The Vikings Are on The Cusp of Something Special
The 2024 season contains plenty of uncertainty, but the future looks bright for the Minnesota Vikings.
Kevin O’Connell deserves a ton of credit. So does Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
At long last, the defense has a strong vision and they’re committed to bringing it to fruition. Aggressive and confusing, Brian Flores’ defense has proven to be capable of beating up on the NFL’s lousy and middle-of-the-road passers. Andrew Van Ginkel, Jonathan Greenard, Blake Cashman, Ivan Pace Jr., and Josh Metellus have all been excellent and all will be coming back.
Yes, Jared Goff and Matthew Stafford got the better of Minnesota, but by how much? Lately, constraining the Lions to 31 points feels like a win. Overcoming that team may involve the defense keeping Detroit in the low-30s as the offense marches out to a higher total. Otherwise, a win may not be possible.
On special teams, things are cruising along. The PAT miss from John Parker Romo may have sent some shivers down purple spines, but he bounced back to put together a solid day at the office. Can’t ask for much more than that, folks. If Will Reichard gets back to full health, the special teams may be cooking with gas.
Finally, there’s the offense, which should be Minnesota’s bread and butter given the presence of Coach O’Connell and #18. True, there has been some humdrum running lately, but the group is still 10th in the NFL by averaging 24.4 points per game. Next up is the 7th-ranked defense in the NFL in the Chicago game, so another tricky test awaits (especially since it’s on the road).
But while all of these details point toward success in the here and now, the Vikings are better positioned for success in 2025 and beyond. Indeed, the future looks to be bright, largely because of what’s to come following the season.
The Upside Ahead
Start off with the finances. Mr. Adofo-Mensah is going to have the chance to lure some serious talent over to Minnesota in the 2025 offseason.
The word on Over the Cap is that the Vikings will have roughly $74 million — a number that’s always changing — so Adofo-Mensah is going to have the ability to get his elbows up and box out competitors while going up for the rebound.
Getting more precise will involve kicking things over to Jason Fitzgerald, the mastermind behind OTC. A recent tweet says that a more accurate number is $65.1 million in open room for the Vikings in 2025, a number that sits at 6th in the NFL at the time of the post.
The wild thing, of course, is that the GM will have all kinds of options to clear out more cap room. Maybe well-paid veterans like Brian O’Neill, Jonathan Greenard, and/or Justin Jefferson see some money shuffling take place. Maybe excellent players like Josh Metellus, Josh Oliver, and/or Andrew Van Ginkel see extensions tacked onto their final season, thereby lowering the ‘25 hit in the process.
Adofo-Mensah has proven to be a good GM when it comes to signing free-agent talent. Does the streak continue now that he has more money than ever to work with going into 2025? Imagine what this team could do if holes get patched up at defensive tackle, corner, and along the interior o-line.
Looking Ahead in 2024 & 2025
What if J.J. McCarthy is the real deal?
Now, simply nailing the QB spot isn’t the only part of putting together a successful team. The most important spot? Yes, unquestionably, but not the only spot. Joe Burrow is a beast and his Bengals are struggling. Justin Herbert has been great for several years but the Chargers haven’t been. Brock Purdy is a really good quarterback but his 49ers are a mediocre 5-5.
The point, folks, is simply that a passer can’t do it all even if a passer can do a lot. Let’s assume, for the sake of argument, the Mr. McCarthy can do a lot. Heck, we could even assume that Mr. Darnold returns in 2025. Stranger things have happened. The QB position would be sitting in a fine spot.
Even better would be if the draft picks and UDFAs start living up to their potential. Yes, there have been some successes — Ivan Pace Jr., Jordan Addison, Will Reichard — but Minnesota needs more. Much more. What happens if things start to click for several of the young guys?
Mekhi Blackmon, for instance, could become a strong CB2/3. Does Levi Drake Rodriguez turn into an option at DT? Anyone who follows my writing at PurplePTSD knows that I’m a believer in Jalen Redmond. Maybe Dallas Turner lives up to the hype and turns into a wrecking ball coming off the edge. Jay Ward could see an increased role at safety, Michael Jurgens could reinforce the iOL, and Walter Rouse may step into the swing tackle role.
And let’s not forget the potential in the 2025 Draft.
Minnesota should have a 1st, a 3rd, and two 5ths. Almost certainly, some pick shuffling will take place before it’s all said and done, but the point remains that that is where things will begin. Can Minnesota pickup some rookies who make an instant difference à la the Detroit Lions, a team that has been elite at drafting in recent seasons?
Yes, that’s the element that’s missing: getting a huge edge from a draft class. Think back to the legendary 2015 group that kicked over corner Trae Waynes, linebacker Eric Kendricks, edge rusher Danielle Hunter, and wide receiver Stefon Diggs. No GM can have that kind of draft every year, but getting one every so often is a major, major boost. At this rate, Adofo-Mensah is due for that kind of home-run draft.
Admittedly, there is plenty that would need to go right for the Vikings to become a juggernaut. McCarthy needs to hit, the defense can hopefully retain Brian Flores, free agency will need to shore up the DT & CB spots, and the draft must kick over some help.
Consider, though, what’s taking place right now. The QB spot isn’t ideal, the drafts haven’t led to many contributors, and there are roster holes. Even with all of that being true in 2024 the Vikings are sitting on an 8-2 record. Just imagine what’s possible if O’Connell’s and Adofo-Mensah’s vision successfully takes the next step in the upcoming offseason. The 2025 Vikings could be an excellent, excellent football team.
Until then, enjoy the ride, especially since the future is looking bright.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
Odds & Ends
Vikings at Bears Prediction
Soldier Field tends to be a spot where Vikings go to die. That’s overly dramatic. Maybe just play bad football?
Minnesota began the season with five straight wins. There was then a bye. Since that bye, there have been a pair of losses (Lions & Rams, as we discussed earlier) and then three relatively ugly wins. Does the current win streak extend to four? Does Minnesota have another ugly win in them? Right now, I think not. Give me the Bears.
Final Score: Bears 18 — Vikings 14
Season Prediction Record: 8-2
Dad Joke of the Week
Going back to a pair of familiar joke participants. Consider the pair below:
“I’m thinking about cancelling my gym membership, likely going to submit my too-weak notice.” — thejoudry
“Bacon and Eggs walk into a bar. The bartender says, “sorry we don’t serve breakfast here.” — TheSkolHop
Vikings Tidbits and Thoughts
Great football often involves seeing a strength versus a strength. To that end, keep an eye on Chicago’s CB1 Jaylon Johnson and Minnesota’s WR1 Justin Jefferson.
Aaron Jones has been modest lately. The Vikings need him to be explosive and efficient if the season is going to end successfully. Is he getting overworked? After all, he’ll soon be 30 and is carrying a heavy workload.
Brian Flores absolutely deserves to be a head coach. There’s no way there are 32 coaches who are better qualified to lead an NFL team. If he does get hired, the Vikings will experience a major loss.
Andrew Van Ginkel has seen some chatter about being in the running for Defensive Player of the Year. Consider the stats: 46 tackles, 8 sacks, 12 QB hits, 13 tackles for loss, 3 passes defended, 2 interceptions, 2 touchdowns, 1 forced fumble. Just a monster.
Watch for #61 on Sunday.
In Chicago, target Jordan Addison over and over again. Doing so will help the offense, especially if Josh Oliver can’t go. Give Justin Jefferson help by reminding the defense that the other receiver happens to be a low-end WR1.
Links for the Dinks:
Vikings Playmaker Picks Up an Injury Just as He Has Been Hitting his Groove: Josh Oliver has always been excellent at blocking (at least in his time with the Vikings). More recently, Oliver has gotten involved in the passing game. Hopefully, the ankle injury ends up being relatively minor.
Veteran Viking Sees Playing Time Slip as Young DT Makes His Case for More Snaps: Jalen Redmond — the guy can play. Even better is that he can play at a major position of need: the 3-technique spot. Give the young guy more snaps.
Aaron Rodgers to the Vikings Gets Ignited Online: Collectively, Vikings fans seem to have a singular response: please no.
Thanks for reading and take care of yourself.