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[Minnesota Vikings]

Vikes Views: Who Ya Got? – Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions

The Minnesota Vikings head to Detroit to take on the Lions. The Vikings are coming off back-to-back losses, but are expected to have key players returning from injury. Andrew Van Ginkel will hope to shore up a struggling purple defense. On the other side of the ball, second-year man J.J. McCarthy is back from his ankle injury. Both players will face a tall task against the defending NFC North Champions. Detroit has won five of the last six meetings.

Series Record: 80-45-2

Road Record: 36-27-1

Streak: L5

The Lions have had the Vikings’ number even when the team is playing well. The Vikings have a lot of pieces coming back, but it’s hard to see that being enough this week. It won’t be a fun Sunday for Vikings’ fans. The Vikings pull within one score late. Lions 28 – Vikings 20

• Justin Jefferson’s career high came against the Detroit Lions in 2022 with 223 yards. He has had 100+ yard games in six out of ten games played against the Lions.
• The Vikings have won more games against Detroit than any other opponent. They will be looking for their 81st victory on Sunday.
• The Vikings’ largest margin of victory was a 34-0 shutout on November 9, 1980.

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/minne...who-ya-got-minnesota-vikings-at-detroit-lions

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions: Key Information and First Quarter Discussion

We are just about ready to kick things off in Detroit for this NFC North matchup between your Minnesota Vikings and the Detroit Lions. Here’s all of the information you need in order to be up to speed on today’s contest.

Date and Time: Sunday, 2 November 2025, noon Central time

Location: Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

Television Coverage: KMSP-9 in the Twin Cities, FOX affiliates around the country, YouTube NFL Sunday Ticket

Radio Coverage: Vikings Radio Network affiliates, SiriusXM Channel 381, SiriusXM App Channel 820

Line: Vikings +8.5, over/under 48.5

Chris’ Prediction: Lions 30, Vikings 20

Three Keys

1) Maybe don’t blitz quite so much – I know that the Brian Flores defense is predicated on blitzing and doing all sorts of different things, but the Lions have pretty much killed the blitz every time these teams have played in the O’Connell/Flores era. The Vikings need to do a whole lot better defensively than they did the last time we saw them if they want to have any hopes here, so we’ll see what Flores and company have cooked up today.

2) Please simplify things for J.J. McCarthy – McCarthy is back for the first time since Week 2, and he’s facing a defense that’s among the league’s best. The Vikings need to do something, anything, to help him get comfortable, whether it’s leaning on the run a bit more or shortening the pass routes or whatever it might be. Will the Vikings actually do that? I sure hope so, or it’s going to be a long afternoon.

3) Enough with the dumb penalties – Can this team have more than one kick return a game that doesn’t get called back by a penalty? Can they not false start at the worst possible times? This team has been doing all sorts of stupid things so far this season, and against a team like Detroit you have no chance if you make that many mistakes. I hope the mini-bye has given them some time to get things together for this matchup.

Know the Foe: Pride of Detroit

Twitter: @DailyNorseman

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There you have it, folks! We’ll be starting a brand new Open Thread at the beginning of each quarter, so keep your eyes open for those and keep the discussion moving along accordingly.

Here’s hoping that in about three hours or so we can talk about what a great upset the Vikings pulled off today and how they’ve managed to get their season back on the right track.

SKOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL VIKINGS!!!!

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/minne...ions-key-information-first-quarter-discussion

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Midseason Thoughts: Vikings Get a Fresh Start

The Minnesota Vikings approach the midpoint of their season with the most impressive and unlikely win of the season at Detroit to get back to .500 at 4-4. They are also 2-0 in division games and a game and a half out of first place in the NFC North. Considering all the injuries and poor start to the season generally, the Vikings could be in a much worse position at this point in the season. And for most teams being down their starting quarterback and multiple starting offensive linemen for five of the first eight games, it would be.

But the Vikings have managed to make it through an at times ugly, frustrating, and mistake-filled first-half of the season still in playoff and even division title contention. The win at Detroit was a pivotal one in many ways. First, it showed a glimpse of what this Vikings team can be when healthy. It wasn’t a flawless performance by any means- far from it- but it was a reminder that the Vikings have the roster to compete and beat any team in the league. J.J. McCarthy was far from perfect as well, but he managed to do enough in key situations to get the win, just as he did in his first start at Chicago. In an odd coincidence, he had the exact same stat line in both games: 14/25 for 143 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT, 1 rushing TD. And the Vikings won both road games by the exact same score- 27-24.

Knocking off the two-time division champs in their house, something Kevin O’Connell has never done before, was also a confidence boost who knew the importance of this game in turning their season around. The Vikings’ team captains hosted a call with players the night before the Lions game which highlighted the importance of the game after a miserable and embarrassing performance on Thursday Night Football the week before against a mediocre Chargers team. The Vikings lost both games to the Lions last season, but remain undefeated in division matchups so far this season.

The Lions game was also significant in being the first time the Vikings starting offense and defense, with the exception of Ryan Kelly, was healthy this season. Equally important, it appeared the Vikings escaped without any major injuries in that game (although Aaron Jones had an AC joint injury but said he didn’t expect to miss any games). That sets the Vikings up to be competitive in what remains a tough second-half schedule. They face the equally desperate Baltimore Ravens next week at U.S. Bank Stadium, who are also healthy again and coming off a mini bye week. The Bears rematch game follows at home and then two tough road games at Green Bay and Seattle. Three games against the NFC East follow- the Commanders, at Dallas and at New York. The season ends with home games against the Lions and Packers. The Vikings can afford to lose three of their remaining nine games and still have a reasonable chance to make the playoffs. That’s a tall order with that schedule.

State of the NFC North​

If the Vikings to have any chance of winning the division, they’ll need to fare very well in their remaining division games. And they could. Betting markets don’t give the Vikings much of a chance of winning the NFC North despite their road win in Detroit, but one thing that could be a factor – as it always is – is injuries.

The Packers currently lead the division by a half game over the Lions and Bears, but just lost a key weapon for the season in tight end Tucker Kraft. Kraft has been the go-to receiver for Jordan Love this season and was having a break-out, if not All-Pro season before suffering what is believed to be a torn ACL. The Packers have been inconsistent in that they have some impressive wins and some eyebrow raising losses, including to the Panthers on Sunday at home. The Packers count on a big play offense to carry them and when the big plays aren’t there, they have a hard time scoring points.

The Lions also have some injury issues on defense, but they suffered a key injury on offense as starting guard Christian Mahagony suffered a leg injury that is expected to keep him out for a couple months. The Lions offense line sustained a few other lesser injuries to Tate Ratledge, Penei Sewell, and Taylor Decker that are monitoring. The Lions lost two All-Pro caliber linemen in Frank Ragnow and Kevin Zietler this offseason, and a weaker offensive line is a key reason the Lions aren’t quite as dominant offensively this season as last. Jared Goff has faced more pressure this season and the explosive runs are fewer. Sustaining more injuries to their offensive line this season could cause the Lions to struggle more than expected the rest of the season. And the Lions still have a number of tough matchups in the second half of their schedule.

The Bears have been hit with injuries to their defensive secondary this season but have showed some positive momentum so far this season. But their schedule gets tougher in the second half of the season than it was in the first half. The Bears are 5-3 but have given up 24 or more points in all but two games this season, despite facing only one team with a winning record, which puts a lot of pressure on their offensive to deliver.

So, despite the Vikings poor start to the season, they still have a shot at the division crown trailing by a game and a half, despite having a starting quarterback who still has only three NFL starts and a tough remaining schedule. Staying healthy will be key. But so too will be maintaining the intensity and physicality they showed against the Lions. The Vikings still have a lot to improve. They’ve only won the turnover battle once in eight contests. They still struggle with penalties and execution miscues too. But a healthier team with more starters out there consistently could begin to gel and minimize the mistakes and begin to make more plays.

Can the Vikings Go On a Run?​

In the Vikings four wins this season, they’ve had an average of just 171 net passing yards. At some point with the offensive weaponry they have, that should improve as McCarthy gets more comfortable in running the offense and he begins to develop more of a rapport with his receivers. The Vikings have depended on the run game in each of their victories, rushing for over 100 yards in three of them and 97 in the win over the Browns. They’ll need to keep that up to help their young quarterback and put him in more favorable game situations. But Justin Jefferson had been relatively quiet so far this season, with only two game with over his per game average in receiving yards. Same for Jordan Addison who missed three games with a suspension. T. J. Hockenson has been a virtual no-show this season, although he has been asked to block a lot more than usual. Jalen Nailor has had a few key catches, but also goes long stretches without a reception. If the Vikings can be more consistent in pass protection now that they have four of five starters out there, that should lead to more in the passing game.

Defensively, the Vikings have been dominant in stretches, as they were against the Lions, but also have stretches where they give up big plays in pass defense or just can’t seem to stop the run. They’ve been good on possession downs but could be even better given some of the third-and-longs and fourth down conversions they’ve allowed. Their biggest strength so far has been in the red zone, allowing touchdowns on just 50% of attempts, which has kept them in games. Getting Andrew Van Ginkel back and sending a message to Javon Hargrave, who seems to have responded, in the form of lower snap counts should help the Vikings defense realize more of the potential the front seven looked to have at the beginning of the season.

Special teams have helped in a few Vikings victories this season, but they’ve got to end the penalties in the return game. It’s not just that they’ve eliminated some nice returns from Myles Price, who is a welcome addition this season, but they often put the Vikings in poor field position.

But overall the key to whether the Vikings can go on a run and compete for something this season, whether a playoff spot or the division title, probably comes down to J.J. McCarthy and the health of the team. If the Vikings can stay relatively healthy, the team could get a boost of energy from McCarthy, especially if he improves and is able to deliver in key moments like he did against the Lions. But McCarthy has to fulfill his end of the bargain and continue to improve. A steadily improving McCarthy over the remainder of the season, along with a healthier team around him, could begin to gel. Still, they’ve have a tough slate ahead and can’t afford to lose more than a few games and still have a decent shot at the postseason, so they’ll need to bring the type of energy and urgency that they showed against the Lions each week the rest of the season.

Their next matchup against a hungry and now healthy Ravens team, will be another big test.

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Follow me on X/Bluesky @wludford

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/minne.../midseason-thoughts-vikings-get-a-fresh-start

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Vikes Views: Sunday King – Vikings at Lions

The Minnesota Vikings went into Detroit and brought home a win against the Lions. They beat the Lions in every phase of the game. The defensive front finally looked like what we were promised. The team was the healthiest it has been since Week 1—and it showed.

The offense wasn’t perfect, but it was efficient enough. J.J. McCarthy made some good throws and missed a few as well. Special Teams had a return without a penalty and a touchdown that was called back. It wasn’t perfect, but it didn’t have to be. The Vikings had the Lions off balance all day. It was a sloppy performance from Detroit.

The Vikings are now 2–0 in the NFC North, with both wins coming on the road.

Javon Hargrave
Hargrave had a sack and another tackle for loss against the Lions. He was a major factor in the Vikings’ strong run defense all day. He finally played like the player the team expected when they signed him.

Aaron Jones
Jones unfortunately left the game early due to injury. The offense was rolling with him on the field. He finished with 9 carries for 78 yards and 2 catches for 20 yards. Hopefully, the injury doesn’t keep him out long. At 30, he’s at the age where the hits start to add up for most running backs.

Eric Wilson
Speaking of players in their 30s, Wilson had a fantastic day. He recorded 2 sacks and added another tackle for loss that forced a three-and-out. Wilson and Cashman together form a duo this team can be excited about.

J.J. McCarthy
McCarthy wasn’t perfect, but he did what the team needed. It was an up-and-down day for the second-year QB, but he avoided the big mistake. He played within his ability and got the team to the finish line. I’m looking forward to seeing what McCarthy can become—he’s figuring out how to win his way.

Blake Cashman
Cashman elevates this defense to another level. He and Wilson were everywhere on Sunday. Gibbs and Montgomery had nowhere to run, which disrupted Detroit’s game plan. The defense struggled mightily without Cashman, so it was great to see him back in action.

Andrew Van Ginkel
Van Ginkel’s return was highly anticipated, and it’s easy to see why. He was a Defensive Player of the Year candidate at this point last season. He made a key stop during Detroit’s two-minute drill at the end of the first half. While it wasn’t a game full of splash plays, he was instrumental in containing a potent run offense.

Myles Price
Price set the tone early with a 61-yard return to the Detroit 35 on the opening possession. He also had a 99-yard touchdown called back due to a penalty. Price has had several big returns negated by flags this season. When the Lions opened with a touchdown and the crowd was roaring, it looked like it might be a long day for the Vikings. But Price shifted the momentum—and it was mostly sunshine from there.

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/minne...2414/vikes-views-sunday-king-vikings-at-lions

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Week 9 POSTGAME Roundtable: Vikings Tame Lions, Return to .500

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

Hello everyone, and welcome to the Week 9 Minnesota Vikings postgame roundtable here at Daily Norseman. The Vikes are coming off a ballsy win over the Lions in Detroit, and are back to .500.

Baltimore looms, but can the Vikings turn this into a streak? Before we look ahead to that, how about we ask the boys a few questions about the game that just happened, oh, about 27 hours ago.

Let’s talk to it:

Question 1: Imagine you’re a headline writer for Sunday’s game, and you have fewer than 10 words to write one for the win over the Lions. What is it?​

Brandon Warne: Vikings Tame Lions at their own Circus

Christopher Gates: I’d probably go with “McCarthy Leads Vikings Upset of Detroit.” I know that McCarthy might not necessarily have been the biggest piece of why the Vikings won, but given everything that surrounded this game and McCarthy’s status so far this season, it’s an important point of emphasis.

Craig Williams: I like headlines that actually mean something, because I am not that creative. “Vikings Beat Lions at Every Phase”

Warren Ludford: Vikings Outplay Heavily Favored Lions

Sam Buegler: McCarthy remains undefeated in Michigan as Vikings’ D steps up.

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Question 2: We’ve all seen Kevin O’Connell hand out game balls after big games. I’m giving you three game balls for Sunday’s game — who is getting them?​

BW: J.J. McCarthy (for obvious reasons), Eric Wilson (who has rendered Ivan Pace Jr. more or less obsolete) and how about….Blake Cashman, who had a PFF grade over 90.0 for his mammoth effort?

CG: I’m giving one to Eric Wilson, because that guy was everywhere on Sunday. One for Levi Drake Rodriguez for that huge field goal block that kept the Vikings ahead. And one for J.J. McCarthy, because why the heck not? Honorable mention to Myles Price, who deserved a whole lot better from his fellow special teamers in this one.

CW: Blake Cashman, Javon Hargrave, and Andrew Van Ginkel. That defense made all the difference on Sunday. You almost have to give one to J.J. McCarthy too, but this game was won on defense.

WL: J.J. McCarthy, Blake Cashman, Aaron Jones

SB: Wilson, Hargrave, McCarthy. It was nice to see Goff get pressured and go down as much as he did, and that is in large part thanks to the two of them. And I have to give one to the QB in his return game; all I wanted was to see improvement out of him, and we got that plus a win.

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Question 3: Describe J.J. McCarthy’s performance in one word, and then elaborate on that with just one sentence.​

BW: Ballsy. He went into Detroit and beat a Lions team that had no reason to think they were going to lose, and did so by making just as many throws as he needed to.

CG: Sufficient. Sure, he didn’t put up a ton of yards, but he made the throws he needed to make when he needed to make them, including that great throw to ice the game in a situation where a lot of team might have just handed it off. I’m sure there are much bigger statistical games in his future, but he helped the Vikings get the W in this one.

CW: Caretaker. He took care of the ball. He made a few plays. He missed a lot of plays. He didn’t make the mistakes that lose you games. (editor’s note: that is NOT one sentence, Craig Williams)

WL: Adequate. He did what he needed to do, especially in key moments, to get the win.

SB: Resilient. He never gave up: not after the first Lions TD, the (alleged) INT, the Lions comeback attempt – just gutted it out for the W.

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Question 4: How does this change your view of the Vikings at the trade deadline?​

BW: I would say….slightly so. A lot of things look different now than they did a few weeks ago. The Vikings can beat anyone in the division. The game against Washington looks a lot more winnable now with Jayden Daniels likely out for quite a while. Baltimore looks markedly more beatable now than it did to start the season. I would say look to be opportunistic, but don’t feel pressed to make a deal. Personally? I’d like to see a home run move for someone like Breece Hall. I know it won’t happen, but a guy can wish, right?

CG: It hasn’t really done much to change my thinking that the team should stand pat. I’m not sure who is out there as a potential addition that would be all that impactful, and I don’t want the Vikings to give up a ton of picks because they’re going to need them this offseason.

CW: Trade deadline is usually a dud. Depending on the health of Aaron Jones, I wouldn’t mind a RB or CB pickup.

WL: Not much. Vikings could use another corner — maybe look into Tariq Woolen — and I guess a veteran quarterback, although that’s not a pressing need. Could also trade Adam Thielen, although that would be a bit cold.

SB: This team still has the players and coaches to be competitive in the NFC. I don’t think we need any drastic moves at the deadline. Maybe try to bring in another corner, or someone to shore up the secondary, but otherwise, I think just keep getting healthier and hopefully start rolling down the stretch.

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Question 5: Who was your unheralded hero in Week 9?​

BW: How about a hand for Brian Flores? His defense had a lot of reasons to be doubted, and it stepped the (expletive) up. The book on Jared Goff was that he handles pressure fabulously, so what did Flores do? Pressured him anyway. They punched him in the mouth, and as Tom Brady said, had him off balance for the bulk of the day. If you look at the quarterback stats, you’d have expected the game to go the opposite of how it actually did. Flores deserves a whole heck of a lot of credit for that.

CG: Jalen Redmond. Ignore his PFF grade for this week (because I certainly am), but he has been a problem for every offense the Vikings have played this season. He’s going to cost the Vikings a lot of money here in the near future.

CW: Javon Hargrave has deservedly gotten a bad rep amongst Viking fans. He really had a great game against a run offense that ripped the Vikings apart in the last few meetings.

WL: I’ll go with Blake Brandel. He had a clean sheet in pass protection and did alright as a run blocker as well, although there was one snap issue, but that may have been McCarthy’s fault. His best game so far at his new position at center.

SB: In terms of unheralded, I am going to go with Will Reichard. Once again, he just crushed it this week, nailing two field goals and three extra points. It is almost starting to become easy to take him for granted, but Will The Thrill has been fantastic this year.

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Question 6: Where do you think the Vikings will be power-ranked when this week’s rankings come out on Tuesday?​

BW: I think they’ll be about 15th. A win over one of the top teams in the NFL should vault them a bit above right down the middle, which is where you’d expect them to be at 4-4. There will be some droppers, too — like the Lions and Packers (devilish laugh).

CG: Well, they’re 4-4, which is middle of the road. So, I’d expect them to be in the middle of the pack in the Power Rankings, somewhere in the 15-17 range.

CW: Middle of the pack. 14-18 is about right for the team. They will need to prove they are a contender with J.J. McCarthy. He’s 2-1 as a starter with both wins on the road against a divisional opponent. The team looks good when the lineup looks more like what KOC and Kwesi had in mind. Injury management will be key for this team.

WL: Probably around 16th. They’ll go up for beating the Lions and getting McCarthy back, but still too many questions to be ranked higher.

SB: They are going to jump, but not by much. I would anticipate around 15. Winning a divisional game on the road is big, but it will be attributed more as a Lions’ loss than a Vikings’ win.

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/gener...e-roundtable-vikings-tame-lions-return-to-500

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Minnesota Vikings News and Links: Will The Vikings Make A Trade Today?

The trade deadline is today. It’s not looking very promising right now but, s always, there is hope. Of course, I just want to see a trade.

Minnesota Vikings News and Links​

Kevin O’Connell ‘pretty comfortable’ with Vikings’ QB depth

Monday, however, O’Connell talked extensively about Wolford — whom he coached when both were with the Los Angeles Rams in 2020-21 — and said he would like to add him to the 53-man roster at some point soon.

“I think with bringing John in,” O’Connell said, “it was something where we wanted to make sure we had a third guy in the room, a guy I know very well. He immediately picked up where I remember being with John — super smart, has a pretty high level of quickness and athleticism, quick twitch for a release and kind of a tight window thrower kind of guy that can activate a lot of different throw types. And he’s got experience understanding how our pass offense works and how we want to operate. So as he said, he’s the old man in the room now, and I think that’s important for two young guys.”

Meanwhile, O’Connell said the early news is positive on running back Aaron Jones, a big contributor to McCarthy’s success Sunday but who departed in the third quarter with a right shoulder injury. The Vikings have some hope that Jones can be available for Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens at U.S. Bank Stadium.

“We’ll see how he does throughout the week,” O’Connell said, “but expecting him to be able to kind of hopefully ramp up his workload [in practice].”

In other injury news, Vikings safety Theo Jackson was placed in the concussion protocol Monday after reporting what O’Connell called “very mild symptoms.” Tight end Josh Oliver (foot) has made some progress, but it’s not clear whether he will practice this week. Center Ryan Kelly, who has missed four games while on injured reserve after suffering two concussions earlier this season, will begin an attempt to return by working out with medical staff on a side field at practice this week. His 21-day window to resume practicing has not yet been opened.

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Tracking Vikings trade rumors ahead of Tuesday’s NFL deadline

The NFL trade deadline hits at 3 p.m. CT Tuesday, and the Minnesota Vikings could be a buyer after putting themselves firmly in the playoff race with a 27-24 win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday.

What is their biggest need? Cornerback is the most obvious answer, though insiders have floated the idea that they could still be in the market for a veteran quarterback to back up J.J. McCarthy, or an edge rusher to provide depth behind Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Dallas Turner.

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2025 NFL trade deadline live updates: Rumors, surprise moves and teams making last-minute pushes

TRADE: Seahawks land WR Rashid Shaheed from Saints
Sam Darnold is having himself an all-star season in Seattle, and now he’s got more weapons at his disposal: The Seahawks are adding the speedster Shaheed from New Orleans, as NFL Media reported. The fourth-year veteran wideout is averaging almost 15 yards per catch for his career, showing up as a big-play threat even amid perennial quarterback woes for the Saints. Why didn’t New Orleans just retain Shaheed? He was due to hit free agency after the season, and new coach Kellen Moore could use all the draft picks he can get for a further restocking.

BLOCKBUSTER TRADE: Jets deal Sauce Gardner to Colts

How about this for a surprise shakeup?! New York is sending top cornerback Sauce Gardner — one of the most respected young cover men in the game — to Indianapolis in exchange for a pair of first-round draft picks and a player, which FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer reports is second-year receiver Adonai Mitchell.

Talk about a stunner. Indy paid big bucks to add Charvarius Ward to its secondary prior to the season, but with Ward still recovering from a concussion suffered in a freak pregame collision earlier this year, the AFC South frontrunner makes a splash.

The 25-year-old Gardner, a two-time All-Pro who also won Defensive Rookie of the Year in New York, just signed a four-year, $120 million contract extension with the Jets in July; at an annual average value of $30.1 million per year, he’s the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL.

But since that deal, Gardner apparently became more valuable to Gang Green as a trade chip than a long-term building block for new coach Aaron Glenn’s secondary. The No. 4 pick out of Cincinnati in the 2022 NFL Draft, Gardner led the NFL in pass breakups (20) as a rookie but has seen his ball production dip as of late, with just one interception in his last two and a half seasons. Still, he’s a major get for a Colts team clearly hoping to capitalize on its hot start in 2025.

TRADE: Jaguars acquire WR Jakobi Meyers from Raiders
We have our first big-name deal of the day: Jacksonville is adding Meyers from Las Vegas in exchange for fourth- and sixth-round picks, as ESPN reported. The Bills and Steelers also showed interest in securing the veteran wideout via trade, per The Athletic, but instead Meyers is headed to the Jaguars just days after Jacksonville placed Travis Hunter on injured reserve. Meyers figures to step in as a starter opposite Brian Thomas Jr.

The 28-year-old Meyers, who topped 1,000 receiving yards in his first season with the Raiders in 2024, had been seeking a trade out of Las Vegas since prior to this season. He spent the first four years of his NFL career with the New England Patriots, eclipsing 50 catches and 700 yards in each of his final three seasons there.

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How the Vikings shut down Jahmyr Gibbs with scheme and physicality

Thus, it’s not exactly a coincidence that on Sunday, in the Vikings’ first win over the Lions since Flores was hired, they found a way to keep Gibbs from hurting them. After torching the Buccaneers for 218 yards and two scores in his most recent outing, the Lions’ electrifying back was held to a career-low 28 yards on 12 touches in Minnesota’s upset victory.

The Vikings shut down Gibbs in a couple different ways. The first, simplest way they did it was by winning the line of scrimmage in the run game. This was pretty easily the most impressive performance of the season from the Vikings’ run defense, considering the opponent. Between Gibbs’ nine carries for 25 yards and David Montgomery’s 11 for 40, the Lions collectively averaged fewer than 3.3 yards per rush. They had just two runs longer than seven yards all day, both 11-yarders by Montgomery, and one of those ended in a key fumble forced by Blake Cashman.

The other way the Vikings limited Gibbs was by blitzing the Lions relentlessly in passing situations and forcing him to pick up a linebacker in pass protection. They blitzed Goff on 24 of his 42 dropbacks (57 percent), per PFF, which led to three of their five sacks. Gibbs had a long day in pass pro against the trio of Cashman, Wilson, and Ivan Pace Jr.; he was charged with seven pressures allowed on 15 such snaps. Wilson, in particular, had an incredible game as a blitzer, recording six pressures and two sacks.

As a receiver out of the backfield, Gibbs had just three catches for three total yards.

“Yeah, you would much prefer him blocking than being a major weapon in the pass game,” Kevin O’Connell said on Monday. “We did want to try to limit his ability in the pass game to impact the game, because he is as impactful as any running back in the National Football League when he gets the ball in his hands in space.

“I just thought Flo and the plan the staff had, and then the way the players made it come to life, was really good stuff.”

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Tom Brady Doesn’t Hold Back on JJ McCarthy After Vikings Return

However, legendary NFL quarterback and Fox Sports commentator Tom Brady liked what he saw from McCarthy in Minnesota’s 27-24 win over the Lions. During the third quarter of the game, Brady went into detail about the positive things that stood out about how the 22-year-old did.

“He’s doing a lot that we can actually see on when the ball’s snapped,” Brady said of McCarthy. “He’s doing a lot before the snap. And I think that tells me that Kevin O’Connell is putting a lot of trust in him to get you in and out of the right plays.

“That last play on the scramble for the touchdown, that’s pretty easy for him. He’s been doing that since high school. The harder things are getting a play in the huddle, getting the operation right, getting us into the right play, handling the protection schemes, and then making accurate throws.

“And outside of the one throw where he threw it behind Nailor on the interception, there’s so many positives from what I’ve seen here today. Accurate throws, good decisions, good times to throw the ball away. Definitely giving this team the spark that it needed coming into a very tough place to play.”

When Brady says that someone is doing a lot of things the right way during a game, it means that the man he’s talking about did a lot of things the right way.

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NFL Week 10 picks and score predictions: Vikings shock Ravens, Colts win in Germany, Chargers top Steelers

If you’ve looked at the NFL standings at any point over the past 24 hours, you may have noticed that the NFC North is arguably the best all-around division in football. Heading into Week 10, it’s the only division where all four teams are at .500 or above. Oh, and did I mention that the four teams in the NFC North are a combined 8-3 against AFC North? The only reason I’m pointing all of this out is because the Ravens are favored to win this week, but maybe they shouldn’t be.
…
Normally, when Jackson faces an NFC team I automatically pick the Ravens — and that’s mainly because he has a career record of 24-3 against NFC teams — but I can not blindly pick the Ravens this week because Jackson isn’t as automatic as he used to be against NFC teams (He’s 0-2 over the past 12 months, including a loss to the Lions this year).
…
The Ravens have given up the fifth-most passing yards per game in the NFL this year and that could be a problem for a team that’s about to face a Vikings offense that has one of the top receivers in the NFL in Justin Jefferson. I definitely don’t trust J.J. McCarthy just yet and if the Ravens could get any pressure on the quarterback, I’d probably lean toward Baltimore, but they haven’t been able to do that this year. Even the Ravens know they’ve struggled to get pressure on the QB, which is why they added Dre’Mont Jones in a trade on Monday night. Jones might eventually help Baltimore’s defense, but I don’t think he’ll help much this week.

The Ravens have NEVER won in Minnesota and I’m going to say that streak somehow continues on Sunday.

PICK: Vikings 27-24 over Ravens | Vikings +4 | Odds via Caesars Sportsbook

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Ravens vs. Vikings Prediction, Odds, Spread, Injuries, Trends for NFL Week 10
J.J. McCarthy Talks With Tom Brady After Vikings Victory In Detroit
Behind-the-Scenes with Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders on Gameday

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

While navigating the open thread, just assume it’s sarcasm

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

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/minne...and-links-will-the-vikings-make-a-trade-today

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Vikings Reacts Survey Week 10: Is Nothing Something?

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Vikings fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

It’s time for another SB Nation Reacts survey about our Minnesota Vikings, and this one has to do with what turned out to be a very quiet trade deadline for our favorite football team.

Our first question, as always, is whether or not you think the Vikings are moving in the right direction. We’ve hit some pretty low numbers on this front in recent weeks, but perhaps pulling off the huge upset this team did on Sunday afternoon in Detroit will help to bump those figures up a bit. This one should be an interesting one to see.

The other question for this week is whether or not you like what the Vikings did at the NFL Trade Deadline. Of course, as we all know what they did was. . .“nothing.” They didn’t buy, they didn’t sell, they just decided to sit with what they currently have. Was that the right move? You can let us know what you think.

As always, we invite all of you to make your voice heard on these questions by not just voting in the poll provided below, but also by sounding off in the comments section. I have a feeling we’re going to have plenty of folks on both sides of this one, so have at it. . .respectfully, of course.

With that, the polls are open, ladies and gentlemen! We’ll have the results for you sometime between the Vikings lock up with the Ravens at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/minne...gs-reacts-survey-week-10-is-nothing-something

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

The Vikings Are Back!?

With the much-anticipated return of J.J. McCarthy, the Vikings not only managed to overcome the largest point-spread of the KOC era, but also the biggest upset win since 2010 against the Detroit Lions.

The oddsmakers, who tend to be adept at such things, the national sports media bloviators, and, sadly, yours truly, didn’t think the Vikings could pull it off.

I was thrilled to be wrong.

In short, it was precisely the type of game I envisioned for the first half of the season: McCarthy showing flashes and making high-leverage plays in clutch situations, amid inconsistency and expected developmental hiccups, aided by a lights-out, elite defense to secure close victories. It was this formula that initially led me to predict a close victory in this contest back in May. Better late than never, I guess.

Given the circumstances, this was the biggest win of the KOC era. And while I’m not ready to dust off my playoff prediction just yet, it could signal good things over the final nine games. I’m still in the wait-and-see camp given the inconsistent performances shown in all phases of the team so far, but my goodness, was that satisfying.

While the folks at the DN have done their usual excellent job recapping everything, here are some other quick thoughts:

J.J. McCarthy and the “It Factor”: All the guy does is win. Everywhere. In high school, he was 36-2. At Michigan, he was 27-1 and led the Wolverines to a national championship. Now, he’s 2-1 with the Vikings, with two road division wins. The loss to the Falcons was filled with caveats. The statistics so far are modest, but the clutch plays made in high-pressure situations with the game on the line are anything but. You know, the hardest part and the only thing that truly matters in the end. The three games have included long stretches of inconsistent execution in the passing game. McCarthy missed throws and made mistakes. That’s to be expected, and it’s surely something that will be a focus moving forward. A complete game approaching the high points so far is something we should all be excited about. The 300-yard passing games will come soon enough. I’ll take the victories first, thank you very much.

With that in mind…

Time to Put the Conspiracy Theories to Rest: Toss the tinfoil hats in the trash, folks. I never bought into the “soft benching” theory about McCarthy, and no one else should now, either. It made no sense, considering how the offseason unfolded. Red flags would have been caught, and an insurance policy would’ve been taken out. That insurance policy would have been Aaron Rodgers. Heck, maybe even Joe Flacco, who’s got the Bengals’ offense humming to the tune of 37.6 points per game over the last three weeks. Of course, defense is a thing, too. The Vikings are built to win now, with expectations for McCarthy resting comfortably in the 2024 Daniels to Nix range. I have no reason to think this has changed. Those other QBs started slow last year, too! Many people don’t realize that; they only remember the end result.

Ditto the “Max Brosmer is secretly Patrick Mahomes but KOC can’t play him because it would make McCarthy and (by extension) KAM look bad” stuff. I like Max Brosmer and hope he can have a nice NFL career. But we’ve been down this path before. For every Tom Brady, there are a thousand Kyle Sloters. For every Kurt Warner, there are a thousand Jaren Halls. Could Brosmer be the new Brock Purdy? Sure. Is it likely? Absolutely not. If I’m not mistaken, winning games is the only thing that matters. If Brosmer were Dan Marino, no one would care – from the Wilfs to the guy in the Bob Uecker seats at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Hear me out: Maybe, just maybe, McCarthy really did suffer a severe ankle injury, and the return timetable was six to seven weeks. And that KOC wasn’t lying when he said that McCarthy would return only when fully recovered.

KOC Improvements: To secure his first win against the Lions at Ford Field, it was going to take ingenuity and solid game planning. Both were evident on Sunday. The run game looked the best since the Bengals game, but they don’t have a functional NFL defense, so there’s that, too. It effectively mixed concepts with solid blocking all around to keep the Lions’ defense guessing. Listen, 258 total yards isn’t going to remind anyone of 1998, but given the circumstances, it was sufficient. It’s still mid-September in terms of McCarthy’s game reps. Greater efficiency and production will be needed in the passing game on an incredibly truncated timeline. I believe that KOC can achieve this accelerated progress. That being said, old habits die hard, and the terrible goal-line play-calling and clock management late in the game would have caused KOC to be criticized nationwide if the Lions had gotten the ball back with a chance to kick the tying field goal. And if we’d have lost in OT or something? Oh boy. Thank you, McCarthy and Nailor. This must improve.

Flores Dominates: That’s more like it. This was the defense I expected all offseason. One that not only puts Jake Browning and Dillon Gabriel in their place, but also the mighty Lions. I love Andrew Van Ginkel, but unless he’s the most dominant defensive player since Lawrence Taylor, how do you go from what we saw 10 days ago against the Chargers to the dominant performance on Sunday? I understand the short week and parity and all that stuff, but it’s genuinely baffling. Still, we needed this. After falling behind 7-0 in a blink of an eye, the defense kept the Lions’ offense in check, holding them to 305 yards, sacking Goff five times, along with 11 quarterback hits, 24 total pressures, and 10 tackles for a loss. Considering Jameson Williams got away with a push-off on the 37-yard touchdown pass to make it 27-24, the stats could’ve been even more impressive. There’s no resting with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry on the horizon, so let’s hope this is the version we see moving forward.

Special Teams… Good, But: Myles Price has been a revelation. The Baby-Faced Assassin, Will Reichard (h/t oofda), has been the hero we always expected. The field-goal block may have won the game for us on Sunday. But the penalties, man. The freakin’ penalties. I don’t know what the team record is for special team penalties in a season, but it wouldn’t shock me if we’re on pace to shatter the damn thing. The Vikings are third in the NFL in that category (14) and number one in yards penalized (141). It’s absolutely going to come back to bite us at the worst time, because that’s what happens to us. Matt Daniels needs to get this fixed. I’m confident he can.

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/minnesota-vikings-2025-season/92456/minnesota-vikings-are-back

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Ravens at Vikings: First Injury Report

The Minnesota Vikings and Baltimore Ravens have issued their first injury reports ahead of Sunday’s game at US Bank Stadium. Here they are:

Minnesota Vikings​

• S Theo Jackson, Concussion, DNP
• RB Aaron Jones, Shoulder/Toe, DNP
• CB Jeff Okudah, Concussion, DNP
• TE Josh Oliver, Foot, DNP
• S Harrison Smith, Vet Rest Day, DNP
• RG Will Fries, Calf, Limited
• FB C.J. Ham, Hand, Limited
• S Josh Metellus, Foot, Limited
• DT Jalen Redmond, Shin, Limited
• LT Christian Darrisaw, Knee, Full

The Viking have ten on their injury list but I suspect most will be active on Sunday. Theo Jackson was said by KOC to have experienced minor concussion symptoms on Monday so they placed him in the protocol. That suggests he may clear it sooner rather than later. Jeff Okudah has been in the protocol over a week now so he should likely clear it soon too.

Josh Oliver’s foot injury seems like a longer one to recover from, so we’ll have to see if he’s able to ramp up this week or not. I’d consider him more doubtful at this point.

The others- Smith, Fries, Ham, Metellus, Redmond, and Darrisaw, are all more minor injuries they should be able to work through or in the case of Smith it was just a veteran rest day. Ham missed the Lions game but it doesn’t seem like a long-term injury at this point after coming back from IR.

Baltimore Ravens​

• None

The Ravens had a rare perfect practice attendance on Wednesday following their mini bye week after beating Miami last Thursday night.

This is in sharp contrast to earlier weeks this season, when the Ravens had a long list of injured players. Defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike remains on IR, however- he is a core player on their interior defensive line.

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We’ll have a couple more injury reports tomorrow and Friday, so stay tuned.

Follow me on X/Bluesky @wludford

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/minnesota-vikings-injuries/92495/ravens-at-vikings-first-injury-report

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Ravens at Vikings: Second Injury Report

The Minnesota Vikings and Baltimore Ravens have issued their second injury reports ahead of Sunday’s game at US Bank Stadium. Here they are (changes in bold):

Minnesota Vikings​

• S Theo Jackson, Concussion, Limited
• RB Aaron Jones, Shoulder/Toe, Limited
• CB Jeff Okudah, Concussion, DNP
• TE Josh Oliver, Foot, DNP
• S Harrison Smith, Vet Rest Day, Full
• RG Will Fries, Calf, Full
• FB C.J. Ham, Hand, Limited
• S Josh Metellus, Foot, Full
• DT Jalen Redmond, Shin, Limited
• LT Christian Darrisaw, Knee, DNP

The Vikings had several upgrades today as Theo Jackson, Aaron Jones went from DNP to Limited, Will Fries and Josh Metellus went from Limited to Full Participants, and Harrison Smith fully participated after a veteran rest day yesterday. Christian Darrisaw did not practice as part of his on-going day-on, day-off routine, but is likely to play on Sunday- as are the others above.

Josh Oliver and Ryan Kelly were seen rehabbing on a side field but neither one seems close enough to return this Sunday. Jalen Redmond and C.J. Ham are still working through injuries but wouldn’t be surprised if both play on Sunday too. That leaves Jeff Okudah who still isn’t practicing and remains in concussion protocol for a second week. We’ll see if he’s able to practice tomorrow, but if not he’ll probably miss another game.

Baltimore Ravens​

• None

The Ravens once again have no players on their injury report.

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We’ll have one more injury report tomorrow with injury designations, so stay tuned.

Follow me on X/Bluesky @wludford

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/minne.../92533/ravens-at-vikings-second-injury-report

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Vikes Views: Who Ya Got? Ravens at Vikings

The Baltimore Ravens will visit the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday for the 8th meeting of the two teams. Both teams will be playing their 2nd game with the QB1 back in action. The Ravens easily cruised against the Miami Dolphins 28-6 on Thursday Night Football. The Vikings had a tougher task going on the road to face the Detroit Lions. We all know they came out victorious 27-24.

Series Record: 3-4

Home Record: 2-0

Streak: L1

The last time these two faced off at US Bank Stadium was 2017 when the teams combined for nine field goals, second-most in NFL history. There is a strange history of these two teams meeting for crazy endings. Also, every season the Vikings win against the Ravens (‘98, ‘09, & ,‘17), they have gone to the NFC Championship game. However, every season the Vikings lost against the Ravens (’01, ‘05, ‘13, & ‘21), they have fired their coach. KOC needs to be locked in this week.

December 8, 2013: The Ravens beat the Vikings 29-26 in a game with an absolutely insane ending with 4 TDs and 5 lead changes in the final 2:05

( via @nflthrowback) pic.twitter.com/u34uy0SoWe

— This Day In Sports Clips (@TDISportsClips) December 8, 2020

Last week I predicted a loss for the Vikings. This week I’ll swing the other way and hope the Vikings don’t. I have the Vikings winning and the under 49.5. The Vikings defense looked different last week. They are energized now that Cashman and Van Ginkel are back in action. The DL played like the team had hoped when they signed Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. If the Vikings can stop the run, they might have some success. The offense will be inconsistent, as it has been the first three games with McCarthy. McCarthy always seems to make enough plays to keep them in it. If it’s close at the end, I’m taking the guys in purple. It’s in Minnesota and the Vikings will remain unbeaten at home against the Ravens. Vikings 27 – Ravens 21

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/minne...2520/vikes-views-who-ya-got-ravens-at-vikings

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Ravens at Vikings: Final Injury Report

The Minnesota Vikings and Baltimore Ravens have issued their second injury reports ahead of Sunday’s game at US Bank Stadium, including injury designations. Here they are:

Minnesota Vikings​

• S Theo Jackson, Concussion, Questionable
• RB Aaron Jones, Shoulder/Toe, Questionable
• CB Jeff Okudah, Concussion, Out
• TE Josh Oliver, Foot, Out

Other Vikings listed on the injury list do not have an injury designation and so will be available for Sunday’s game. My guess is that Theo Jackson and Aaron Jones will play as well- Jackson’s concussion symptoms were described as mild on Monday and Jones said he didn’t think he’d miss time due to his AC joint injury last week.

Baltimore Ravens​

• None

The Ravens did have two players on their injury list today- Marlon Humphrey with a finger injury and Ronnie Stanley on a veteran rest day, but neither will have an injury designation for Sunday’s game.

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Overall, both teams are pretty healthy for point in the season going into Sunday’s game.

Follow me on X/Bluesky @wludford

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/minnesota-vikings-injuries/92598/ravens-at-vikings-final-injury-report

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Can the Vikings Win Two in a Row?

It’s been impossible to do any sort of meaningful statistical analysis of the Minnesota Vikings this season because the only thing that’s been consistent about them this season has been their inconsistency. There is a stat for that of course, brought to you by those who compile DVOA stats and it’s called variance. It tracks the week-to-week variance in a team’s Total DVOA.

Consistently Inconsistent​

After nine weeks and eight games, the Vikings have the second-highest variance in the league at 30.1%, 0.1% lower than the league leading Commanders. The Vikings have shown high variance all season. This shows up not just in their DVOA, but other stats as well. It also shows in their largely alternating weekly results- win, loss, win, loss, win, loss, loss, win.

In Total DVOA terms, which is expressed as a percentage relative to “average”, the Vikings had the worst Total DVOA week two against the Falcons (-65.0%), then had the best DVOA week three against the Bengals (+76.5%), then week four had the fourth-worst DVOA (-54.6%) against the Steelers. And week eight against the Chargers they once again had the worst weekly DVOA at -83.0%, but followed it up with DVOA of +42.7% against the Lions- fourth best that week.

The pattern suggests the Vikings will once again be off-the-charts bad against the Ravens on Sunday, but I wouldn’t bet on that either. The Ravens are a Super Bowl contender when healthy, and they are healthy now, so it wouldn’t be surprising if the Vikings lost on Sunday. But the Vikings’ performance doesn’t seem to be based on the quality of their opponent. Their worst performances in DVOA terms came against the Falcons and Chargers, neither of which look like contenders this season and it wouldn’t be surprising if neither made the playoffs either. Their best performances came against the Bengals- who are bad- but also against the Lions, who are contenders.

If you look only at games J.J. McCarthy started, the Vikings’ Total DVOA in those games was +7.9%, -65.0%, and +42.7% – once again inconsistent.

And breaking it down further into offensive and defensive DVOA paints a similar picture. Defensively the Vikings started with two near average games, one great game against the Bengals, four moderately bad games, then one good game against the Lions. Offensively, the Vikings started with an average game, then really bad game against the Falcons, followed by a moderately bad game, then bad game, then good game, then moderately bad, really bad, then near (but below) average game against the Lions.

Breaking it down even further, the Vikings have had good and bad games running the ball and defending the run, and good and bad games defending the pass. They’ve had bad games passing, and less bad-to-average games passing, but no really good games.

The most consistent part of the Vikings this season has been special teams, where they’ve had six average games (+/- 5%) in DVOA) and two good games against the Bengals and Lions.

All About Injuries?​

The most plausible explanation for the Vikings remarkable lack of consistency has been injuries. The Vikings have suffered a lot of injuries to starters, particularly on offense, and that explains a lot of the inconsistency. Defensively they haven’t had as many, but losing Blake Cashman and Andrew Van Ginkel for several games didn’t help.

Still, injuries don’t explain everything. The Vikings best game offensively by far in DVOA terms came week five against the Browns, who aren’t a good team overall but have a very good defense. The Vikings didn’t have J.J. McCarthy, Aaron Jones, Donovan Jackson, Ryan Kelly (Blake Brandel made his first start at center), Brian O’Neill, and Christian Darrisaw was out for the last third of offensive snaps.

The Vikings worst game defensively came against the Chargers when they had everyone but Andrew Van Ginkel back and starting.

What About Coaching?​

In their best games this season, the Vikings seemed to have the better game plan. Offensively against the Browns, the Vikings had a plan to get the ball out quickly knowing they would likely be outmatched in the trenches. Against the Lions, the Vikings had answers for the Lions offense and particularly their run game, and also against their defense. Everything went right for the Vikings from the get-go against the Bengals. But against the Steelers and Chargers in particular, the Vikings seem to have been outcoached. The Steelers had answers for Brian Flores’ scheme early on, and so did Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers.

Overall, the Vikings haven’t always had the best game plan and that has led to some of the inconsistency. Between a young McCarthy and Carson Wentz at quarterback, the Vikings aren’t built to do well when playing from behind- although McCarthy pulled out the win late against the Bears. But falling behind can force changes to the intended game plan and being forced to pass behind a makeshift offensive line with a young or backup quarterback isn’t a recipe for success.

Early games in the season can be more difficult to game plan for coaches as teams haven’t shown much and can employ unscouted looks that catch opponents off guard. Sometimes that can account for some inconsistency early on. The Vikings seemed to be caught off guard a bit more this year whereas they may have surprised more teams a year ago.

But overall, this season has been uncharacteristically inconsistent for the Vikings under Kevin O’Connell. The last two seasons- including the injury-riddled 2023 season, the Vikings finished with the third lowest DVOA variance. In 2022 they finished 13th, but still under 10%, compared to over 30% so far this season.

So Can the Vikings Win Two in a Row?​

The Vikings face another contender on Sunday in the Baltimore Ravens despite their record so far this season. They are healthy now and can afford another loss even less than the Vikings. They’re also less likely to look past the Vikings after they upset the Lions last week.

So for the Vikings to make it two wins in a row, they’ll need to play at least as well as they did last week in Detroit and have an equally good game plan. The Vikings are healthy for the second week of the season, so that should help. The Vikings’ team captains also had a conference call the night before the Lions game that may have concentrated minds a bit, which showed up in the energy and physicality they showed against the Lions- although you’d hope the Vikings would be motivated for the Lions after being swept by them last season. The question now is can they bring the same intensity against a non-division opponent that most haven’t played against together and who likely will be playing with something closer to a ‘season on the line’ mentality.

Last season the Vikings had five and nine-game win streaks broken up by one two-game losing streak similar in some ways to the two-game losing streak this season: A close loss against a top contender followed by a worse loss in a Thursday night game at SoFi Stadium.

Perhaps being healthy and once again being framed as an ‘also-ran’ team with a questionable quarterback- as they were at the start of last season- will give them the chip on their shoulder that they’ve been lacking this season apart from last Sunday. Perhaps this is just a different season and the inconsistency will continue and the Vikings will get blown out on Sunday. We’ll see. But this is an opportunity for the Vikings to break the pattern of inconsistency and hopefully take another big step toward getting right this season.

But there is a big range of outcomes for this game on Sunday. Just where the Vikings fall in that range could be a preview for the rest of the season.

Stay tuned.

Follow me on X/Bluesky @wludford

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/minnesota-vikings-2025-season/92603/can-the-vikings-win-two-in-a-row

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Minnesota Vikings News and Links: Big Game Tomorrow!

Big game tomorrow! I think it is just as important as the Lions game. It will be a very good test. The Ravens are also battling to stay in the hunt. A loss will put them three games behind the Steelers unless the Steelers lose which leave them two games behind. The Packers play the Eagles om Onday night which esasily could be another loss for them (so sad eh?). The Lions play the Commandos and the Bears play the Giants. It would be very nice to see all three teams in the division lose.

No news on Asante Samuel Jr. Apparently, he did not meet with the coaches or Kwesi and staff. Okudah is out this week so the Vikings really need someone else. Myles Bryant was on the Texans practice squad buthe was elevated yesterday. Not sure if there are any other worthwhile practice squad candidates. Zemaiah Vaughn is still on the Vikings practice squad.

Minnesota Vikings News and Links​

Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy Draws One Major Worry From NFL Analyst
Despite this performance against Detroit, which keeps the Vikings in the middle of the playoff race, FOX Sports broadcaster Daryl Johnston shared his one important concern he has over McCarthy.

“The one thing that we need to see more from J.J. McCarthy is consistency throughout the game,” Johnston said on the latest edition of ‘One on One.“ “Two wins on the road in the division are very impressive. Chicago is a much different team this year than last year, and that was an impressive win, especially with how it started. To be able to hang in there and have your teammates believe you’re the guy who can still get it done after struggling says a lot.

“He played at a high level in the back end of the game in Chicago and started really well in Detroit. I just want to see J.J. become a little more consistent with his play. He has great people to lean on, and that’s one of the big things for a young quarterback — getting in sync with the Justin Jeffersons and the other guys on offense, while also being able to rely on the run game a bit.”

J.J. McCarthy Still Has Doubters
Johnston isn’t the person who wants to see more from McCarthy. Nonetheless, the NFL analyst doesn’t appear to be a doubter of the Vikings quarterback, unlike FS1 host Colin Cowherd. On the November 3 episode of “The Herd,” Cowherd shared a blunt assessment of how he sees Minnesota’s young signal-caller heading into Week 10.

“He’s like the UPS driver,” Cowherd said about McCarthy. “I don’t know who he is, but they always deliver on time. The package is never screwed up. I love the delivery system. I don’t know if the UPS driver is any good. Seems like a nice guy.

“So it just felt a lot like the Michigan J.J. McCarthy, which is I love the coach at Michigan and the tight end and the defense. And that’s what I felt yesterday. It was fine. He was good on script, but it’s not a script league.”

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Why Kirk Herbstreit is bullish on the McCarthy-led Vikings
J.J. McCarthy may not have blown people away with his numbers on Sunday, but — in leading the Vikings to an upset win over the Lions — he did provide a spark of hope that this season can be competitive. With the Vikings now residing just a game-and-a-half back of the top spot in the NFC North, it’s not just fans who are thinking the second half of the season could get interesting.

“You look at the pieces they have around him, yeah I do,” said ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit on Thursday when asked whether the Vikings could go on a run with McCarthy at the helm.

Speaking on The Pat McAfee Show, Herbstreit said he expects McCarthy will “get better every single week” and that he thinks we’re “just seeing the beginning” of what the 22-year-old QB can do in Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell’s system.
…
“I’m still bullish on what I think he’s going to do. I think it has as much to do with the system,” continued Herbstreit. “The guy hasn’t played a lot of football. You think about the injuries, really, this year hasn’t been able to practice a whole lot to be able to get the timing, the rhythm down. So, to me, what you’re seeing right now is just glimpses, and eventually, through more weeks, and more reps, and more opportunities, I think you’re going to start seeing the timing get better and better.”
…
“The game’s slowing down for him. But you can see how the team responds to him. I think that’s the thing… when he was playing in Ann Arbor, it wasn’t just him executing, it was how… you can just see, whether it’s a lineman, receivers, everybody is naturally drawn to him,” Herbstreit continued. “I think it’s because he has a very selfless approach, and I think that goes over big in the locker room when you play that position.”
…
“I think each week, they’re going to become a bigger story, as we get into December and January,” said Herbstreit.

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Week 10 Vikings score predictions for battle with Lamar Jackson, Ravens
Will Ragatz: Ravens 27, Vikings 20
As fun as it would be to pick the Vikings, I can’t quite bring myself to do it. Jackson is 24-3 against NFC teams in his career, including an OT win over the Vikings in 2021. He’s arguably the best pure passer in the league right now, in addition to being the greatest rushing quarterback in NFL history. The Ravens also happen to have a guy named Derrick Henry. So for as well as the Vikings’ defense played in Detroit, this is a massive challenge.

On the other side of the ball, I need to see more from J.J. McCarthy before I fully buy in. His upside is obvious, but he struggled with accuracy and decision-making and overall production after Minnesota’s scripted early drives in Detroit. Three starts into his career, he hasn’t thrown for 160 yards in a game yet. The Vikings absolutely can win this game if McCarthy plays well, but I would need a little more proof of concept in order to predict a win over a hungry Ravens team.

Joe Nelson: Vikings 34, Ravens 27
Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry are scary, but the bigger deal about the 2025 Ravens is their lousy defense. According to PFF, the Ravens rank 26th in overall defense, which takes into account the 27th-ranked run defense and the 29th-ranked pass rush. If J.J. McCarthy was able to go on the road and lead three touchdown drives against a Detroit defense that has a top-five PFF run defense and pass rush, then he should be able to have a big game at home against Baltimore. I’m sure Lamar and King Henry will keep things close, but I’m taking the Vikings at home.

Tony Liebert: Vikings 31, Ravens 26
Jonathan Harrison: Vikings 24, Ravens 21

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The Vikings Aren’t “In The Hunt” If They Can’t Compete With A Team Like Baltimore

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Amid 16 different lineup combinations, a Vikings position group gets a big shoutout
“Adversity over the course of an NFL season, it’s going to hit at some point,” O’Connell told Tice. “I’ve been a part of a team that won the Super Bowl and we didn’t win a game in the month of November, and went through some real adversity, trying times, and really had to stay together and stay the course.”

Tice applauded Minnesota’s resolve and then gave O’Connell a chance to put the offensive line in the spotlight for successfully navigating injuries.

“At one point, I don’t know where the track is right now of keeping score, but I think at one point we were up to 16 different O-line combinations,” O’Connell said. “As you know, coaching the position and being around that room, so much of it is about chemistry. So much of it is about pre-snap and post-snap communication. Understanding how the guy next to you plays.

“The original intent was to fortify and strengthen the interior of our offensive line with two veteran players at center and right guard that we signed in Ryan Kelly and Will Fries, and then draft a first-round pick in Donovan Jackson, who we loved, to pair those guys with Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill. We have yet to see that group in its entirety together, but Ryan Kelly’s doing well, and hope to see him back sooner rather than later.”
…
In all, the Vikings have used 10 offensive linemen because of so many injuries. Here’s a player-by-player breakdown of the injury adversity Minnesota has had to navigate.

Christian Darrisaw: Played in 6 of 8 games, but missed the fourth quarter of one game and left in the first quarter of another.
Donovan Jackson: Missed two games after undergoing wrist surgery
Ryan Kelly: Missed five of eight games due to multiple concussions
Will Fries: Only starter to play in all eight games
Brian O’Neill: Missed two games with an MCL sprain to his right knee
Justin Skule: Made four starts and played in seven of eight games
Blake Brandel: Played left tackle, left guard, and center, including one start at left guard and four starts at center
Michael Jurgens: Played in four games, including one start at center
Walter Rouse: Played 88 snaps in four games as an injury replacement at left and right tackle
Joe Huber: Undrafted rookie started at left guard in Week 5

All of that was happening with McCarthy out for six weeks (five games) with an ankle injury, forcing backup quarterback Carson Wentz to step into the starting role. Wentz also played through significant pain from a nasty shoulder injury that will result in season-ending surgery.

“I think that dynamic with the O-line will only continue to gel more and more and more, the more snaps that they get together,” O’Connell said. “[Offensive line coach Chris Kuper’s] done a great job, and under these circumstances, this is where you’re fortunate to have a guy with not only coaching experience doing it, but personal experience to be able to tap into to help these guys go play.”

Kuper played eight years in the NFL, all with the Broncos. He started 79 of 90 games in his career, and his last two seasons, in 2012 and 2013, were with Peyton Manning at quarterback. Manning won the MVP award in 2013 as the Broncos reached the Super Bowl, where they were blown out by the Seahawks. But that experience playing with Manning no doubt helps Kuper when he’s coaching the O-line with a young quarterback behind them.

As the offensive line continues to gel, O’Connell wants to see the rest of his team clean up their act.

“I’m still waiting for our most complete game yet of the season, where there’s no let-up, there’s very limited mental errors, limited penalties, no turnovers, and we just play clean football,” O’Connell said. “Now, at this point in the season, I’d like to take a look at what that looks like and see where we end up on a day like that.”

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Andrew Van Ginkel’s return has Blake Cashman, Vikings D breathing easier
Vikings starting linebacker Blake Cashman, in a Friday appearance on Good Morning Football, said he loved getting Pro Bowl edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel back against Detroit.

“He adds a little calmness to our defense,” said Cashman. “It makes my job a lot easier.”

Outside of eight snaps in the Vikings’ blowout win over the Bengals in Week 3, Van Ginkel has been out since the team’s Week 1 win over Chicago while he recovered from a neck injury. In his return on Sunday, Van Ginkel registered three total tackles, one for a loss, and one QB hit, helping the Vikings turn in one of their best rush defense performances of the year.
…
“We just have such great appreciation for him, because I don’t think he gets enough credit for just how smart of a football player he is. His football IQ is at an all-time high level. He adds a lot of value in what he sees and his communication,” Cashman said. “So, we’re a better football team with him out there.”

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Kyler Murray rumor is intriguing news for Minnesota Vikings, Pittsburgh Steelers
Thanks to the current situation, ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that Murray and the Cardinals are expected to have a discussion about his future with the team after this season.

Adding to that, Schefter is hearing that, when it’s all said and done, Murray and the Cardinals separating is the most likely outcome.

The Cardinals must decide by this offseason whether to try to trade Murray, release him, or opt to pay another $19.5 million in guaranteed money that becomes due on the fifth day of the new league year in mid-March.

The Cardinals and Murray are expected to have extensive discussions to help determine whether to move forward together or go their own ways. Many sources believe the latter is the likely outcome, with one source saying this week that “a separation is imminent.”

While Murray has indeed struggled this season, he’s still an above-average starter, at worst, in the NFL.

He will almost certainly draw interest if he’s made available via trade. We would not count on the Cardinals cutting him, though, as doing so would incur a much bigger dead-cap hit.

That said, two teams that could have interest are the Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings, both of whom have an uncertain future under center.

Note: Slow news day apparently.

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College Football Today​

12 p.m. | No. 5 Georgia at Mississippi State | ESPN
Christen Miller | Georgia | DL3T | 6’4″ | 305 | RJR
C.J. Allen | Georgia | OLB | 6’1″ | 235 | JR
Daylen Everette | Georgia | CB | 6’1″ | 190 | SR
Raylen Wilson | Georgia | OLB | 6’1″ | 235 | JR
Zachariah Branch | Georgia | WR | 5’10” | 175 | JR
Daniel Harris | Georgia | CB | 6’2″ | 195 | JR
Oscar Delp | Georgia | TE | 6’5″ | 245 | SR
Earnest Greene III | Georgia | OT | 6’4″ | 320 | RJR
Lawson Luckie | Georgia | TE | 6’3″ | 240 | JR
Monroe Freeling | Georgia | OT | 6’6″ | 315 | JR
Colbie Young | Georgia | WR | 6’3″ | 215 | RSR
Drew Bobo | Georgia | OC | 6’5″ | 305 | RJR
Noah Thomas | Georgia | WR | 6’5″ | 200 | SR
Brett Thorson | Georgia | P | 6’2″ | 235 | SR
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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12 p.m. | No. 7 BYU at No. 8 Texas Tech | ABC
Chase Roberts | BYU | WR | 6’4″ | 210 | RSR
Keanu Tanuvasa | BYU | DL3T | 6’3″ | 300 | RJR
Isaiah Glasker | BYU | EDGE | 6’4″ | 235 | RJR
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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12 p.m. | No. 2 Indiana at Penn State | 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
Dani Dennis-Sutton | Penn State | EDGE | 6’4″ | 266 | SR
Drew Allar | Penn State | QB | 6’5″ | 235 | SR
A.J. Harris | Penn State | CB | 6’1″ | 193 | JR
Olaivavega Ioane | Penn State | OG | 6’3″ | 348 | RJR
Kaytron Allen | Penn State | RB | 5’10” | 220 | SR
Zane Durant | Penn State | DL3T | 6’1″ | 288 | SR
Nick Singleton | Penn State | RB | 6’0″ | 226 | SR
Amare Campbell | Penn State | ILB | 6’0″ | 230 | JR
Nick Dawkins | Penn State | OC | 6’3″ | 298 | RSR
Zakee Wheatley | Penn State | S | 6’2″ | 198 | RSR
Nolan Rucci | Penn State | OT | 6’7″ | 308 | RSR
Drew Shelton | Penn State | OT | 6’5″ | 307 | SR

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3:30 p.m. | No. 9 Oregon at No. 20 Iowa | CBS
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
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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3:30 p.m. | No. 3 Texas A&M at No. 22 Missouri | ABC
Cashius Howell | Texas A&M | EDGE | 6’4″ | 245 | RSR
Kevin Concepcion | Texas A&M | WR | 5’11” | 187 | JR
Taurean York | Texas A&M | ILB | 5’11” | 235 | JR
Ar’Maj Reed-Adams | Texas A&M | OG | 6’5″ | 330 | RSR
Chase Bisontis | Texas A&M | OG | 6’5″ | 320 | JR
Le’Veon Moss | Texas A&M | RB | 5’11” | 215 | SR
Albert Regis | Texas A&M | DL3T | 6’1″ | 310 | RSR
Will Lee III | Texas A&M | CB | 6’2″ | 190 | RSR
Trey Zuhn III | Texas A&M | OT | 6’6″ | 315 | RSR
Tyreek Chappell | Texas A&M | CBN | 5’10” | 185 | RSR
D.J. Hicks | Texas A&M | DL3T | 6’3″ | 295 | JR
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

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4 p.m. | Auburn at No. 16 Vanderbilt | SEC Network
Keldric Faulk | Auburn | DL5T | 6’5″ | 288 | JR
Connor Lew | Auburn | OC | 6’3″ | 302 | JR
Eric Singleton Jr. | Auburn | WRS | 5’10” | 190 | JR
Jeremiah Cobb | Auburn | RB | 5’10” | 196 | JR
Xavier Chaplin | Auburn | OT | 6’6″ | 338 | RJR
Eli Stowers | Vanderbilt | TE | 6’4″ | 235 | RSR
Diego Pavia | Vanderbilt | QB | 6’0″ | 207 | RSR

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7:30 p.m. | LSU at No. 4 Alabama | ABC
Mansoor Delane | LSU | CB | 6’1″ | 187 | SR
Garrett Nussmeier | LSU | QB | 6’2″ | 200 | RSR
Harold Perkins Jr. | LSU | OLB | 6’1″ | 225 | SR
Aaron Anderson | LSU | WRS | 5’8″ | 187 | RJR
Whit Weeks | LSU | ILB | 6’2″ | 228 | JR
Patrick Payton | LSU | EDGE | 6’5″ | 250 | RSR
Josh Thompson | LSU | OG | 6’5″ | 301 | RSR
A.J. Haulcy | LSU | S | 5’11” | 222 | SR
Barion Brown | LSU | WR | 6’1″ | 182 | SR
Nic Anderson | LSU | WR | 6’4″ | 216 | RJR
L.T. Overton | Alabama | DL5T | 6’4″ | 283 | SR
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

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Yore Mock​

Trade Partner: Rams
Sent: Pick 15
Received: Pick 27, Pick 58, 2027 LAR 3rd
…

Pick 27. Sonny Styles LB Ohio State 6’4″ 235
Pick 47. A’Mauri Washington DT Oregon 6’3″ 330
Pick 58. Chris Johnson CB San Diego State 6’0″ 195
Pick 79. Zakee Wheatley S Penn State 6’2″ 198
Pick 97. Jonah Coleman RB Washington 5’9″ 229
Pick 155. Zion Young EDGE Missouri 6’5″ 265
Pick 225. Keionte Scott S Miami (FL) 5’11” 192
Pick 229. Pat Coogan OC Indiana 6’5″ 310
Pick 230. Tanner Koziol TE Houston 6’6″ 237
Pick 233. McKale Boley OT Virginia 6’4″ 302

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