Can the Vikings fix their slow starts?

The Vikings usually open games on fire, like they were shot out of a cannon. After that they leave much to be desired. In their last six contests the Vikings are averaging just 11.1 points in the first half. This includes a week eleven blunder that saw them put up zero points in the first two quarters. In their last three games they rank fifteenth with 11.3points in the first half. A big problem they are seeing regularly is that they are not winning the time of possession battle often. Minnesota is ranked twenty-sixth in the NFL for that stat in the second quarter and nineteenth in the first. 

So how do the Vikings fix this, it’s clear they have been a second half team this season, but getting off to a slow start in this part of the season will leave you watching the playoffs from your couch. Obviously Adam Thielen is a big part of the offense, and his absence can explain the inconsistency from the offense. All love to Bisi Johnson, but you can’t replace how well Thielen works the middle and is open almost every play. Besides the Vikings star wide receiver, the team has been lacking in a few areas lately.

Tight end Kyle Rudolph has come alive as of late, but most of his work has come inside the red zone. He and Irv Smith Jr could help in the early downs with some designed plays. They are also only averaging seventy-right rushing yards per game in the last three games, and the screens passes have not been working as well. Against the Chargers who currently have the twenty-first ranked run defense and the thirtieth ranked tackle efficiency per Pro Football Focus,  expect the Vikings to get back to what won seven out of their last nine game

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