The Specific Problem Where the Vikings Need to Hurry for a Solution
Safe to say that people are feeling good about the 2-0 start. And, to be sure, there’s good reason for optimism with the Vikings; taking down the 49ers is no joke.
The special teams and defense have been tremendous, playing excellently and allowing the offense to work through some early bumps and bruises (including to Justin Jefferson). Within all of that positive play, though, have been some issues with winning the time of possession battle. Getting the issue rectified will be paramount in being able to continue piling up wins.
The Vikings and The Time of Possession Battle
Almost always, having possession of the football means the other team can’t score.
There’s a direct correlation between running the ball well and draining the clock. The Vikings, though, have been working against that trend in these opening couple weeks. The production has been present with Aaron Jones and Ty Chandler but they’ve lost the ToP battle in both contests.
Consider how things have looked:
| Game | Vikings Rushing Yards | Average Per Carry | Time of Possession |
| Week 1 – at Giants | 111 | 4.3 | 27:34 |
| Week 2 – vs. 49ers | 146 | 6.1 | 25:12 |
Somewhat unexpectedly, the Vikings took a step forward with running the ball while taking a step back with the time of possession.
Part of what fuelled the better rushing output in Week 2 were the gains from Sam Darnold. In a couple of instances, the QB showed great poise and decision making by tucking the ball and running, showing off some wheels that some may not have realized he had. His day finished with 5 carries for 32 yards.
Meanwhile, Aaron Jones finished his day with 9 carries for 32 yards (3.6 average) while Ty Chandler scorched San Francisco with 10 carries for 82 yards (8.2). Keep in mind that the veteran RB1 also added on 5 receptions for 36 yards.
Kevin O’Connell understands the issue. In fact, the head coach brought it up in his post-game press conference.
“I know we had 7.5 yards-per-play offensively,” O’Connell notes, “but we still only had 54 plays.” He goes on to point toward some specific moments when certain drives were shorter due to the circumstances, but he still comes around to the same conclusion: “We gotta continue to grow from a ball possession standpoint.”
Add it all together and O’Connell’s words make sense. Yes, the explosiveness is to be applauded, but that somehow needs to get married with running more plays and therefore having the offense on the field for a bit longer.
Just think back to Minnesota’s clock-killing drive in the 4th quarter. How vital was it that they not only pushed the lead to 9 points — and therefore two possessions — but did so while draining the clock? San Francisco faced the near impossible task of scoring a pair of times (with no timeouts left) with only 3:30 left.
Kyle Shanahan was in that spot because O’Connell kept his offense on the field for 6:46 of the final quarter. When it counted, the Vikings held onto the football. Can they stretch that over the course of a full game?
Minnesota’s next opponent is the Houston Texans, a team that isn’t lacking for talent. C.J. Stroud is tossing the football to arguably the best collection of receiver talent in the NFL and Danielle Hunter is partnering with Will Anderson on the other side of the ball. Minnesota, in short, would do well to hold onto the football for a bit longer.
Kickoff between the Vikings and Texans is scheduled for Sunday, September 22nd at 12 p.m. CT.
5 Takeaways from Vikings vs. 49ers
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, as a co-host for Notes from the North, and as the proprietor at The Vikings Gazette, a humble Vikings Substack.