Vikings have a path to a successful season despite facing loaded competition
The Minnesota Vikings have a tough assignment this year in the NFC North. This division appears to be at or near the top of the NFL food chain for the 2024 season, and the Vikings appear to be looking up at all three of their divisional opponents.
The Detroit Lions are coming off a strong 2023 season that saw them win two playoff games before suffering a close defeat to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game. The Lions have never been to the Super Bowl but they appear to have their best chance of making it to the title game this season.
The Green Bay Packers found their stride in the final month of the regular season and a late-season surge helped them make the playoffs. Jordan Love gained confidence every step of the way and he led the Packers to a memorable playoff triumph over the Dallas Cowboys.
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The Chicago Bears appear to have an excellent chance at turning things around this season. No. 1 draft pick Caleb Williams looks like a dynamic quarterback prospect and the receiving trio of D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen and rookie Rome Odunze looks formidable.
Vikings have a number of concerning issues
The Vikings have more questions than their rivals. Quarterback Sam Darnold is being asked to take over as the team's on-field leader. While he has some level of talent and has had a number of good games throughout his career, consistency has been an issue.
The running game has been a disappointment the last two years and the Vikings are hoping that former Packer Aaron Jones can give them a lift. The 1-2 punch at wide receiver looks strong with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, but the depth at the position could be an issue.
The Vikings are counting on a defense that appears to have found its legs under defensive coordinator Brian Flores. Rookie edge rusher Dallas Turner has a quick first step and newcomer Jonathan Greenard could help the defense make up for the loss of Danielle Hunter. The former Vikings pass rush specialist signed a free-agent deal with the Houston Texans.
Sam Darnold proves he is up to the task for the Vikings
The new Vikings quarterback has six NFL seasons under his belt, and he has the requisite experience to line up under center, read the defense correctly and make the appropriate play. He is a talented performer, but he has not shown he can string strong performances together.
That could change this year because he will be working with Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell. Darnold will soon realize that O'Connell has one of the best offensive minds in the NFL and he also has a quarterback's view of the game since he played the position himself. Darnold will be able to consult with O'Connell on a regular basis and this should prove quite beneficial.
Darnold will also get to throw to Jefferson and Addison, and these two are likely to form the strongest wide receiver duo in the league. Jefferson is hungry to a put a 2,000-yard season on the board, and he has a chance if he can stay healthy. The highest paid wide receiver in the league caught 68 passes for 1,074 yards and 5 touchdowns despite missing seven games with a hamstring injury in 2023.
Addison was explosive as a rookie, catching 70-911-10 as he was pushed into a prominent role by the Jefferson injury. Jalen Nailor looks like a solid No. 3 wideout, but he has to demonstrate his consistency.
RB Aaron Jones gives the Vikings a solid ground game
The running game has let the Vikings down each of the last two seasons. O'Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah are bound and determined to make sure that is not the case in 2024.
Dalvin Cook was one of the best running backs in the NFL through the 2021 season, but he had too many negative plays in 2022 for O'Connell's liking and a change was made. The Vikings parted company with Cook and turned the running game over to Alexander Mattison, who had been one of the best backup running backs in the league.
However, Mattison did not demonstrate big-play ability in the starter's role and the Vikings brought in Jones in the offseason to take over.
In addition to signing the running back away from the Packers, the Vikings are getting a playerwho combines power with explosiveness. His 2023 season was troubled by injuries, but he was a game-changing player in the postseason.
Jones had 118 rushing yards and 3 TDs vs. the Cowboys in the Wild Card win for the Packers. He also had 108 yards in 17 carries in the divisional playoff loss to the 49ers.
The Vikings are counting on Jones to provide enough skill in the running game to take much of the pressure off of Darnold. Look for Jones to easily eclipse 1,100 rushing yards and eight touchdowns.
Flores and the defense must continue its improvement
The Vikings demonstrated significant improvement on defense last year. While they won the division title in 2022, they finished 31st in yards allowed. Flores was hired after that, and the defense improved as the Vikings ranked 16th in yards allowed.
Minnesota was in playoff contention through the first 15 weeks of the season despite playing with a substandard offense because the defense was aggressive and effective. The Vikings had a top-10 defense after a 3-0 shutout of the Las Vegas Raiders in early December, but their status slipped in the final four games of the season.
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The defense has changed quite a bit. The Vikings have added Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel and Blake Cashman through free agency and they drafted Turner. They signed cornerback Stephon Gilmore during the summer, and their coverage unit appears much improved.
The belief here is that Flores has the versatile players he needs to allow the Vikings defense to work towards dominance. After skirting with a top-10 showing last season, they have the talent to get there in 2024.
Vikings can rise above last-place predictions
Moving on from Kirk Cousins is clearly a risky move for the Vikings. He is one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the NFL and he was quite popular in the locker room.
The Vikings had high hopes that first-round draft pick J.J. McCarthy would be able to show what he could do at the quarterback position, but a torn meniscus in the first preseason game of the year will keep him from playing as a rookie.
The Vikings are confident that Darnold will be able to perform well as the team's QB1, but they are not expecting him to turn into an All-Pro. They want to make sure he gets support from the running game and the defense.
If both of those areas come through, the Vikings could have an outside chance at a winning season and a spot in the playoffs.
