ESPN Analyst Points Out Red Flags for the 2023 Vikings
Josh Frey
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It is tough to know exactly what to expect from any NFL franchise on a year-to-year basis. Variables such as injury luck and outcomes of “coin-flip” one-possession games can either make or break a season.
Particularly for a team like the Minnesota Vikings, that in many ways came out of nowhere to go 13-4 in 2022, there is some uncertainty as to whether or not they can repeat that level of regular season success.
On Tuesday morning, ESPN analyst Bill Barnwell posted an article detailing five red flags for the 2023 Vikings as well as, ironically enough, the New York Giants, who defeated Minnesota in the Wild Card round of the playoffs last season. Those red flags are broken down into five categories:
- Relying on fourth-quarter wins
- Relying on wins in close games
- Relying on avoiding takeaways
- “The Plexiglass Principle”
- Their defenses weren’t around for the ride
As Barnwell admits, the red flags of ‘The Plexiglass Principle” and avoiding takeaways are much more of a Giants red flag than a Vikings red flag, considering Kirk Cousins threw a career-high 14 interceptions last season, third-most in the NFL. Meanwhile, Daniel Jones’ total of five was a career-low, and nearly half his annual average from his first three NFL seasons.
However, the others are very pertinent for the Vikings this season. Minnesota spent virtually the entire 2022 season forcing fans to sweat out games as they made fourth-quarter comebacks (a league-high eight), and 11 of their 13 wins were by one possession. Maintaining that luck year-over-year is very unlikely, so the Vikings will have to win in a much more convincing fashion this year in order to remain successful.
That could end up being a tough ask considering the Vikings have a first-place schedule in 2023, including games against each of the four the teams that represented the AFC and NFC during Conference Championship weekend.
Then there is the question of whether or not the Vikings defense can find their way out of the league’s basement this season. Last year, Minnesota made the playoffs despite allowing 25.1 points per game, but the easiest way to win in a more convincing fashion this year will for Brian Flores’ defense to take some of the weight off the offense.
Overall, there certainly is a path for the Vikings to replicate their success from 2022. However, they certainly need to overcome some of the problems that have plagued other teams trying to be more than “one-hit wonders” in the NFL.
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.