4 Things Need to Happen for the Vikings to Turn Their Season Around
The Minnesota Vikings have dug themselves into an 0-3 hole to begin the year.
Last Sunday, Minnesota fell to the Chargers, 28-24, and now, they are hoping to avoid an 0-4 record when they take on the Carolina Panthers this weekend.
The Vikings still have a chance to turn this season around, but there are major improvements on both sides of the ball that are needed. Here are 4 things that need to happen for the Vikings to get back on the right track toward contention.
Kirk Cousins Must Get the Ball Out Faster
When looking at many of the offensive line metrics, the Vikings actually rank among the top-5 teams in terms of pass blocking almost across the board. However, Kirk Cousins has still been hit the most out of any QB in the league, and his 8 sacks are tied for 10th-most in the league.
So, what gives? Well, part of this anomaly probably lies in the fact that Cousins has attempted the most passes in the NFL. If you throw more often, you’re bound to get hit more often.
In addition, though, Cousins needs to get the ball out a bit faster in order to avoid pressure. NFL Next Gen Stats has him with the 12th-longest time to throw in the league at 2.89 seconds. The majority of the quarterbacks that take longer to throw are rookies (C.J. Stroud, Bryce Young) and mobile QBs who can buy time by rolling out of the pocket (Jalen Hurts, Justin Fields, Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson).
If Cousins can get the ball out just a touch quicker moving forward, that will limit drive-changing sacks and keep his uniform clean more regularly.
More Balanced Offense
Another way to limit hits to Cousins is by utilizing a more effective ground game. The Vikings did a better job of running the ball in Week 3 against the Chargers, but overall, this has remained a very pass-heavy group.
Minnesota ranks 1st in pass attempts and 32nd in carries through three weeks. This not only puts more pressure on Cousins and the rest of the passing game, but it makes the Vikings offense very predictable for opponents.
Especially against upcoming opponents like the Chiefs and 49ers, the Vikings will need to apply some sort of pressure on opposing defenses with the running game. Hopefully, the addition of Cam Akers to the backfield helps with that mission.
Silly Turnovers Can’t Happen
The Vikings have the most turnovers in the league with 9 through the first three weeks. They have also only forced two turnovers defensively, giving them a -7 differential, tied with the Las Vegas Raiders for the worst in the league.
In each game, there have been glaring turnovers that completely shifted the momentum. In Week 1, it was Cousins’ goal-line interception. Week 2 was Justin Jefferson’s fumble that went out of bounds in the end zone. And of course, Week 3 was Cousins’ interception at the end of the game.
Turnovers were a bit of a problem for the Vikings last year, with 23 giveaways, but they balanced it out by forcing 25 turnovers defensively. Minnesota hasn’t gotten the turnover luck with their defense so far, and as such, they need to limit turnovers on offense as much as possible.
Pass-Rush by Committee
A problem outside of turnovers for Minnesota’s defense has been the pass rush. Danielle Hunter is on an island right now, recording five of the Vikings six total sacks for the year.
Part of the problem here has been the absence of Marcus Davenport, who has played only four snaps all season while dealing with an ankle injury. However, neither Pat Jones or D.J. Wonnum have been able to pick up the slack. Dean Lowry doesn’t have a single pressure to his name, either.
Especially with Minnesota facing off against rookie QB Bryce Young this weekend, they need to find ways to put pressure on him. If given a clean pocket throughout the game, Young is plenty capable of hitting receivers on a consistent basis. The pass-rushers must show up moving forward.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.