All is right with the Minnesota Vikings after two games. They are a perfect 2-0, having defeated the New York Giants in the season opener and the defending NFC Champion San Francisco 49ers in Week 2.
Beating the Giants in the opener was not a huge achievement because New York was coming off a 5-12 season and expectations for the team were quite minimal coming into the season. However, the 23-17 win over the Niners did not appear to be a likely development. San Francisco has superior talent and many predict that they will represent the NFC in the Super Bowl once again and possibly bring home the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
The Vikings are feeling good as they prepare for the Houston Texans in Week 3, but it is still early in the season. Head coach Kevin O'Connell's team had every right to feel good about itself after the Week 2 win, but there is no reason to think that this team has accomplished anything. The Vikings are still in a prove-it mode for a number of reasons.
NFC North appears to be formidable for Vikings
Start off with the fact that they play in the NFC North. This division is considered one of the strongest in the NFL, as the defending champion Detroit Lions have legitimate Super Bowl aspirations of their own.
The Green Bay Packers have a legitimate star quarterback in Jordan Love and have the talent to chase down the Lions. The Chicago Bears appear to be far more skilled than they have been in years with No. 1 draft pick Caleb Williams at quarterback and stars like D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen at wide receiver along with rookie Rome Odunze.
The Vikings sit in first place with a one-game lead over all three division rivals, but there is a lot of work to be done.
Sam Darnold appears to be a good match for O'Connell's offense and defensive newcomers Blake Cashman, Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard fit in well with Brian Flores' defensive scheme. Darnold must show he can string good games together, while the defensive personnel must continue to grow.
Overreaction #1
Darnold is ready to become an elite quarterback
Sam Darnold has done an excellent job in his first two games for the Vikings as he is completing 72 percent of his passes. That's a notable number, and the fact that he has been able to throw for 476 yards and 4 touchdowns with just 2 interceptions is also quite notable.
One of those touchdowns was a 97-yard catch and run to All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson. It's a great sign when Darnold can connect on a huge play with the team's best player and one of the top offensive performers in the NFL.
The signs are there for Darnold to give the Vikings competent play at the quarterback position this year. Vikings fans know that the team suffered badly last year after Kirk Cousins went down with an Achilles injury midway through the season because the replacement quarterbacks were substandard. The Minnesota offense lost its efficiency and much of its big-play ability after Cousins went down.
The Vikings drafted J.J. McCarthy to become their quarterback of the future and perhaps this year's QB1, but he went down with a torn meniscus after the first preseason game. That meant the position clearly belonged to Darnold.
The quarterback's track record has not been stellar. The Vikings are his fourth team and while he has had good games from time to time, he has rarely been able to string them together.
That's what O'Connell, his teammates and Vikings fans would like to see from this point and there is much to prove in the 2024 season.
Overreaction #2
Vikings defense is already dominant
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Two years ago, the Vikings won the NFC North with the 31st-ranked defense in yards allowed. After they were drummed out of the playoffs with a Wild Card loss at home to the Giants, the Vikings brought in Brian Flores to repair the defense.
Flores got results as the defense improved to 16th in that category. During the offseason, the Vikings lost edge rusher Danielle Hunter (16.5 sacks) to the Texans in free agency. However, they signed Blake Cashman, Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard and drafted pass-rush specialist Dallas Turner.
The early returns have been spectacular. It's one thing to slow down Daniel Jones and the Giants, but it's quite another to hold Brock Purdy and the 49ers to 17 points. Cashman had a spectacular game against San Francisco with 13 tackles, 3 passes defensed and 1.0 sack.
The Vikings rank 3rd in points allowed after two games, as they are giving up just 11.5 per game. They also have registered 11 sacks.
However, a two-game surge does not prove the Vikings have a dominant defense. They have challenging games coming up against the Texans, Packers, Jets and Lions. If they can continue on their current pace, the description of dominant may be appropriate. But it is not yet.
