Top-10 Disappointments of the 3-4 Minnesota Vikings (So Far)

Top-10 Disappointments of the 3-4 Minnesota Vikings (So Far)

What’s going on, Jeromes? So, no one told you life was going to be this way. So, the three and four start uh was certainly not what the Vikings were envisioning uh starting the season where he just felt so good about things where uh the Vikings double triple down in the trenches developing JJ McCarthy building a FU offensive line, a great run game, weapons all over the place as well as defense. we after that ass just a pass rush uh covering up a secondary and everything was gonna be good to go but it just hasn’t worked out so far. All right, but injuries everything nonsense but still early. The Vikings aren’t dead. They’re three and four. They’re not one and six. All right, so uh but here are tan 10 disappointments for the Vikings so far this season. Number one, Okano Flores. Right. So, we even said it first couple games with McCarthy where just didn’t like the play calling s sort of babying McCarthy the run pass punt thing and also you do have to throw in run game coordinator Curtis Matkins running back coach as well like the run games ever since Okonnell’s got here and Mkins got here in 2022 haven’t been very good haven’t been very consistent right and Flores the defense cannot stop the run or the pass but other than and we’re really really good. Right. And also the Vikings offense this year. They’re 27th in the league on third down only one-third of the time as well as their 20th in red zone, one for six, notably against the Eagles. And it’s just it should become a joke and a meme at this point, which I do not care for, right? And trust them to turn things around. I mean, they’re great coaches. I’ve done great things here in the great state of Minnesota before and trust that they will again. But it’s also so I feel like there’s a pretty thick line of just hating on and criticizing just to hate on and criticize, but more of we have higher expectations and you are not meeting those expectations or standards. That’s where we’re at right now with basically the entire team, right? Uh next number two, the handling of Christian Darasaw and Brian O’Neal. So O’Neal actually has left knee pain after playing all 69 snaps nice against the Eagles uh because of his his right sprained MCL he’s come back from and they miss the short week uh Thursday night game against San Diego or Los Angeles whatever they’re moving back to San Diego now would O’Neal have been able to play on Sunday DBD doesn’t really matter and the the whole I get the idea of hey we need to strap it up and get ready to go because our season is on the line. But if you’re putting players in a spot where they’re not 100% and with a high like likeliness of backsliding and reinjury, it’s not great. Also with Darasaw, you know, getting pulled with pitch count from the Browns game, I’m starting to think that he didn’t feel right towards the end of the Browns game, right? And co Connell was kind of doing uh cover for him. And Darasaw is one of the best left tackles in the game. He he hasn’t played a full healthy season at any point in his NFL career and you want him to be at his best. And it was clear Thursday night he was not at his best. So either you’re healthy or you’re not. And the idea of pulling him after two two uh two series, it’s ridiculous. So then you had Walter Rouse and you had School going from right tackle to left tackle and it’s just it’s just a mess, right? Uh so you have two cornerstone pieces of the offensive line. The offensive line has been a mess all season and I I do not like the way that the medical staff Chris Cooper, Kevin McConnell are handling things right now. Next up, number three, Kevin McConnell working with the quarterbacks. Besides basically sacrificing uh Carson Wentz to to the god to the football gods, just letting him get beat to hell. you know, the first two weeks of babying JJ McCarthy outside the fourth quarter against the Bears, letting him throw. You know, Carson Wentz, you not not catering to the offensive line or the reality of things that are going on. Not catering to his strengths either. Carson Wentz is not your think long, think wrong type quarterback. He is. He is uh you know, not playing Brosmer at all in a spot where Carson Wentz clearly was not fit for duty. He was not I just said duty. he was not going to be able to get the Vikings back into the Chargers game. And the whole notion of while I was trying to protect Max Bromer from a bad offensive line, you literally have a player who’s injured in Carson Wentz, right? And you have a quick release quarterback with Bromer. Plus, things aren’t always going to be sunshine and rainbows. So, getting a couple of reps under duress might not be a bad thing, right? And when McCarthy comes back, just let the kids sling the pill, man. Uh because not everything’s going to be per perfect. The offensive line might be back. might not be right and just let him get after it. Next up, number four, Harrison Smith and Damon. So, they were supposed to be accent pieces, you know, and Harrison Smith has you worked his way back into full fitness and full duty on the back end just said duty again. And Harrison has just shown that he’s a step slow on everything, right? Things that used to be a PBU no longer are. Things that used to be an interception no longer are. And especially against the Chargers, like the middle of the field was wide open all day. And that’s part Harrison, that’s part Theo Jackson, that’s part Matelis. And then they got Thelen. So the was brought aboard just to basically bridge the three-game absence of Addison, right? And also Naylor’s playing out of his mind as well. Uh but the fact that the only has five catches of 47 yards on 12 targets. Yes. All five were first downs. Also had a couple of notable drops. Yeah. Yeah. Uh, next up, number five, Hawinson. So, I realize that Hawinson has been asked to chip a lot more, right? And is going to be asked to chip a lot more when Josh Oliver dinged up. But with Hawinson, he’s second on the team of catches at 27. He’s second on the team of targets 36, but only 222 receiving yards and a touchdown. And it just seems like you want more, especially with Wentz under duress, especially with JJ McCarthy early on without Addison. Hawinson has just not been Hawinson, you know, and I think it is a watershed moment where, you know, Hawinson’s under contract for a couple more years. There’s no more guaranteed money. I I could easily see the Vikings moving on this off season, whether a cut cut or a trade or a pay cut and using allocating that cap to pay Addison, which frankly I think they should. Next up, number six, the offense, the O line and O line accessories. So, we have not seen a single down of the planned first team offensive line. Ryan Kelly’s been out. Donovan Jackson missed three games because of surgery. Of course, we know about O’Neal and Darasaw. As well as they’ve allowed 28 sacks, a 42.3% pressure rate. They can get u a a decent run game going the last couple games. It’s just been just been a mess. And that does come down to coaching because you see around the league where the other offensive lines have these injuries. is they’re on their second and third string guys and they’re able to form a coherent unit. We have not seen that outside of parts of the Browns game. So, offensive line coach Chris Cooper should be cruising for a bruising. Number seven, Hargra and Allen so far. So, Harg Grave and Allen getting those huge premium contracts. Uh Jonathan Allen getting 51 million bucks. Of course, they’re basically one-year deals, but in terms of allocation of cap and capital, it just hasn’t been good so far. looked really good week one uh because they they combined for two sacks, both of them from Harrave and 13 pressures and you’re like, “All right, here we go.” But then the rest of the way they only have one and a half sacks as well as only 18 pressures uh over the subsequent six games. So it just hasn’t been there and frankly the best defensive lineman during this season has been um Jaylen Redmond, right? So just frustrating, you know, free agency swings and misses, you know, Quay deserves a little bit of heat as well. Uh but also the players just hammering checks. Yeah. And the pass rush besides Grenard and and Jay Red. So their top two impressions. Grard is out here playing his ass off. uh Jaylen Redmond’s coming a star before our eyes, but everyone else and also Diamond Delos turn has been especially disappointing because not only is he not getting consistent pressure on the quarterback, uh he he had that late hit against Herbert, uh as well as he’s he’s being washed out against the run, he doesn’t have that size yet to be able to hold strong. And with Andrew Vankel out, he’s been starting right and he hasn’t done a ton with it. And they got Pace, who’s one of the best blitzing linebackers in the league, but also has missed 10 tackles. Uh been benched twice now, sort of looks like. And basically everyone else besides Grenard and Redmond. Uh Allen Hargrave, uh Cashman just got back. Uh so it’s been a mess. And not being able to consistently get to the passer and close on the passer is why the secondary is getting shredded. And the entire damn defense, man. 65 missed tackles, a 110.1 quarterback rating when thrown at. They’re 29th in the league in yards per carry, uh, and also 11 passing touchdowns allowed. Other than that, really, really good. Also, they they’ve already had their buy. And lastly, number 10, just penalties both for the offense, defense, special teams. They’re all procedural penalties, too, or a large portion of them are just low execution. Like as I said, K McConnell and Flores haven’t forgotten how to coach and they’ve had great success uh here before. So it does come down to execution and also just the vibes like there there’s not the same juice as there was last year. Now obviously having a 14- win season will will amp up the juice a little bit. Plus I don’t know let L let L let L let L let L let L let L let L let L let L C bey walk. Was that a mistake? you know, Po Pan Theo Jackson. Josh Matelis and Josh Mattelis is one of my favorite players, man. But he was just picked on last night in coverage. It was just terrible. It was just not good. And I don’t know. It just feels like last year it was about about family. It was about focus. It was about everything. This this time around, I don’t know. I don’t know, man. Uh but it still is early in the season. They still have time to to get up off the mat, figure it out. I know people talk about wanting to tank, except we’re going to be looking for nah, it’s not going to be it, man. But go out there, strap it up, strap it on, nut up, as Blake Cashman said. Let’s get after this thing, right? Because you you know you know that Las Vegas is going to be trying to make a call on that Lions game. It’s all the money coming in on Lions. But yeah, anyways, that’s it. Uh top 10 10 disappointments of the three and four Minnesota fighting Vikings this season. Let’s know your thoughts. Our thoughts comment section. You guys are the best. You know what to do. Skull production value.

Top-10 Disappointments of the 3-4 Minnesota Vikings (So Far)

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