Vikings Podcast: Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde, & The Baker Beatdown
K. Joudry
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Another day, another Vikings podcast.
Minnesota put forth an uninspiring effort on Sunday, leading to their demise against the Baker Mayfield Buccaneers. Not a good look for Kevin O’Connell’s crew heading into Year 2 of the K/O & Kwesi experience. In the latest episode of Notes from the North, a humble Vikings podcast, Sizzlin’ Sam and I assess where the blame rests, the most discouraging parts of the contest, and what’s in store against Philly.
Vikings Podcast: 09.11.2023
Losing to Baker Mayfield and Tampa Bay is, in a word, discouraging. One could argue that it was a case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde for the former 1st overall selection. After a poor opening half, Mayfield heated up, leading his side to the victory in the latter half of the game.
Fresh off an impressive 13-win season, Minnesota entered Week 1 with a clear mandate: undercut all of the doubters by decisively laying claim to a top spot in the NFC North and, indeed, the NFC more broadly. Instead of living up to that lofty ideal, the Vikings decided to get in bed with unforced errors.
Brian Flores had his side of the ball ready to roll. Unfortunately, the other coordinators can’t say the same thing. Matt Daniels’ crew did a poor job in the contest, committing a costly penalty that directly led to a Buccaneers touchdown alongside a jumbled mess before a Tampa field goal, resulting in a burned timeout. Daniels will have a lot to work on for his side.
Meanwhile, O’Connell and Wes Phillips have much to work on with their side of the ball. For all the talk of continuity, the offensive line continued to struggle. A year after stepping on Kirk Cousins’ foot to cause a self-sack, the Vikings’ RG went a step further by causing a strip/sack (of sorts). Not a great day at the office for the sophomore, a concerning reality given that Phillips just praised his progress before the game.
When Cousins wasn’t getting suplexed by Tampa defenders, the running game failed to take off, Justin Jefferson was curiously quiet in the 2nd half, and the highly-paid TE was tasked with catching more tiny passes. So, a lot to work on even after some positives (most notably from Jefferson, Oliver, and Addison).
Next up are the Eagles of Philadelphia, a team that’s far superior to the Minnesota Vikings. Unless something wild happens, the Vikings will begin their season with an 0-2 record. Listen in to the podcast to see where there could be some small sliver of hope.
Folks who are into Vikings podcasts or think they’d like to get into Vikings podcasts should feel free to give Notes from the North a shot. Hop over to iTunes, Spotify, or Podbean. My understanding is that you don’t need an account at these spots. Just press play and enjoy the pod.
Enjoy the listening, Vikings fan.
K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and as a co-host for Notes from the North, a humble Vikings podcast.