How the Minnesota Vikings Could Confuse Us All After Just 2 Weeks
In Week 1, the Vikings will take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at U.S. Bank Stadium. The game takes place at noon and will likely feature Baker Mayfield slinging the football. The Vikings could (should?) very reasonably climb to 1-0.
However, the next game is the one that creates a bit more anxiety.
The Philadelphia Eagles, fresh off their Super Bowl appearance, will host Kevin O’Connell’s team. Making matters even worse is that the game takes place on Thursday night. True, both teams need to deal with a short week, but Philadelphia at least gets the benefit of less travel during an already crunched week. And, of course, we’ll all be subject to plenty of consternation about Kirk Cousins and his (in)ability to get it done in prime time.
Our current vantage point suggests that the Vikings have a tiny chance of emerging from that game with a victory. Getting to 2-0 would be a wonderful outcome but 1-1 is clearly the likeliest result.
What happens, though, if the team stumbles in the opening game? Plenty of average QBs turned into absolute studs when they had the chance to play the Vikings’ 2022 defense. If the 2023 defense isn’t as improved as fans hope, maybe Mayfield starts off his career in Tampa resembling the all-time great whom he’s been tasked with replacing.
Falling to 0-2 isn’t the death knell for a season but it’s far from desirable, especially with the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears making improvements to their teams during the offseason.
Yes, the Vikings could find themselves in an unenviable position in a hurry if they don’t (at the very least) split their opening pair of contests. Overcoming the Bucs seems like the safest bet, but let’s not forget the team we’re discussing. Have the Vikings ever been constrained by what they should be able to accomplish? The seasoned Vikings fan will know the answer.
Convincing Vikings fans that disappointment could arrive as early as Week 1 won’t be particularly difficult. What would be far less persuasive is forecasting a win over the Eagles on the road and on TNF.
Of course, Minnesota is hardly predictable. Climbing to 13 wins in 2023 is an outcome few saw coming. Flopping in the opening round of the playoffs to Daniel Jones and the New York Giants was simply another reminder that the team regularly falls flat and that they consistently defy expectations (both in a positive and negative manner).
In the end, the goal really needs to enter their Week 3 game against the Chargers (Eric Kendricks!) with at least 1 win on the books. The best guess rests in insisting that the game against the Pirates from Tampa Bay will be that ever-important win, but the Vikings could surprise us all by flipping the script.
Indeed, a Week 1 loss and Week 2 win would leave everyone involved with plenty of uncertainty about how the 2023 season will unfold.
