The Vikings’ Mishaps and Missteps Inspire a Bizarre Form of Hope
The Vikings’ mishaps were on full display for most of the Monday Night Football game in Week 1.
Standing out above all others, of course, were the early foibles from J.J. McCarthy, someone who didn’t appear ready to take over at QB1. Meanwhile, the defense was playing well even if Caleb Williams was showing off why he got snagged at No. 1 in the 2024 NFL Draft. All of the missed tackles — grabbing thin air instead of a midsection — when trying to take down Chicago’s quarterback should be inspiring optimism.
The Vikings’ Mishaps & The Curious Upside that Follows
Circle around to the top photo. Caleb Williams is feeling good in that moment. Can you blame him?
Behind the talented quarterback are Andrew Van Ginkel (a Pro Bowl edge rusher who finished at 7th in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2024), Byron Murphy Jr. (a Pro Bowl corner who is working under a beefy three-year extension), and Dwight McGlothern (a long and speedy UDFA corner operating in his second season). Plenty of excellent Vikings defenders witnessed Williams elude them on MNF; the Road Runner was constantly getting away from Wile E. Coyote no matter the number of anvils, pianos, or sticks of dynamite.
So, where’s the upside? Simply in the reality of forcing Caleb Williams to run so commonly. Check out one instance:
Obviously, a lot of credit needs to get kicked over to Caleb Williams. He’s incredible. Just note that Minnesota’s rebuilt defensive front — one that has received ample talent infusions in consecutive offseasons — got the best of Chicago’s rebuilt offensive line on many occasions.
Jonathan Allen is a tremendous leader and player, someone who came to town largely due to the beefy three-year contract that’s coming in at a total of $51 million. He missed some tackles on Sunday, seeing Williams elude his grasp more often than he would care to admit. The upside is that he generated 6 pressures.
Meanwhile, Javon Hargrave — who is signed for a pair of seasons for $30 million — generated 7 pressures. The two marquee additions for the defense put up 13 combined pressures. If they were to continue that rate of production on a weekly basis (not likely), the Vikings’ defense would be extremely dangerous.
In a sense, getting into the backfield with such consistency is similar to a baseball player fouling a fastball straight back. The hitter just missed the ball. Keep taking swings like that one and eventually there’s going to be a connection with some power.
In like manner, Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave should seek to replicate their level of pass-rush disruption. Not every passer is as stubbornly elusive as Caleb Williams. As early as Week 2, there’s going to be a passer who can’t do what Williams does. Allen and Hargrave could then turn some of those frustrating failures into extra-base hits.
Further building a sense of optimism for what the defensive line can accomplish are the moments of optimism currently residing in the games of Levi Drake Rodriguez, Jalen Redmond, and Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins.
Oh, and another thing. The night wasn’t a complete shutout for Brian Flores’ defense. There were a pair of sacks, both courtesy of Javon Hargrave (so quick firing off the line of scrimmage). Even better is that there were 6 tackles for loss.
The Vikings are hosting the Falcons on Sunday Night Football for Week 2. Don’t be surprised if there’s a sack explosion as Michael Penix struggles to replicate what Caleb Williams could do.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:20 p.m. CT.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, PFF, and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
