The Minnesota Vikings defeated the Chicago Bears in Week 1, getting a needed road divisional win. But the way they got that win isn’t sustainable, says Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report.
Gagnon believes that even though “the Bears were somewhat forgiving”, tougher opponents later in the season will squash the Vikings if they continue to get off to slow starts.
Was it just jitters for a prime-time opener and J.J. McCarthy’s first career start under center for the Vikings? Or was it a sign of a potentially problematic trend? We don’t have an answer to that yet, but Minnesota’s awfully slow start Monday night against the Bears is worth acknowledging as a potential issue.
As much fun as it was to watch the Vikings overcome a 17-6 deficit to win 27-24, it’s hard to argue with Gagnon. He does wonder if the slow start was due to first-game jitters from McCarthy. But some teams have habits of getting off to slow starts and never overcoming it (see the Bears not scoring an opening-drive touchdown in 2024).
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Hopefully, within the cozy confines of U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday, McCarthy can operate the offense more smoothly. If he can do that and help the Vikings build a lead, then they may get back to the fast starts that helped them get to a 14-3 record last year.
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: What is the Vikings biggest problem heading into Week 2?