What was your "uh-oh" moment in 2025?

[Mattyman]

I'm curious, as a Fan, when did you realize the 2025 Vikings weren't gonna be as good as you'd hoped? 

When did ya get the feeling in your gut that said, "Uh-oh" this isn't gonna work nearly as well as you'd hoped?

The moment you  figured out, JJ wasn't be as good as  advertised ?

FWIW The Vikings played lights out in 2000,Culpepper's first  year as a starter.   it was  a precedent of what was possible. 

With Free Agency spending , the roster,    there were semi realistic high expectations  in 2025.


For me it was in Preseason, when the starters didn't play much.
A rookie QB who'd sat out an entire year ,playing behind a replaced IOL , and a new IDL in Flores system that all  got limited reps....?  


Denny Green got it right when his teams  played full out in preseason and it worked.

The practice of sitting starters in preseason was predicated on a veteran unit returning in tact, where they'd demonstrated they didn't need the reps. That's not what is happening now. These units and players are unproven due to Free Agency yet everyone sits out most of Preseason....


What's the upside to resting starters only for them to show up  week 1 looking off and out of sorts where they  needed more reps..Isn't that the purpose of Preseason?

[pattersaur]

I'm curious, as a Fan, when did you realize the 2025 Vikings weren't gonna be as good as you'd hoped? 

When did ya get the feeling in your gut that said, "Uh-oh" this isn't gonna work nearly as well as you'd hoped?

The moment you  figured out, JJ wasn't be as good as  advertised ?

FWIW The Vikings played lights out in 2000,Culpepper's first  year as a starter.   it was  a precedent of what was possible. 

With Free Agency spending , the roster,    there were semi realistic high expectations  in 2025.


For me it was in Preseason, when the starters didn't play much.
A rookie QB who'd sat out an entire year ,playing behind a replaced IOL , and a new IDL in Flores system that all  got limited reps....?  


Denny Green got it right when his teams  played full out in preseason and it worked.

The practice of sitting starters in preseason was predicated on a veteran unit returning in tact, where they'd demonstrated they didn't need the reps. That's not what is happening now. These units and players are unproven due to Free Agency yet everyone sits out most of Preseason....


What's the upside to resting starters only for them to show up  week 1 looking off and out of sorts where they  needed more reps..Isn't that the purpose of Preseason?

We lost in Green Bay and McCarthy and the offense looked completely pathetic. Then, like a day later when I had almost kind of mentally moved on, we found out McCarthy was injured again. The following days that felt like months listening to fans convince themselves Brosmer was Brady was a dark time

[AGRforever]

153 yards in the season opener against a not so great Bears secondary. I guess at that point I realized the kid wasn’t the messiah.

[Vikesrock]

I expected him to stink for a while in the beginning. He had no live NFL game experience. I never really uh-ohh'd until the Vikings were ruled out of the playoffs. I figured McCarthy would continue as he got more playing time, but he kept getting injured. I believe we did see him improve, but then hurt again..

[RS_Express]

When we lost to Atlanta with Cashman and AVG already out and McCarthy getting the high ankle sprain. I knew right there this was going to be one of those MASH unit seasons. Whenever we got one guy back, somebody else went out.

[savannahskol]

We lost in Green Bay and McCarthy and the offense looked completely pathetic. Then, like a day later when I had almost kind of mentally moved on, we found out McCarthy was injured again. The following days that felt like months listening to fans convince themselves Brosmer was Brady was a dark time

Yes.  I think that’s when StickierB wandered out to sea, lol.
Isn’t that when we were wondering if it was a soft benching? Had to eat a lot of shit from Packer fans after that one.

[Knucklehead]

I can't point to a specific game, but when I realized that KOC was too stubborn to modify his offense to make it easier for an inexperienced QB & also unwilling to run the ball more, that's when I knew that it was going to be a long season.

[StickierBuns]

I think JJ's worst game of the year was when I went 'Oh fudge'. And then the non-stop injuries to the QBs and the offensive line got SO old.

[IceRatz16]

153 yards in the season opener against a not so great Bears secondary. I guess at that point I realized the kid wasn’t the messiah.

Then your expectations were unrealistic and have no business being involved with a team developing a QB.


Funny how your stat of his total yardage was the nail in the coffin, but you fail to remember the following:


1) McCarthy won the game, on the road, against an NFC foe (turns out the team that won the division), and in Primetime in his first NFL start
2) McCarthy became the first Vikings quarterback to account for two or more touchdowns in his debut since Tarkenton did in 1961
3) McCarthy was the first player in NFL history to account for three touchdowns in the fourth quarter of his debut
4) McCarthy was the first to throw two touchdown passes of at least 10 yards and rush for a touchdown of at least 10 yards in the fourth quarter


To the original post, I'd say Atlanta's game as well.  It was a debacle for the o line, McCarthy's injury on a "hip-drop" tackle, and KO looked like he was playing the Rams/Lions with Darnold at the helm allowing his QB to get ransacked and the defense looked soft and out of place without a couple key players.


We all need to remember that the NFC North was a very difficult division in '25 again and we lost out of the playoffs because of one play against the second Bears' game.  If we make the playoffs, what happens?  Does McCarthy play and turn into the winner he always has been and win a game under KO?  We won't ever know...