Vikings To Exceed Expectations?
After a tumultuous offseason with many changes, the Minnesota Vikings are in a strange position. Entering the 2024 campaign, the Vikings will have a new starting quarterback after spending six years with Kirk Cousins, and that single move drastically lowered the expectations. But there’s more to a team than just the signal-caller.
Vikings To Exceed Expectations?
Last year, the Vikings had a horrendous start to the season, losing the first three contests. When Justin Jefferson, the franchise’s top player, got hurt in the fifth game and the record showed a poor 1-4, folks started to think about tanking. Trading away Cousins and looking ahead to the draft suddenly made sense. A few weeks later, the organization was back in the mix after winning three straight games, including a primetime matchup versus the San Francisco 49ers.
As the team was just starting to enter some contender conversations, Kirk Cousins got hurt. His season-ending injury changed everything. Joshua Dobbs revived some of the hope for a couple of weeks, but his magic run flamed out, and the campaign ended with a 7-10 record.
Six months later, the new roster is ready to begin training camp and the preparations for the upcoming season. There have been many changes, including the departures of Cousins and star defender Danielle Hunter. On the flip side, rookies J.J. McCarthy and Dallas Turner arrived, and so did free-agent additions Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Sam Darnold.
By losing some of the best players, including the quarterback, and acquiring some promising guys, it is fair to rank the unit somewhere in the middle of the league. There are undoubtedly worse teams, but nobody can give a team with Darnold or a rookie under center a chance to make a playoff run. Most oddsmakers placed the predicted win total at seven, which would repeat last year’s results.
Cody Benjamin, CBS Sports, chose Kevin O’Connell’s operation as the team that can exceed expectations:
The Minnesota Vikings may not have a clear-cut quarterback for the 2024 season, or at least a confirmed plan for both Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy, but the talent level around them under Kevin O’Connell is top-notch. Throw in Brian Flores’ defense, which has a potentially deeper pass rush, and this club could muddy up an NFC North race between the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers.
Cody Benjamin, CBS Sports
His first point, the quarterback mystery, is a big reason for the lowered public opinion. Cousins didn’t enter the elite tier in his tenure with the Vikings, but his consistently solid play provided Minnesota a high floor. He was a big reason why the Vikings didn’t draft in the top ten in his time with the organization.
Darnold is expected to start in Week 1. There’s a chance that he can reach some untapped potential in his first season as a starter with good surroundings. Neither the Jets nor the Panthers helped him by providing him with a reasonable supporting cast and coaching staff.
The Vikings employ Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison on the outside, and the offensive line offers some protection. Aaron Jones and Ty Chandler are an excellent bet to be more dynamic than last year’s running back room. Guided by O’Connell, the offense should still be decent unless the QB play is a disaster.
On defense, Hunter’s exit will hurt the group, but Greenard, Van Ginkel, and Turner might upgrade the pass rush. The young cornerbacks are more experienced than a year ago, and Shaquill Griffin was added to the rotation. In addition to the personnel changes, Brian Flores can be even more creative in his second year in the system.
It’s hard to knock Vegas’ underwhelming prediction because of the unknowns, but there’s potential for a surprisingly good season. Benjamin mentioned that the Vikings could challenge the Lions and Packers, who returned most of their groups from last year. That seems a little too optimistic, though.
Minnesota’s first opportunity to prove the doubters wrong will come in Week 1, a road game against the New York Giants.
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