6 Quick Reactions: Vikings vs. Bears
The Minnesota Vikings entered the season without any expectations to compete for a Super Bowl. After 14 games, however, the 12-2 club can’t hide anymore; those expectations have arrived. The playoff berth was clinched on Sunday, and the final three games of the season decide whether the Vikings will be crowned Kings of the North and potentially home-field advantage throughout the postseason.
6 Quick Reactions: Vikings vs. Bears
The scoreboard showed a 30-12 score, and the Vikings swept their division rivals.
1. Flawed Passing Game
The passing attack was lethal against Kirk Cousins’ Falcons in the previous week, but Sam Darnold missed a handful of throws against the Bears. In addition to that, Justin Jefferson showed that he is still human by dropping a likely touchdown near the endzone.
At the end of the day, Darnold completed 24 of 40 passes for 231 yards, one touchdown, and one interception against one of the better secondaries in the NFL. Jefferson and wingmen Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson all recorded more than 50 receiving yards, and the QB also found Aaron Jones, Brandon Powell, Trent Sherfield, and Jalen Nailor at least once.
2. Don’t Be Nervous; The First-Rounder Is Fine
Some folks started to voice concerns after his first half of the season with barely any playing time buried on the depth chart, and there was some chatter about Gabriel Murphy playing more snaps than the first-rounder against the Falcons.
But Dallas Turner is still on schedule to become the talented sack master Vikings fans hoped for. On Monday, he played 49% of the defensive snaps, and he registered one sack and three tackles. His closing speed is otherworldly, and he’s getting better and better weekly. Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard are the only two reasons for any lack of playing time.
3. Will the Thrill Is Back
Another rookie out of Alabama, kicker Will Reichard, missed four games because of a quad injury. He returned last week and hit the uprights on a field goal attempt. On Monday, Reichard made all three field goals (including one from 52 yards) and all three extra points.
For the season, Reichard has hit all 32 extra points and 17 of 20 field goals with a season-long of 58 yards. History suggests that drafting a kicker is a mistake because the undrafted kickers are just as good, but Reichard has been a wonderful draft choice, and GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah not relying on analytics has paid off so far.
4. Protect Brian O’Neill at All Costs
Longtime Vikings right tackle Brian O’Neill might be in the best season of his career, and that’s saying something. He departed from the game in the first half but returned. Later, he missed a couple of drives because his knee was evaluated, and he had to get a knee brace.
The quality of a good offensive lineman is often displayed when they aren’t there anymore, and when O’Neill was not in the game, the offensive line looked overmatched from left to right. Star tackle Christian Darrisaw is already lost for the season. O’Neill is the one lineman who the Vikings can’t afford to lose because he is irreplaceable.
5. Annoying Penalties
It’s the NFL in the year of 2024. The officials keep calling more and more penalties, and Monday’s contest wasn’t any different. Both teams combined for 19 accepted flags for 149 yards (the Vikings had ten penalties for 56 yards).
The occasional holding and pass interference calls are almost impossible to prevent, but things like defensive offside or illegal shift/formation on offense need to be cleaned up immediately. Extending opposing drives and putting the offense in poor positions is not a winning formula.
6. Vikings Control Their Destiny
Win out and likely clinch the first seed of the NFC playoff picture (the Eagles could still get ahead of the Vikings depending on the strength-of-victory tiebreaker, which is unlikely but not impossible).
Kevin O’Connell’s team will play the Seahawks and the Lions on the road and the Packers at home in Week 17. Detroit’s loss against the Bills opened the door for the Vikings to reclaim the NFC North after a one-year absence from the throne.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt