3 Lessons the Vikings Can Learn from Their Division Rivals
Josh Frey
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The Minnesota Vikings finished their 2023 season with a disappointing 7-10, tying with the Chicago Bears for the worst record in their division.
In fact, the Vikings were the only team in the NFC North to take a step back this past season. While Minnesota won six fewer games this season than they did in 2022, Chicago, Detroit, and Green Bay all improved their records this season. As we head into the offseason, there are lessons that the Vikings can learn from these division rivals prior to the 2024 season.
1. Unconventional Drafting Is Not Bad Drafting
The Detroit Lions were the butt of a lot of jokes this spring for some of their decisions early on in the NFL Draft. With the 12th and 18th overall selections, the Lions went in a direction that infuriated analytical minds by selecting RB Jahmyr Gibbs and LB Jack Campbell. Then, they followed up that first round by selecting TE Sam LaPorta and S Brian Branch in the second round.
While these aren’t necessarily premium positions, the Lions found ways to get excellent production from all four of these players in 2023. Gibbs totaled 1261 yards from scrimmage for Detroit in the regular season and was a vital piece of their offense when David Montgomery missed time due to injury. Meanwhile, LaPorta put together 10 receiving TDs at the tight end spot, tying with Vikings WR Justin Jefferson for the most receiving touchdowns by a rookie.
The Vikings have a number of needs heading into the offseason, and they may need to get a bit creative in this spring’s draft in order to help fill them all. Admittedly, their first-round selection should probably be used on a premium position like QB or EDGE, but they could very well take positions like DT, LB, or RB in the second round.
2. Patience
This is the year for the Vikings to steal the QB development blueprint of the Green Bay Packers. They should be in the market to find their QB of the future, and we shouldn’t overreact too quickly if the QB does not play in 2024 or plays poorly in a couple games.
Jordan Love, of course, was selected in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, and he had to wait until his third NFL season to get his first chance as a starter. Even when Love finally got on the field, it looked ugly for the first-year starter at times. Over his first six starts of the season, the Packers QB surpassed 250 passing yards just once and threw for 10 TDs compared to seven interceptions.
Love absolutely caught fire down the stretch of the season, though, helping the Packers secure a playoff spot. Over the final five games of the season, he surpassed 250 passing yards on four separate occasions while throwing for 12 touchdowns without a single interception.
Following Kirk Cousins’ injury, the Vikings went through a wild roller coaster ride at the QB position, shuffling between Josh Dobbs, Jaren Hall, and Nick Mullens. Every time one of them showed a sign of weakness, Kevin O’Connell opted to go in a different direction. The Vikings will need to learn some patience with whoever their next QB ends up being.
3. Balance Is Key
Once again, the Vikings were one of the most pass-heavy offenses in the NFL while their rushing offense never truly found any consistency. They attempted the fourth-most passes in the league while totaling the fifth-fewest carries among all teams.
Ironically, the other 7-10 team in the division, the Chicago Bears, were the exact inverse of Minnesota. They totaled the second-most carries in the NFL while tying for the fifth-fewest pass attempts.
At the top of the division, the Lions and Packers were much more balanced in terms of their passing and rushing attacks. Detroit had the seventh-most carries and ninth-most passing attempts while Green Bay totaled the 15th-most pass attempts and the 22nd-most carries.
Balance in any offensive attack is key to keeping opposing defenses guessing, and the Vikings will need to get much better in this area in 2024 if they want to get back into playoff contention.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Reference.
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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.