Josh Oliver. Greenard picked up an ankle injury against the Chargers, but he was able to walk off the field under his own power and seemingly could’ve returned to the game if the score had been closer. The Vikings very much need him to be available to have a chance to slow down the Lions’ high-powered offense. Oliver suffered a foot/ankle injury in the first quarter of that game and did not return.

The good news is that Christian Darrisaw, Brian O’Neill, and Andrew Van Ginkel were all spotted at Monday’s practice. Darrisaw and O’Neill are both dealing with knee injuries and were unable to play on Thursday after playing extensive snaps four days earlier. Whether they’re available this week will depend on how their knees respond throughout the week. Van Ginkel has been dealing with a neck injury but appears to be getting close to a return to action. Kevin O’Connell provided some encouraging updates about those three players on Friday.

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Christian Darrisaw Delivers New Injury Wrinkle

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Vegas Expects Lions to Easily Beat Vikings in Week 9

The Detroit Lions enter Week 9 as clear betting favorites over the Minnesota Vikings, opening as 8.5-point favorites, according to DraftKings.
..
The Lions have looked like one of the NFC’s most complete teams, and oddsmakers clearly expect that to continue when they host their division rivals Sunday at Ford Field.

Meanwhile, the Vikings arrive in Detroit struggling to stay afloat. After dropping two straight games, Minnesota now sits at 3-4 and in last place in the division.

Their most recent outing – a 37-10 loss to Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers – exposed serious issues on both sides of the ball.
…
Facing Aidan Hutchinson and a rested Lions defensive front under Kelvin Sheppard, McCarthy could be under constant duress from the opening drive.

Detroit’s balanced roster, combined with Minnesota’s question marks offensively, explains why oddsmakers are leaning heavily toward the Lions in this Week 9 affair.

With quarterback Jared Goff efficiently leading the offense and Detroit’s defense among the league’s best at generating pressure, the Lions appear well-positioned to extend their strong start.

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Why are Vikings off to such a disappointing start in 2025? What we’re seeing

The goal: To decipher why this 2025 Vikings roster that entered with high expectations has produced such a dud.

Jumbo personnel defense
The Chargers stole the formula. Before last Thursday night’s game, they had used 22 personnel (two fullbacks and two tight ends) on 20 total snaps. They used that personnel grouping on 27 snaps in the Vikings game alone. This isn’t an outlier. No NFL team has been tasked with defending more runs against heavy looks than the Vikings.

Quarterback inaccuracy
Pro Football Reference charts “bad throws,” classified as passes that couldn’t be caught with normal effort. Among the 40 quarterbacks who have started two games this season, young quarterback J.J. McCarthy ranked 39th in bad throw rate, and Wentz ranked 37th.

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J.J. McCarthy’s Return Isn’t Enough To Save the Vikings

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Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s NFL Draft record continues to receive major criticism, but the real answer isn’t a simple one

One of the big issues that fans have with the NFL Draft is that general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s track record isn’t the greatest when it comes to the annual selection meeting. However, it’s not exactly as poor as the fanbase would like you to believe.

There is a stigma with Adofo-Mensah’s NFL Draft aptitude due to the lack of success in his first class in 2022. He’s been very open about how his process has changed.

“I thought a lot about those days and competing, trying to compete on multiple timelines and different things like that. I had a conversation with Kevin [O’Connell] . This is probably a year ago or something, around then,” said Adofo-Mensah after final cuts in 2024. “I asked him one time, what was it like when we were down 33-0? You know, when you feel like you’re down. When I entered the building, trying to compete, aging roster, salary cap stuff, I think there were times where I felt down 33-0. As we all know, that game starts with one play, one drive, and you build. I think at times I might have been guilty of trying to maybe have a 33-point play all at once. I think once I identified that, I kind of really just, and I think if you’ve seen since then, it’s been really foundationally just taking good steps, building to a certain critical point where I think we compete over the long term.”
…
Heading into Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s first NFL Draft, The Daily Norseman’s Warren Ludford did a 20 year study looking at NFL Draft picks and how many were deemed successful on an overall level. He broke it down into seven categories
…
This essentially boils down to 20.2% of draft picks being considered good selections. With around 260 NFL Draft picks per season, that leaves 53 draft picks being good selections. On average, that is less than two per team. The best teams find a way to maximize that output. It’s not just on the general manager and scouting department when it comes to draft pick success; circumstances and coaching also matter.
…
Going into this years NFL Draft, I took a look at each of Adofo-Mensah’s NFL Draft picks and classified them as a successful pick, a failed pick, or to be determined. This is how they shaped out prior to the season:

Successful Picks: 5.5
Failed Picks: 8.5
To Be Determined: 8
Tragedy: 1
T.J. Hockenson: 1

Since that piece came out, three of the picks in the “to be determined” category can be moved to successful picks in Will Reichard, Michael Jurgens and Levi Drake Rodriguez, and one more to the failed category after the Vikings traded cornerback Mekhi Blackmon to the Indianapolis Colts.

When it comes to this NFL Draft class, we can already place linebacker Kobe King into the failed picks category due to being waived and then claimed by the New York Jets. You also need to include Hockenson in this discussion, because you traded significant draft capital to get him, as well as the tragic passing of Khyree Jackson, being placed in its own category. He unfortunately never got to see the field after his tragic passing before his first training camp, which makes it impossible to truly judge the selection.

As things currently stand, here is how those picks factor in.

Successful Picks: 8.5
Failed Picks: 10.5
To Be Determined: 7
Tragedy: 1
T.J. Hockenson: 1

Of the 27 NFL Draft picks Adofo-Mensah has made, his track record isn’t nearly as bad as it might seem. Sure, it absolutely needs to be better, and the best pick from his first draft class being Jalen Nailor really stings right now, as those players should be making a major impact on the team right now, especially with all four of the top 66 picks from that class being off the team.

Even so, you have a bona fide superstar in Jordan Addison that was selected at 23rd overall, and three projected talented players in J.J. McCarthy, Dallas Turner, and Donovan Jackson having shown big time flashes across the board. If they all end up being hits, the conversation around Adofo-Mensah’s drafting shifts significantly.

It also can’t be overlooked that Adofo-Mensah has done a masterful job of navigating the UDFA market, with 16 players making the roster during his tenure. He’s found real contributors in that area in linebacker Ivan Pace Jr., edge rusher Bo Richter, and edge rusher Gabe Murphy. That group doesn’t include UFL defensive tackle Jalen Redmond. That matters in this conversation.

It’s fair to be frustrated with the lack of real NFL Draft success with Adofo-Mensah, but nearly all of that comes from the 2022 NFL Draft class, and you can tell that his process has been significantly different, and it’s resulted in real contributors for this team.

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Kevin O’Connell: On Vikings Run Game Struggles Vs. Chargers & Outlook for Christian Darrisaw

Minnesota dearly missed its run game on Thursday Night Football in Los Angeles.

The Vikings were missing four of their top road graders in Week 8, losing them either during the contest at the Chargers (tight end Josh Oliver and left tackle Christian Darrisaw) or planning to hold the fort down with them inactive (fullback C.J. Ham and right tackle Brian O’Neill). It’s no excuse, but Head Coach Kevin O’Connell recognized it played a role in the team’s inability to effectively run the ball versus an L.A. defense that previously was susceptible to it.

O’Connell spoke Friday with Twin Cities reporters about trying to establish the run without those players.

“When you’re in a game where you’re down some linemen that make those known passing downs a little bit more difficult, the lack of ability to get some of those plays going [is problematic],” O’Connell offered. “We found ourselves behind the chains too many times in the game, and we were able to overcome, minimally, with some playmaking by either Justin [Jefferson] or some of our other skill players in the pass game. But it’s just not the formula for success when you are trying to mitigate some other areas that are concerning based upon the matchups and some of the things you’re trying to work through as a group.”

It was a balancing act, too, O’Connell continued, knowing that involving players like Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson “can do wonders for your offensive rhythm” if they’re rolling in the early going. “But we just were never really able to put it all together and consistently look like the offense we want to look like. And there’s a lot of reasons for that, and we’ve identified some of those on the tape. But I do think the fundamentals and technique of guys in the run game, making sure we, both schematically have the best angles we can have, and the identity of plays matching with then the technique and fundamentals of being able to go cover guys up and get things started for our runners.”

O’Connell reflected it really hurt execution not having Oliver’s presence at that “Y” tight end position. Oliver exited the action with a foot injury following Minnesota’s seventh offensive snap and his fourth.

Adjusting to injuries on the fly is common for every team, though: “We were missing some pieces, but at the same time the film does clearly show that we can be better, and we need to be better,” O’Connell said.

Here are two other takeaways from O’Connell’s virtual media session leading into the mini-bye weekend:

No 1. Scheduling could help Christian Darrisaw

You might be wondering, where exactly does Darrisaw stand in his rehab from a torn ACL one year ago today? Clearly, he’s healthy enough to play, but he’s handled 63 percent of the snaps or less in three of five games. O’Connell said it’s important to take into account “unique factors of the early season slate.”

Ahem, back-to-back international games in separate countries, not to mention a game on short rest at the very stadium Darrisaw sustained his catastrophic knee injury this time last season against the Rams.

“I think it’s something that now we should be in a pretty consistent Sunday-to-Sunday type approach with some limited factors there for the foreseeable future,” O’Connell noted. “It’s something where hopefully we can get back into a consistent rhythm of what Christian’s work week looks like; a rhythm of what his recovery looks like coming off a Sunday game, and then try to consistently get him turned over because it’s no secret how critical he’s been to our success, how critical he’s been to our consistency.

“And I would go along the same route with what Brian O’Neill has meant to our offense as well, as those two pillars on the outside that allow so much to go for our offense, and I would sign up for having those guys out there every single play for the rest of the season,” the coach continued. “But at the same time, we’ve got to find ways to continue to build in a way with our depth, with our scheme (and) with our management of some of those unique circumstances where those guys might not be in the game.”

O’Connell relayed there hasn’t been any kind of preset number of snaps for Darrisaw going into any of his five games so far, in which he’s logged 38, 76, 41, 69 and 9 reps. O’Connell shared “It’s really kind of an unknown in many ways, and that leads to Christian’s dialogue with the medical staff and kind of where he thinks he’s at. And his ability to go out and do his job, ultimately, is the most important thing.”

From O’Connell’s perspective, the goal is to maintain Darrisaw’s “arrow pointing up and progressing.”

No 2. Urgently working toward solutions

Addressing the problems seen on tape Thursday and attempting to right the ship will be a group effort.

Blake Cashman, Joshua Metellus, Aaron Jones, Sr., and Justin Jefferson each emphasized postgame the value of having a closeknit locker room while under duress. Rather than pointing fingers, players have each other’s backs and are ready to take accountability for individual mistakes while also staying united as a team.

O’Connell reiterated the same Friday afternoon, noting, “I love our guys.”

“I love the makeup of our guys,” he said. “We clearly didn’t have the performance or the result, and that’s all of us last night and everybody … in that locker room and our coaching staff, we have to acknowledge that; we can’t run from it. And at the same time, I think all of the things that those players have built in their locker room, and the principles that we’ve built [into our foundation] is for these moments where we’ve got to be even more connected, even more of a group that can work through this together.

“I know that’s the type of leadership we have, that’s the type of team that our guys have formed, and we’re going to need to lean in on that,” O’Connell added.

He emphasized the long season and “certain aspects of the schedule that can be more challenging than others,” including back-to-back international contests, a second straight season of Week 8 Thursday Night Football games or another forthcoming short week in December, when Minnesota will play the Giants on Dec. 21 before hosting the Lions Christmas Day.

But regardless of challenges beyond their control, the Vikings continue to believe in their team’s construction and talent at-hand.

“But at the same time, what are we doing on the practice field? What are we doing in the meeting rooms? What are we doing to ensure that, you know, every stone is being uncovered and we’re making sure that we’re on top of every detail, every fundamental technique, scheme,” O’Connell said. “What is the identity of our team, and how do we continue to press forward to finding that and then seeing that?”

He stressed that whether navigating injuries or shoring up on-field fundamentals, “there’s got to be an urgency” in not only identifying solutions but then executing those solutions accordingly.

“I know our guys will commit, and they will understand that there’s a ton of football left in front of us,” O’Connell said. “And although 10 games give us an opportunity to dig ourselves out of this temporary hole we’re in, it’s going to be only done by rolling up our sleeves and going to work on this.”

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• No discussion of politics or religion
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• Speaking of which, if discussing a newer show or movie, please use spoiler tags
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• While navigating the open thread, just assume it’s sarcasm

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/minne...ota-vikings-news-and-links-no-time-to-give-up

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Vikings Signing QB John Wolford to Practice Squad

Following the season-ending injury to Carson Wentz, the Minnesota Vikings needed a quarterback to fill the spot behind J.J. McCarthy and Max Brosmer on the team’s depth chart, and it appears as though they’ve found someone.

Per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, the Vikings are signing quarterback John Wolford to their practice squad.

Wolford, the nephew of longtime NFL offensive lineman Will Wolford, was an undrafted free agent out of Wake Forest following the 2018 NFL Draft. He signed with the New York Jets but was cut by them after their training camp finished. He then wound up with the Arizona Hotshots of the Alliance of American Football, and was leading that league in touchdown passes when they ceased operations midway through their campaign.

He then signed with the Los Angeles Rams. . .there’s your Kevin O’Connell connection. . .and wound up on their practice squad in 2019. He stayed with the team through the 2022 season. That means he got a Super Bowl ring for the 2021 season when the Rams won the big game over the Cincinnati Bengals.

In 2023, Wolford signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and spent time on their practice squad. He went through camp with the Bucs in 2024 but was released following training camp. He then signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars late in the season and went through their training camp in 2025, but was released.

In his career, Wolford has started four regular season games, with a record of 2-2 in those games. He has completed 58.7% of his passes and has thrown one touchdown pass along with five interceptions.

So, there’s your QB3 as things stand at the moment. It’s worth noting that if the Vikings want him to serve as an emergency QB3 on game days, they will have to promote him to the active roster, as the emergency quarterback can’t be elevated from the practice squad.

What do you think of the move folks?

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/minne...ikings-signing-qb-john-wolford-practice-squad

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Vikings at Lions: First Injury Report

The Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions have issued their first injury reports in advance of Sunday’s game at Ford Field. Here they are:

Minnesota Vikings​

• FB C.J. Ham, Hand, DNP
• CB Jeff Okudah, Concussion, DNP
• TE Josh Oliver, Foot, DNP
• OLB Jonathan Greenard, Ankle, Limited
• RT Brian O’Neill, Knee, Limited
• CB Isaiah Rodgers, Shoulder, Limited
• LT Christian Darrisaw, Knee, Full
• QB J.J. McCarthy, Ankle, Full
• OLB Andrew Van Ginkel, Neck, Full

Good news for the Vikings as Christian Darrisaw, J.J. McCarthy, and Andrew Van Ginkel were all full participants in practice on Wednesday, which bodes well for each of them starting on Sunday. Jonathan Greenard, Brian O’Neill, and Isaiah Rodgers were limited, but all still likely to play on Sunday as well. That remains to be seen for C.J. Ham, Jeff Okudah, and Josh Oliver, who did not practice on Wednesday. Okudah could possibly clear concussion protocol in time to play on Sunday. Josh Oliver had to be carted off from the game last Thursday, so we’ll have to see if he’s able to progress the rest of the week. Same with Ham in terms of whether he shows signs of progress this week.

But overall, the Vikings could be near full strength in terms of starters, with the exception of Ryan Kelly, for Sunday’s game against the Lions.

Detroit Lions​

• S Kerby Joseph, Knee, DNP
• RB Craig Reynolds, Hamstring, DNP
• LT Taylor Decker, Shoulder, Limited
• CB Avonte Maddox, Hamstring, Limited
• DE Al-Quadin Muhammad, Hamstring, Limited
• LB Malcom Rodriquez, Knee, Limited
• S Daniel Thomas, Forearm, Limited
• RB Sione Vaki, Groin, Limited
• CB Terrion Arnold, Shoulder, Full

For the Lions, Rodriquez and Thomas are coming off of IR and had their 21-day window opened. However, Rodriquez is expected to miss the Vikings game. Kerby Joseph, karma, is still working through a knee injury he suffered against the Chiefs in week six that kept him out last week against the Bucs. He seems more doubtful at the moment to play on Sunday, but we’ll see what the rest of the week brings. Al-Quadin Muhammad is also a starter for the Lions opposite of Aiden Hutchinson, replacing the oft/always injured Marcus Davenport. Terrion Arnold be listed as a full participant signals his return to action after missing some time with a shoulder injury. The Lions are coming off their bye week so I’m guessing most of those players listed as limited, with the exception of those just coming off IR, may be active this Sunday.

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We’ll have a couple more injury report updates tomorrow and Friday that will shed more light on availability for Sunday’s game.

Follow me on X/Bluesky @wludford

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/minnesota-vikings-injuries/92268/vikings-at-lions-first-injury-report

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Vikings at Lions: Second Injury Report

The Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions have issued their second injury reports in advance of Sunday’s game at Ford Field. Here they are (changes in bold):

Minnesota Vikings​

• FB C.J. Ham, Hand, DNP
• CB Jeff Okudah, Concussion, DNP
• TE Josh Oliver, Foot, DNP
• OLB Jonathan Greenard, Ankle, Full
• RT Brian O’Neill, Knee, Limited
• CB Isaiah Rodgers, Shoulder, Limited
• LT Christian Darrisaw, Knee, DNP
• QB J.J. McCarthy, Ankle, Full
• OLB Andrew Van Ginkel, Neck, Full

Not many changes for the Vikings from yesterday. It looks like Christian Darrisaw is getting his normal day off of practice on Thursday, as part of a now long-running day on, day off routine. Jonathan Greenard was also upgraded to full participant, which bodes well for his starting on Sunday.

Detroit Lions​

• S Kerby Joseph, Knee, DNP
• RB Craig Reynolds, Hamstring, DNP
• LT Taylor Decker, Shoulder, Full
• CB Avonte Maddox, Hamstring, Limited
• DE Al-Quadin Muhammad, Hamstring, Full
• LB Malcom Rodriquez, Knee, Limited
• S Daniel Thomas, Forearm, Limited
• RB Sione Vaki, Groin, Limited
• CB Terrion Arnold, Shoulder, Full

For the Lions, some positive news as both starting left tackle Taylor Decker and starting right end Al-Quadin Muhammad were upgraded to full participants. Kerby Joseph and Craig Reynolds not participating for a second day casts more doubt on their availability for Sunday’s contest.

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We’ll have one more injury report update tomorrow that may clear up more of the uncertainty around injured players. But for the Vikings, it looks like they’ll be healthier than they’ve been all season so far at noon on Sunday.

Follow me on X/Bluesky @wludford

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/minnesota-vikings-injuries/92298/vikings-at-lions-second-injury-report

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Now or Never: Minnesota Vikings Season on the Ropes

This is it. It’s time for the future of the Minnesota Vikings to take the stage. A very confusing and injury riddled series of events culminated through the first eight weeks of the Minnesota Vikings’ season. An odds defying 4th quarter comeback started the season against Chicago and was followed up by a massacre against the Atlanta Falcons.

Those games preceded a stretch of inconsistent defense, middling quarterback play, losing the turnover battle, a 38-point win, atrocious blocking, and Carson Wentz going out and sacrificing himself to give our young quarterbacks just one more week to get ready.

Embrace the power of the dark side.​

After nursing a high ankle sprain for six weeks, McCarthy should be at 100%. Looking at him jump out of the way of the sideline during last Thursday’s game, he should be ready to go. He has come a long way, physically, from the Anakin Skywalker version we saw of him while he was recovering from his torn meniscus last season. He seems to be in great shape and maybe used that time off the field to get his body more ready to be an NFL player.

Conspiracy theorists will say that McCarthy was actually benched, and the high ankle sprain was just an excuse to keep him out of the lineup. It is not out of the realm of possibility that he was truly injured, since a high ankle sprain can linger for multiple weeks.

However, it’s not impossible, heck it’s not even improbable that the Vikings were using this injury to give McCarthy some more time to develop. He hasn’t had a full week of practice since the injury, this is true, but that only pertains to team led activities. That doesn’t mean he wasn’t hitting the weight room, practicing separate of the team, or doing things that will make him better.

It’s been hard to watch.​

We have seen throughout history that sometimes conspiracy theories and the truth are not mutually exclusive. O’Connell’s reasoning for caution was about mechanics and making sure McCarthy had full mobility because, frankly, he’s going to need it. It is no surprise, because of the constant shuffling of personnel, that our offensive line has looked atrocious, which in turn made the Carson Wentz experience one to watch only while peeking through two fingers with your hands over your eyes.

Every play was like opening a Wonder Ball, except sometimes instead of a prize, you go a ball of chocolate filled with sand. Wentz definitely left some plays out there, but on many occasions, he had a snowball’s chance in hell at completing a pass. I have taken upon myself the grueling task of analyzing every sack so far this season. I am currently looking at weeks 5 and 7, while absolutely dreading rewatching every sack from Carson Wentz’ likely last game of his NFL career.

Show us what you’re made of.​

The bottom line is this: the Vikings MUST beat the Detroit Lions on Sunday. The season is 100% on the line. I believe in J.J. McCarthy’s future, but if the entire team doesn’t shape up, it won’t matter how much he improves over the course of the rest of the season. KO and staff have been incredibly cautious with player injuries so far this season, which I think could end up being a solid strategy. I would rather have a sluggish start and be close to full strength for an end-of-season stretch run, than be 5-2 or 6-1 right now. What’s the old adage? It’s not how you start; it’s how you finish.

What is missing? An identity, that’s what.​

In order to even be in a position to make a run at the playoffs, something’s got to give. The defense has looked off this season as they have been up and down while getting gashed on the ground in multiple games. The pass defense has held up well, for the most part, which is a complete 180 from a year ago.

In 2024, the Vikings were so good at stopping the run, that teams had to pass on them at an incredibly high rate. So, what’s different this year? The front office brought in Hargrave and Allen to shore up the defensive line but also lost Harrison Phillips in the process. I think we might be missing his presence and leadership, although Levi Drake-Rodriguez has looked good at times this season.

During the 2024 season, life as a Vikings fan was like a movie. I believe we still have great leaders on the defense, but the loss of Cam Bynum may have hurt more than anticipated. Theo Jackson was meant to replace him, but hasn’t brought the same spark that Beezy did. Look at the newly rejuvenated Indianapolis Colts. Yes, they have a monstrous offensive line, even after losing Ryan Kelly and Will Fries to the Vikings in free agency, but the defensive has a new identity as well. In comparison, Minnesota has yet to find a defensive identity this season.

Another bit of magic that has faded since last season, is the team playing to honor Khyree Jackson. The tragic loss of the rookie cornerback really brought the team together for a common purpose. With a lot of new faces, many of our current players had never met him. We were spoiled by an overachieving squad last year. We also had to face reality when everything completely fell apart in the final two games of the season.

In Gink we trust.​

So, where’s the silver lining? The hope is that we are getting Andrew Van Ginkel back, the player I believe to be the best on this defense. He may be the most underrated player in the NFL. Dallas Turner has been serviceable in Van Ginkel’s absence, but he is clearly, at this point in his career, not the same caliber of player as Van Ginkel. The defense just looks and feels different with #43 in the lineup.

Jonathan Greenard will also benefit from having Gink on the other side of the line to help contain the quarterback. In a game of inches, this defense has the capability to tighten up, bounce back, and earn the right to wear the purple and gold.

Let the hate flow through you.​

The only way this team gets it done is to play angry against Detroit. The defense needs to tackle well, disrupt the backfield, and take the ball away. The offense needs to fight harder than it has all season. I want to see this offensive line maul some Lions defenders. This run game needs to be effective as well.

Jordan Mason is one of the more violent running backs in the league, and he needs to be a huge part of the short yardage gameplan. O’Connell, as great as he can be, needs to stop trying to gain twenty yards on third and one, and just keep drives going to maintain momentum. If the Lions come out and have an eight- or nine-minute drive for a touchdown to start the game, we’re cooked. Minnesota needs to control the tempo, control the line of scrimmage, and play like their season is on the line: because it is.

The final stand.​

For all intents and purposes, the playoffs start now. The Vikings need to get on a hot streak and string together some wins to avoid falling into the abyss that is irrelevancy. This is the point of no return. 4-4 is a heck of a lot better than 3-5. A .500 record is manageable. It puts the Vikings in a position to make a run for a wild card spot. At the rate Green Bay and Detroit are going, we might be fighting for the seventh seed.

Regardless, this team needs to show that they deserve to be talked about as contenders. J.J. needs to absolutely ball out and shut up all the doubters saying that we should have kept Darnold. I wish he had time to slowly develop, but with this roster, he needs to be the franchise guy NOW. No more waiting, no more injuries, no excuses, just winning football. That’s what we need to see. I am not alone still believing in the 2025 Minnesota Vikings, but it’s high time for this team to reward the faith of their fans!

It’s not over until it’s over. More is required. SKOL VIKINGS!!!

Until Next Time.

• Jesse M.

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/minne...ow-or-never-minnesota-vikings-season-on-ropes

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Vikings at Lions: Final Injury Report

The Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions have issued their final injury reports in advance of Sunday’s game at Ford Field, along with injury designations for the game. Here they are (changes in bold):

Minnesota Vikings​

• FB C.J. Ham, Hand, DNP, OUT
• CB Jeff Okudah, Concussion, DNP, OUT
• TE Josh Oliver, Foot, DNP, OUT
• OLB Jonathan Greenard, Ankle, Limited, No Designation
• RT Brian O’Neill, Knee, Full, No Designation
• CB Isaiah Rodgers, Shoulder, Full, No Designation
• LT Christian Darrisaw, Knee, Limited, Questionable
• QB J.J. McCarthy, Ankle, Full, No Designation
• OLB Andrew Van Ginkel, Neck, Full, Questionable
• S Josh Metellus, Foot, Limited, No Designation

Additionally, Javon Hargrave, Jonathan Allen and Harrison Smith were limited in Friday’s practice with veteran rest days and will play on Sunday. Jay Ward did not practice on Friday due to a personal issue but also has no injury designation for Sunday’s game.

Kevin O’Connell said he expects Andrew Van Ginkel to play, which is a key addition to the Vikings defense. I believe O’Connell said that O’Neill would be questionable for the Lions game, but on the actual report he has no injury designation. In any case, I expect both O’Neill and Darrisaw to start on Sunday. Josh Metellus was a late addition to the injury report as he was limited on Friday with some foot soreness. I’d expect him to play Sunday as well, however.

Ham, Okudah, and Oliver have been ruled out for Sunday’s game as expected after not practicing all week. But overall, this will be as close to full strength as the Vikings have been in any game this season.

Detroit Lions​

• S Kerby Joseph, Knee, DNP, OUT
• RB Craig Reynolds, Hamstring, DNP, OUT
• LT Taylor Decker, Shoulder, DNP, Questionable
• CB Avonte Maddox, Hamstring, Limited, Questionable
• DE Al-Quadin Muhammad, Hamstring, Full, No Designation
• LB Malcom Rodriquez, Knee, Limited, OUT
• S Daniel Thomas, Forearm, Limited, Questionable
• RB Sione Vaki, Groin, Limited, Questionable
• CB Terrion Arnold, Shoulder, Full, No Designation

For the Lions, starting safety Kerby Joseph has been ruled out, along with linebacker Malcom Rodriquez and backup running back Craig Reynolds. Starting left tackle Taylor Decker did not participate in Friday’s practice and is listed as questionable. He is expected to play on Sunday, but the Lions are trying to limit the aggrevation to his shoulder injury, which he will be playing with against the Vikings.

Others questionable for the Lions are not starters, so less impact either way if they’re active or not. I suspect most will be active coming off a bye week.

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Overall, the Vikings should be as close to full strength as you could hope for this time of year and the Lions are fairly healthy after their bye week too.

Follow me on X/Bluesky @wludford

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/minnesota-vikings-injuries/92327/vikings-at-lions-final-injury-report

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Minnesota Vikings News and Links: The Time Is Now!

I am looking forward to seeing JJ McCarthy play but I feel it is going to get ugly early. The game day threads should be glorious! If the team loses which almost everyone is predicting, then the “season is over” crowd will be out in full force and with fairly good reason. I will not give up hope though. The margins will be slim going forward and there will not be room for many more losses. It might be a must win tomorrow.

I thought the Vikings would be looking for a Cornerback since Okudah has had two concussions this season. I am not sure if there is anyone out there that is worth it though if you go by PFF grades. You do not really want to give up a decent pick for an impending free agent either. If the season continues going south then any player brought on board may want to go elsewhere next year.

I would not mind seeing the team take a run at Defensive Tackle T’Vondre Sweat of the Titans who might be available.

A couple of trade ideas below that I like is for Russell Wilson and especially Logan Wilson.

Minnesota Vikings News and Links​

Tom Pelissero talks Vikings trade buzz and where Kirk Cousins fits in
“Kwesi’s always working the phones. Always trying to figure out what the opportunities are, not just to acquire, but also to potentially trade and pad what you have for draft capital in 2026 and beyond, so I would fully anticipate that that’s going to continue to happen. I don’t get the sense that anything is down the road or inevitable,” Pelissero told Vikings.com’s Tatum Everett.

“There’s a lot of other teams that are in the playoff mix right now that are targeting a receiver, targeting edge, targeting corner. Kwesi’s kind of open in terms of there’s a lot of different positions that you could use help. Now, the other thing that happens in the game before the trade deadline is, injuries can happen, and that can completely change the calculus here,” Pelissero continued.

But he doesn’t think Minnesota is on the verge of anything big, though injuries could change that.

“In terms of the big swing moves, I don’t see them going out and making a massive type of acquisition. But if there’s an edge that’s available that makes sense, I could see them having interest in that market. If there’s a quarterback, a veteran, and I’m not talking about the guy in Atlanta,” Pelissero said.

“Right now, I don’t believe that they’re going to go out and get Kirk Cousins and try to have him ride back in, even though I believe that he’d be very open to coming back, even as the No. 2. I don’t get that sense. But listen, you’ve got a very young room right now with J.J. McCarthy, Max Brosmer, and then they just signed John Wolford to come in on the practice squad. Somebody else who’s played, just to give J.J.McCarthy another hand and somebody who’s had experience, much like Carson Wentz was. I could see them being open to that. But again, at this point, I would not say anything is down the road. I just know that Kwesi’s definitely, I would say top five in the league in terms of, talking to other GMs and you hear, ‘Well, Minnesota called.’ That’s his mentality.”

The trade deadline arrives on Tuesday, Nov. 4.

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Logical trade targets if the Vikings decide to buy before the trade deadline
Here’s what the Vikings have in the 2026 draft cupboard:
1st round
2nd round
3rd round
Projected 3rd round comp pick (for losing Sam Darnold)
5th fround (from Philadelphia via the Sam Howell trade)
6th round (from Indianapolis via the Mekhi Blackmon trade)
7th round
7th round (from Houston via the 2024 Cam Akers trade)
7th round (from Carolina via the Adam Thielen trade)

Las Vegas Raiders: Eric Stokes
Stokes would be a sizable upgrade at cornerback for the Vikings, who lack depth behind Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers. Stokes shouldn’t cost a ton because he’s on a one-year, $3.5 million contract. There’s no guarantee that he re-signs with the Raiders, so Vegas might be smart to trade him now, rather than losing him for nothing in free agency.

Out of 123 cornerbacks who have played at least 90 snaps this season, Stokes ranks 42nd in PFF grade. Jeff Okudah, the Vikings’ current CB3, ranks dead last and is now dealing with a concussion. Stokes has allowed 10 receptions on 19 targets for 123 yards. Quarterbacks have a 72.9 passer rating when throwing into his coverage, which puts him among the top 30 in the NFL this season.

Miami Dolphins: Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips, Matthew Judon
Chubb, Phillips and Judon would could be upgrades over Dallas Turner on the edge. But does Minnesota really want to trade for an edge rusher when Andrew Van Ginkel is about to return to the lineup? It’s only a need if Van Ginkel is expected to miss more time.

Phillips: 3 sacks, 32 pressures, PFF’s 15th-ranked pass rusher at EDGE
Chubb: 3 sacks, 21 pressures, PFF’s 101st-ranked pass rusher at EDGE
Judon: 0 sacks, 5 pressures, PFF’s 116th-ranked pass rusher at EDGE
Breer is hearing that it could take a third-round pick to get Phillips.

New Orleans Saints: Alontae Taylor
Taylor would be an upgrade in the cornerback room, but Breer says the Saints are asking for a second or third-round pick for him. The 2022 second-round pick is due to become a free agent, so it would only make sense for Minnesota to give up a quality draft pick for him if they can sign him to an extension.

According to PFF, Taylor has the 31st-best coverage grade among cornerbacks, putting him just ahead of Jets star Sauce Gardner.

New York Giants: Kayvon Thibodeaux
Mike Garafolo reported this week that the Giants are telling interested teams no, but Thibodeaux appears to be the odd man out in New York with Brian Burns and Abdul Carter starting on the edges. He’s under contract through 2026, so it might take a Day 2 pick to get him. Should the Vikings offer a third-rounder next year to shore up the edge?

Washington Commanders: Noah Igbinoghene
Igbinoghene might be the player that makes the most sense for Minnesota because he’d only cost them a late-round draft pick. He’s a player who was on the field for 75% of Washington’s snaps last season, but roster changes have led to him spending most of this season on the bench, having played a total of 40 defense snaps in 2025.

The issue here is that he’s best-suited for the slot, and the Vikings need someone who can fill the void of Okudah on the outside.

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Latest news prove Minnesota Vikings aren’t content with the status quo, and it could elevate the team to the playoffs
Minnesota Vikings eyeing a cornerback at the trade deadline
One of the positions the Vikings need to find a long-term solution for is cornerback. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported on Friday that the Vikings are looking for a cornerback.

“As for buyers, the Vikings and Colts are among a list of teams looking for corners. That market isn’t rich with options, which could make the Rams (McCreary), Browns (Tyson Campbell) and Eagles (Michael Carter II) look smart for striking a little earlier.”

It shouldn’t be much of a surprise that the Vikings are looking for a cornerback to help them out, especially with Jeff Okudah being both ineffective and injured. They haven’t shown a willingness to trust Dwight McGlothern as of yet, and finding a player at the position to fortify with Isaiah Rodgers and Byron Murphy Jr. should make a difference, especially when it comes to playing man coverage.

The key here is finding a cornerback whom the Vikings can trade for. There aren’t a lot of options, especially with four cornerbacks having already been traded. Two that come to mind are Riq Woolen of the Seattle Seahawks and Alontae Taylor of the New Orleans Saints.

Woolen has fallen out of favor with the Seahawks over the last couple of seasons with Mike Macdonald at the helm. He is currently starting for the Seahawks, but he doesn’t seem to be in their long-term plans. He would provide the necessary size and speed the Vikings need at the cornerback position.

Taylor is more of a slot cornerback, which the Vikings have been hesitant to add with wanting to slide Murphy on the inside. Even so, he’s a versatile piece that could end up being a huge benefit for the Vikings.

The deadline is going to be huge for the Vikings, and it could give them a necessary piece to help the defense both short-term and long-term.

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Vikings Trade Prediction Lands 10-Time Pro Bowl Quarterback
The Vikings lost backup quarterback Carson Wentz for the season due to a shoulder injury, and Minnesota’s backups are now rookie Max Brosmer on the roster and veteran John Wolford on the practice squad. USA Today’s Jacob Camenker predicts that the Vikings will trade for New York Giants backup quarterback Russell Wilson, a 10-time Pro Bowler who has seen better days.

“That could lead the Vikings to buy low on Wilson,” Camenker wrote. “It wouldn’t be to install him as a starter, but it would provide McCarthy with a veteran sounding board as he looks to establish himself as Minnesota’s quarterback of the future.”

“The Giants should be willing to part with Wilson on the cheap, and the Vikings would only have to take on a prorated version of the 36-year-old quarterback’s $2 million salary for the 2025 season,” Camenker added.

…

NFL Analyst Weighs In on Playoff Hopes With J.J. McCarthy
While the jury is still out on McCarthy with just two regular season games, former NFL running back and current NFL analyst Rashad Jennings sees good things coming for the Vikings with McCarthy eventually.

“Not sure if it’s going to happen this year,” Jennings said during Good Morning Football on Friday. “When you talk about the NFC North, … they’re at the bottom, and they’re at the bottom with a really good team up top, and that’s good teams and that’s being the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions.”

“I don’t know if it’s enough juice over there to take them over that hump,” Jennings added.

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Sources: Cincinnati Bengals Willing to Move Veteran Ahead of NFL Trade Deadline
The Bengals are open to trading veteran linebacker Logan Wilson, multiple league sources have confirmed.

Wilson, 29, requested a trade earlier this month after rookie Barrett Carter took his place in the Bengals’ starting lineup. He has 47 tackles in eight games.

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2025 NFL trade deadline: 11 player-team fits that make sense
Kirk Cousins Atlanta Falcons · QB TO Minnesota Vikings 3-4 · 4th in NFC North
Minnesota is the only fit for Cousins at this stage. The 37-year-old quarterback did his trade value no favors with Sunday’s outing against Miami. The Falcons haven’t shown much interest in dealing the QB, but as the season spirals, perhaps they’d change gears, especially with only five draft picks in 2026 at the moment. The Vikings aren’t exactly flush with assets to ship for an aging quarterback, but with Carson Wentz’s injury and J.J. McCarthy struggling to stay on the field, would they really risk flushing the season? Cousins played some of his best football under Kevin O’Connell, and perhaps the QB-friendly offense could bring him back to life. If McCarthy can’t stay healthy, the options are grim in Minnesota.

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2025 NFL trade deadline: Which teams should add, subtract?
Minnesota Vikings
Notable trade candidates: RB Aaron Jones Sr., LB Ivan Pace Jr.

Down their fourth-round pick in next year’s draft (but with a third-round compensatory pick on the way and handful of late-round picks to make up for it), the Vikings might also want to follow in Houston’s footsteps to make up for some of the aggressive moves they made in the past. The Vikings had only five picks in 2025, and at 3-4, they haven’t looked like a team that can make a deep playoff push this season.

They’ll obviously hope to improve after getting second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy back from his ankle injury, but the defense has been surprisingly lacking for coordinator Brian Flores. The Vikings had the second-best defensive performance of the season by EPA per play against Jake Browning and the Bengals in September and otherwise rank 25th by the same metric against everyone else, down from second a year ago.

Moving on from Jones might be more about saving money than anything else. He is owed just over $1 million in 2025 and has $2 million of his $10 million compensation in 2026 guaranteed, a deal the Vikings are likely to move on from this offseason. Would a team like the Chargers be willing to essentially pay $3 million to have Jones in its lineup for the rest of 2025? Pace, who has fallen out of the starting lineup and played just 17 defensive snaps over the past two weeks, is a restricted free agent after the season.

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Week 9 Vikings score predictions for J.J. McCarthy’s return vs. Lions
Will Ragatz: Lions 31, Vikings 16
Until proven otherwise, I’m going to assume that Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and the rest of the Lions’ offense will put up at least 30 points on the Vikings, because that’s what’s happened in each of the last five meetings between these teams. Brian Flores, specifically, is 0 for 4 on figuring out how to slow down this Detroit attack (and to be fair, he’s not alone in that).

Joe Nelson: Vikings 31, Lions 30
I had a dream of Justin Jefferson scoring a 75-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage. It had people wondering what else Kevin O’Connell has in his “bag,” and yes, J.J. McCarthy threw the ball in my dream. Can I see the future? If it happens, call me Joestradamus, because McCarthy has the mobility to extend plays and give Minnesota’s offense a lift. I can see him picking apart Detroit’s defense, especially if All-Pro safety Kerby Joseph is ruled out with an injury. It’s time for the Vikings to begin their rise, and it’ll come with a statement victory in Detroit.

Tony Liebert: Lions 34, Vikings 30

Jonathan Harrison: Lions 34, Vikings 14
It’s going to be a third straight loss, and their fourth in their last five games, for the Vikings this weekend. The last time we saw McCarthy, he wasn’t good. Yes, the Falcons have surprisingly made a lot of QBs look bad this season. However, I’m finding it difficult to put together reasons why McCarthy will come out of the gates, after a long layoff due to injury, and suddenly be competitive against a Lions defense that is top 10 in points and yards allowed. They’re also tied for the fifth-most sacks in the league this season. Minnesota’s offensive line is the walking wounded at this point and likely won’t be whole the rest of the season. Detroit runs away with this one and sends the Vikings into the trade deadline as firm sellers.

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NFL Expert Picks: Vikings Visit Lions in Week 9 for NFC North Clash
Lions 31, Vikings 20 – Pete Prisco, CBS Sports
Lions 36, Vikings 22 – Bill Bender, Sporting News
Lions 34, Vikings 17 – Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News
0 of 5 experts pick the Vikings, NFL.com
0 of 7 experts pick the Vikings, Bleacher Report
0 of 7 experts pick the Vikings, The MMQB
0 of 9 experts (2 of 11 total had not submitted) pick the Vikings, ESPN
0 of 6 experts pick the Vikings, USA Today
0 of 6 experts (1 of 7 total had not submitted) pick the Vikings, The Athletic

Thought from The Athletic’s J.J. Bailey:

While Minnesota isn’t mathematically out of the playoffs, the Vikings recent struggles have dumped them into the NFC’s Better Luck Next Year bin. Their division is a two-horse race between Super Bowl candidates. The NFC West looks to have three teams headed for the postseason. Add that all up, and the Vikes have a lot of bodies to climb over if they want to see January football.

They desperately need an upset in a game like this, and the oddsmakers are clearly telling them, “Too bad.” Minnesota opened as an 8.5-point dog in Detroit, and that has widened to a 9-point spread on some books. The Vikings have J.J. McCarthy and Max Brosmer at quarterback, a duo responsible for 49 NFL passes.

The Lions just dismantled the Bucs, then took a week to rest up, so it wouldn’t be surprising if the spread widened to 10 by the end of this sentence.

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Can J.J. McCarthy redeem the Vikings’ decisions? If not, the fallout could get
If, as Wayne Gretzky said, you miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take, Minnesota is in danger of becoming the NFL’s Exhibit A.

When you lead the league in cash spending ($343 million in 2025) and have already lost more games before Halloween than you did in the entire 2024 regular season, there will be plenty of second-guessing, both from inside and outside the franchise’s state-of-the-art training facility.

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Daniel Jones May Force Vikings into Awful Spot in NFL History
Douglas Clawson of CBS Sports brings up a situation that the Vikings don’t want to be a part of regarding their past QBs, Jones and Sam Darnold (Seattle Seahawks). If Jones and Darnold both earn Pro Bowls and start in the 2025 playoffs, the Vikings will be the first team in NFL history to see two QBs leave in the same offseason to accomplish this the following year.

“You couldn’t have scripted a worse situation for the Vikings — and now they’re on the verge of making the wrong kind of history. Minnesota could become the first team in NFL history to lose two quarterbacks in the same offseason who both go on to start playoff games the following year. No team has ever lost two quarterbacks in one offseason who each made the Pro Bowl the next season”

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This next post is my kind of post. Very positive and delusional.

How the Vikings can shock the world and pull off an upset over the Lions
Stop the run
For the Vikings’ defense, everything has to start with finding a way to stop the run. It’s been an issue all season; Minnesota is allowing the eighth-worst EPA per rush in the NFL. Bijan Robinson, Kenneth Gainwell, Quinshon Judkins, and Kimani Vidal have run all over Brian Flores’ group.

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Ranking the five NFL teams with scariest remaining strength of schedule: Chiefs and Colts face brutal slates
Vikings (3-4)
After finishing 14-3 last year, the Vikings decided to let Sam Darnold leave the team in free agency and that’s a decision that has been haunting them ever since. The Vikings have struggled this year and a lot of those struggles have been directly related to their QB play. With Vikings sitting under .500, it’s hard to imagine this team getting to the playoffs this year, especially when you consider that they still have to play two games against the both the Lions and Packers. They also have to travel to Seattle to face Darnold and the Seahawks.
Remaining strength of schedule: .555
Games left vs. teams above .500: 6 (Seahawks, Bears, Lions x 2, Packers x 2)
Predicted final record: 6-11

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YORE MOCK​

Trade Partner: Cardinals
Sent: Pick 44, Pick 113
Received: Pick 39, Pick 189
…
Trade Partner: Bengals
Sent: Pick 78, Pick 212
Received: Pick 74
…
Trade Partner: Jaguars
Sent: Pick 97
Received: Pick 117, Pick 153
…
Pick 13. Caleb Downs S Ohio State 6’0″ 205
Pick 39. A’Mauri Washington DT Oregon 6’3″ 330
Pick 74. Gennings Dunker OT Iowa 6’5″ 315
Pick 117. Chris Johnson CB San Diego State 6’0″ 185
Pick 138. Anthony Smith EDGE Minnesota 6’6″ 285
Pick 153. Logan Jones OC Iowa 6’3″ 305
Pick 189. Eric McAlister WR TCU 6’3″ 205
Pick 230. J’Mari Taylor RB Virginia 5’9″ 204
Pick 231. Eric Gentry LB USC 6’6″ 225
Pick 233. Jalen Huskey S Maryland 6’2″ 201
Pick 235. Josh Moten CB Southern Miss 6’0″ 185
Pick 254. Diego Pavia QB Vanderbilt 6’0″ 207

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