He hasn't been perfect, but I love this pass. Across the body? I guess. Barely. I just love the Mahomesian athleticism of this throw. 

Apparently it hasn't been all wine and roses at training camp. I'm not going to get too alarmed over this because 1, defenses are always ahead of offenses this early in camp. And 2, this promises to be a very good Brian Flores defense.

Once the pads came on, however, McCarthy and the entire Vikings offense have struggled to move the ball. During one eight-play sequence of starters versus starters, the offense gained positive yards only once.

Working against a defense that has unleashed its full arsenal of blitzes and coverage disguises, McCarthy's accuracy has been inconsistent, particularly in the red zone. He has led receivers out of bounds and thrown high to a number of open targets running along the back line.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/4587...-jefferson

Dianna Russini
@DMRussini
BREAKING: The Micah Parsons-Cowboys relationship has deteriorated to the point where the star pass rusher is considering drastic measures which could include a trade request or even a declaration that he is severing his relationship with the team, per multiple league sources familiar with the situation.

The two sides remain far apart heading into the second week of training camp, and are not currently negotiating.

ESPN ranks best coaching staffs.  Who's number 1?  The Minnesota Vikings

1. Minnesota Vikings
Head coach: Kevin O'Connell
Offensive coordinator: Wes Phillips
Defensive coordinator: Brian Flores
2024 ranking: 10

When I ranked the Vikings in this exercise last season, I sang the praises of Flores, the defensive coordinator who had done the most with the least in 2023. But I wondered if O'Connell, another branch off the Shanahan-McVay tree, could innovate and evolve beyond the tried-and-true system he had run with Kirk Cousins to that point. What could he offer a younger quarterback in need of development?

The answer: a whole lot! Not necessarily to the quarterback we expected, as Sam Darnold started the entire season in J.J. McCarthy's absence -- but what a season it was. O'Connell's mastery is in opening intermediate and downfield passing windows. Darnold had more passing attempts at least 10 yards downfield than any other quarterback, and NFL Next Gen Stats charted those targets with an average separation of 2.7 yards -- fifth highest in the league.

O'Connell has easily leaped into that utmost echelon of offensive designers, and Flores remains the cream of the defensive crop. There are always little things to wonder about -- scheming for a rookie is different from scheming for a veteran, even if that veteran had never been successful elsewhere -- but there is no doubt that O'Connell & Co. elevate players more than any other coaching staff in football.

Entire list:  https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/4585...ordinators

The Purple Persuasion
@TPPSkol
·
18h
According to
@Andrew_Krammer
Vikings Christian Darrisaw is expected to progress to 11 on 11s later this week. A big step for the star LT.

“And then O’Neal had mentioned to me yesterday that that Christian Darrisaw will progress to that point by the end of this week. So, they should have their entire offensive line together by at least Friday. And so that’s a good sign for McCarthy and for this offense in general.”

Hall of Fame game today. Induction on Saturday. It's good to see him get his recognition (although he still should have the single season sack record).  Well earned.

Every sack with the Vikings:

I made a prediction a couple months ago that Rypien would make the final roster. Some found it hard to believe the Vikings would keep a 29 year old career backup as QB3 over a developmental youngster like Brosmer. They wouldn't. I think Brosmer's got QB3 sewn up. Rypien isn't in a battle for QB3; he's in a battle for QB2. And I think there's a chance he wins and Howell is out. 

Sounds like I'm no longer the only one who thinks this. The Athletic's Alec Lewis picked Rypien over Howell in his latest roster prediction. Either way, based on nothing but tea leaves and what I know about Howell, I think the competition is closer than people think. I also think there's a chance the Vikings QB2 is not on the roster yet. 

Lewis on Howell: 
The best way to sum up Howell’s performance is a beat too slow. Without the post-practice film, it’s impossible to assess each rep accurately. Is Howell taking a hitch because he’s not seeing the picture correctly, or is he waiting a split second extra because the receiver was rerouted by a cornerback? Whatever the case, it feels fair to say that Howell hasn’t consistently pulled the trigger promptly."

Not talking this board, pretty level headed here with long time fans that understand patience. But for the rest, especially the 30 and under crowd? Not so sure. New players at important positions, units that need to gel, etc. it all takes time and reps. So much micromanaging play to play online of these young podcasters/online 'reporters'/Twitter engagement guys trying to make enough money following the Vikings that they can make it their jobs. Its almost like a self contained job justification as the same dudes respond to each others 'reports'. I think the team is talented, but its going to take some time and games to get to their best level (probably can be said for most teams). They'll be inconsistent in areas like QB, the secondary and offensive line for awhile. This narrative that JJ is being plunked down into the seat of smooth, all cylinders firing F1 racing car is inaccurate as it stands right now....but they'll get there. The O-line is currently giving him zero time in practice to throw.

I'm pissing into the wind even writing this because stopping overreaction online, both good and bad, is like stopping the sun from rising. Its inevitable and constant. Yet here I am doing it anyway.....so I guess the dumb one is the guy in the mirror.

I have a feeling they are going to regret letting Parker Romo go and keeping Reichard.

https://www.vikings.com/news/mark-wilf-h...lmet-decal

In his opening comments, Wilf also mentioned two Vikings Legends and announced the team plans to wear a helmet decal this season in honor of 14-time captain Jim Marshall, who passed away June 3 at age 87.

"No player in this team's history lived the ideals of toughness, camaraderie, passion and leadership more than Jim. He was a quiet but effective leader," Wilf said. "In our minds, he's the greatest captain in NFL history, and there is no question he also belongs in the Hall of Fame for what he accomplished over his 20-year career.

"We plan to honor Jim with a helmet decal throughout the 2025 season and are working on plans to recognize him and his family during Legends Weekend when we face the Bengals in September," Wilf added.