Vikings ’22

The Minnesota Vikings’ miraculous 2022 season was brought to a merciful close by the New York Giants last Sunday. The 31-24 loss was a respectable score to bow out with, and it saved the Vikings from being utterly humiliated in the next round. Maybe they wouldn’t have lost as badly as the Giants did to the Eagles (38-7), because they would have played the 49ers instead, but it wouldn’t have been pretty. Of the Vikings’ 13 regular-season wins, 11 were by one score or less and almost all of them could have as easily been losses. They were consistently outgained on offense and ended the season giving up more points than they scored. The fact that they won so many games–especially over the Bills and the Giants–was an undeserved pleasure. Early in the season they managed to face a string of backup quarterbacks, which helped, and the schedule was soft. Next year, because they won their division, their schedule will be much tougher, and it is not impossible that their record will go from 13-4 to 4-13.

For as long as I can remember, the Vikings have not had an offensive line that can protect their quarterback. I watch other teams, not just Tom Brady’s, and I see quarterbacks scanning the field before picking out a target to throw to. The Vikings qb has to throw on first look or he’s dead. I’m not a huge fan of Kirk Cousins (more later), but I have to give him credit on two accounts. One, he is as accurate a passer as there is in the game. Second, he is amazingly durable. Almost every other NFL team lost its quarterback to injury at some point in the season; Cousins started and finished every game, despite the porous line in front of him. It’s to Cousins’s credit that Justin Jefferson was able to lead the league in receptions and receiving yards, and T.J. Hockenson set team records for a tight end. Adding to the degree of difficulty was the Vikings’ weak running game, which often left Cousins with difficult third-and-long situations.

The knock against Cousins is two-fold. He is immobile, a style that has gone out of fashion in the era of Jalen Hurts, Justin Fields, Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, even Daniel Jones. The next rap is epitomized by his final pass of the season, when, faced with a do-or-die fourth and 8, he threw a 3-yard checkdown pass to Hockenson, effectively ending the game. Bad decision-making, or lack of courage in the clutch was the criticism that came with him from his time in Washington. Not throwing the ball downfield in that situation was inexplicable and inexcusable, especially with Jefferson angling over the middle, regardless of how he was covered. It used to be, “he can’t win on Monday Night Football,” or “he can’t win on national television,” or “he can’t win the big one.” Well, he did pretty darn well in most of those games this year; so it was disappointing, and a little disheartening, to see him regress at the very end.

The Vikings’ big problem this year, however, wasn’t their quarterback or even the outmanned offensive line. It was their defense, statistically the worst (or almost the worst) in the NFL.  They were pretty good, or lucky, in the red zone, but opposing teams had very little trouble marching down the field to get there. Their consistent four-man pass rush never got to the quarterback; any sacks they had were the result of the quarterback holding the ball forever or scrambling. For some reason, they rarely blitzed. Nor was their run defense notable. The defensive backs never played man-to-man and their zone seemed designed to allow completions up to 15 yards in the middle. Maybe they were slow, as the critics complained, or maybe their coverage was too predictable or just too loose. In any event, it is hard to think of a player on defense that I am excited about having come back next year.

And where will the help for next year come from? I believe they have only four draft picks, which doesn’t begin to cover their needs: e.g., offensive linemen, defensive backs, pass rushers, and a quarterback-in-training. They will have to cut at least four of their veterans for salary-cap purposes. And not only will they need new starters: the toll of injuries on every team has shown the need for depth at almost every position. For the Twins, hope springs eternal. For the Vikings, I fear a coming drought.