Concerns

JJ as The man and that is it. This team has solid talent and is well coached.

If JJ is average we win 10 games.

I’m mostly worried about injuries/not being recovered from injuries. I think we’ve got a lot of talent at the starting positions if everyone is healthy. I think we have subpar depth at OLine most notably. I’ll worry about Darrisaw coming back until I see him on the field for a bit. I think his timeline is pretty typical for modern ACLs, but it’s still an ACL. A lot of the studs we brought in are old and coming off injuries. I just hope they stay healthy. Still not stoked about our CBs. I feel like there’s a lot of hope in our CB room.

I’m not worried about JJM. He’s just a wild card at this point. He’s a known unknown and we’ll go as far as he takes us. I think he should be competent for us. While I’m feeling closer to the optimum outlook, I don’t have it in me to raise my expectations to those levels. I’ll be extremely disappointed if he outright busts or is heavily affected by injuries.

Outside of the great unknown in JJ McCarthy, my biggest concern going into training camp was that Will Fries wasn't going to be worth the $88M we paid him. He earned that contract based on a small 5-game sample size.

I was also concerned that Donovan Jackson could struggle as a rookie, as many rookie OLs do. It happens. The tackle the Packers took in the 1st round two years ago, Jordan Morgan, struggled his rookie season and isn't even listed as a starter this year.

However, from what I've been able to see, both Fries and Jackson have looked decent in camp. Concerns are still there, but I feel better about both positions.

I still have concerns with our depth at running back and a little nagging concern about our kicker, who wasn't particularly accurate in camp before going 6 for 6 in the scrimmage. I actually like our secondary to be better this year than it was last.

By far, my biggest concern remains JJ McCarthy. Less about his arm talent and more about his ability to deal with pressure. I think if you look at every 1st round QB who busted in the NFL, their biggest problem was almost always their poise (or lack of it) under pressure. JJ handled pressure well in the Raiders game last year. The recent scrimmage, not so much.

My concerns are the same as always, plus:

Yes, all of the hopes/concerns for JJM are very real for anyone paying attention, and that will play out across the next couple of seasons. It's a wicked fact that Brock Purdy, Jayden Daniels, and others have basically created insane expectations for a first season under center in the NFL.

That said, the concerns are "gel time", as in how long it takes for the 2025 Minnesota Vikings to be playing more, thinking less, and flexing their efforts/personalities in games...and injuries, which are every team's wild card.

Injuries, injuries and injuries ... particularly to JJM. If JJ gets injured early, the season isn't necessarily lost, but our championship hopes are. Otherwise, I think he'll be fine, particularly as the season progresses and he gets accustomed to NFL speed. You want to be hot all season, but that's not likely. I'd rather get hot at playoff time.

Frankly my next biggest concern is KOC. He's proven to be a good coach, yes, but the two ass whippings we took against Detroit and then the Rams concerns me. The Lions proved that Sam could get rattled against pressure, but KOC didn't seem to be prepared for the same thing against the Rams in the very next game. Good coach ... definitely. A great coach ... we'll see. He's young and still learning, and I hope he's learning that this is a collision sport and physicality matters.

O'Connell gets outcoached by Rams

1. Injuries. Future ones of course but we have quite a few big names already banged up on offense. Hopefully it's minor stuff.

2. JJ McCarthy

3. Cornerbacks/Secondary
Harry is a year older, Metellus and Murphy just got fat contracts, and Mekhi Blackmon is maybe our CB2? Or some other guys I've barely heard of? I know we're all counting on the front 7 to shoulder the load for the defense, but I was there (Gandalf, 3,000 years ago) when Rodgers and every other QB in the league would pick on Josh Robinson or whoever our CB weak link of the week was. Hopefully the current group can gel and excel, but I have questions.

Honorable Mention Will Reichard. He's got the game. Let's see it for a full season.

1. Injuries, particularly on the oline 
2. KOC - good QB coach but good head coach?  His in game work leaves a lot to be desired imo.  Not convinced at this point.  
3. JJM - not so much concerned as impatient to see what he is (or isn't) when the real games begin.

My biggest concern is the same every year. I wonder where they're going to have the Superbowl celebration parade in Minneapolis and how to secure a spot. Hope springs eternal...

badgervike wrote:
My biggest concern is the same every year.  I wonder where they're going to have the Superbowl celebration parade in Minneapolis and how to secure a spot.  Hope springs eternal...

Better hurry, there aren't a lot of spots open right now!

Special teams are NOT my biggest concern, but it is a glaring weakness with the Vikings.  If you believe that the standard of excellence needs to reach all three phases of the game, surely the Vikings have been lagging on special teams.  Consider the following from last season:

As a team, the Vikings were:

-- #31 in the NFL in kick return average
-- #32 in the NFL in punt return average

Will Reichard was:

-- #32 in FG percentage

Ryan Wright was:

-- #25 in gross punting average
-- #22 in net punting average
-- tied for the 7th worst touchback percentage 
-- #30 in punts inside the 10
__PRESENT__PRESENT__PRESENT

__PRESENT

PurplePorsche wrote:
Special teams are NOT my biggest concern, but it is a glaring weakness with the Vikings.  If you believe that the standard of excellence needs to reach all three phases of the game, surely the Vikings have been lagging on special teams.  Consider the following from last season:

As a team, the Vikings were:

-- #31 in the NFL in kick return average
-- #32 in the NFL in punt return average

Will Reichard was:

-- #32 in FG percentage

Ryan Wright was:

-- #25 in gross punting average
-- #22 in net punting average
-- tied for the 7th worst touchback percentage 
-- #30 in punts inside the 10
__PRESENT__PRESENT__PRESENT

__PRESENT

Good points. Didn't realize Reichard was quite THAT bad. That post-injury slump really hurt him. Never been a fan of Ryan Wright. Strong leg, but he can't land a punt inside the 20 to save his life. Haven't heard much about the kid we brought in to compete with him. Oscar Chapman. 

Tomorrow's game will be interesting for special teams. Not just for the kickers, but the returners as well. Vikings have a bunch of options at KR and PR, but I haven't heard about anyone taking the lead at either position.

As others have mentioned, typical concerns: JJ, the new O-line and what will the D really be like. A healthy team is always my top concern every single year. I see Detroit has already lost 2 defensive players for the year, just sucks.

Jefferson's hammy is up near the top for me. If he isn't healthy this year, that sets our offense back quite significantly. Addison is out for 3 games, so that would be Nailor and Lucky starting?

We’ve covered this, but with the new beef up front and adding Mason, will KOC pound the rock enough to keep his great passing scheme lethal and provide great relief to his young QB? All the great teams, Philly, Chiefs, 9ers, Ravens pound it up in there, great back or not.

greediron wrote:
Jefferson's hammy is up near the top for me.  If he isn't healthy this year, that sets our offense back quite significantly.  Addison is out for 3 games, so that would be Nailor and Lucky starting?

For sure, with Addison out the first three games, Jefferson being out as well would be a massive blow to the offense. But I have to think Jefferson and the team are just being super careful about this, and with 4 weeks and 3 days to go before before the opener, I can't imagine this will still be a problem by then. Fingers crossed.

MaroonBells wrote:

For sure, with Addison out the first three games, Jefferson being out as well would be a massive blow to the offense. But I have to think Jefferson and the team are just being super careful about this, and with 4 weeks and 3 days to go before before the opener, I can't imagine this will still be a problem by then. Fingers crossed.

Yeah, not expecting it.  But he has missed time with a hammy before, so this gets a bit more concerning.  Have no idea if it is part of the issue, but hopefully diet/stretching/workout gets figured out so this doesn't crop up again.

greediron wrote:

Yeah, not expecting it.  But he has missed time with a hammy before, so this gets a bit more concerning.  Have no idea if it is part of the issue, but hopefully diet/stretching/workout gets figured out so this doesn't crop up again.

This is interesting...

Kevin Seifert
@SeifertESPN
Vikings WR Jalen Nailor wore a red no-contact jersey Thursday during practice, rare for a non-QB. My understanding: there is no specific injury. Just preserving depth at a position where Justin Jefferson (hamstring) has been out and Jordan Addison has a 3-game suspension.

On Jefferson’s injury, he said he just felt tightness & immediately shut down & informed the staff. Also of note, this is the opposite leg that caused all those missed games.

hogjowlsjohnny wrote:
 

1. The offensive line.

Kelley and Fries have played together (4 years) ....IMO that matters.

As a rookie Jackson is gonna  sort out his NFL game playing  between Darrisaw and Kelly, that's doable and he can  win his . match-up   

The eyeball test will show the difference between Jackson and Ingram will be neatly cleared up and understood  in Chicago..

2. JJ arm talent.

Because of how last year went down JJ will make fewer mistakes this year, his accuracy will be better because of it.  he won't have to think  he can just play and sling it. He'll make mistakes but they'll be fewer. 

3. Defensive back play.

This will get sorted out in preseason .

About now is when the Vikings will decide if they want Gilmore?

If necessary ,  Kwesi has draft picks and cap space to make any immediate move he wants to.

Of the  players cut between now and regular season , how many of them approach o the Vikings?

Every  player saw where Daniel Jones chose to go last year.  I think that same kind of thing is gonna happen again.

greediron wrote:

Yeah, not expecting it.  But he has missed time with a hammy before, so this gets a bit more concerning.  Have no idea if it is part of the issue, but hopefully diet/stretching/workout gets figured out so this doesn't crop up again.

LOL..diet, I saw a bit on Jet showing his candy stash, looked like he robbed a walmart at halloween.