Optimism abounds for SKOL Nation as it should. It's true that almost every team's fan base comes into a new season with higher expectations. Draft picks, free agency and changes on the sideline and/or front office provide hope for millions among the NFL fanbases. Chipping away at that confidence, even as early as training camp, come the injures, early in-season gaffes, blatantly missed face mask calls by officials (!!!), coaching blunders and the rest of the myriad NFL pitfalls compiling against some, despite fortune smiling on others. But this is July, and Vikings fans have every reason to expect a healthy, disciplined team on the plus side of the turnover scale to compete for the crown.
Long-suffering Viking fans can't help but glance at the potential roadblocks to success. I for one, looked at the schedule and marveled at the NFL's lack of creativity. I know there is a formula for creating a balance in scheduling opponents, rotating divisions and seeding teams based on win/loss records. I know this formula calculates to provide every eight years a team is guaranteed to see a certain opponent in their home stadium. Further, I know ratings drive the prime-time matchups. I expect to see Patrick Mahomes under lights every other week. I get it. So, I don't need to be lectured on that fact when I complain about Seattle in Seattle AGAIN? Thursday night in L.A. AGAIN? And the Chargers as the 17th game extra team AGAIN (2021). The NFL has smart people. Certainly they can concoct a better scheduling rotation and formula that allows Seattle fans to see a different team once in a while and allows Viking fans to see Seattle more than once every eight freaking years. I'm tired of the formula excuse. I don't want to hear it. There is a fix. Find it.
Another concern in my mind is hints and rumored expectations of the Vikings transitioning to a run-first offense. I've seen this going back to Jerry Burns teams in the late '80s. He had Anthony Carter. And he wanted to run Alfred Anderson, Allen Rice and Darrin Nelson? Then, Mike Zimmer tried it with a team that had Stephon Diggs and Adam Thielen. Bye bye, Diggs. I know the theory based on stats shows teams that can run effectively tend to win more. But digging deeper, don't those same stats show that most teams that run successfully tend to pass to get the lead early then run to keep the lead?
Justin Jefferson has been a model player and team representative. So I have no reason to expect his attitude to change unless a struggling team adamant to "establish the run" isn't getting him the ball. Wide receivers are notorious for finding ways to move on when they don't feel optimized. I know about the offseason moves at OL and RB to strengthen the run game. Kudos! But let's not get carried away. The threat of the run is what's important on a team with a special receiving corps. Mix it up early with pass and run. Get a lead and THEN pound the ball and eat clock. I trust Coach O'Connell. But there are only so many Saquon Barkleys and Adrian Petersons. And only so many Justin Jeffersons. I would hate to see this team fall into the fools' gold of trying to establish the run early at the expense of utilizing an elite passing crew.
Finally, as I look at the roster, I see starters at almost every position that could land Pro Bowl consideration. But almost as importantly, I see depth, quality depth at most positions. Combine that with an elite coaching staff, a general manager that has been able to find players mid-season to fill gaps and an ownership group that is willing to provide facilities, equipment and salaries for coveted undrafted free agents that, under prior owners, would have gone to other teams, and Viking fans have EVERY reason to expect another scintillating and exceptional season with a genuine shot at winning it all.
— Jeff K. in Sacramento, California
I'm in the camp that appreciates a certain predictability in scheduling, even if it sometimes results in frequency of some teams landing on the slate and scarcity of others.
The rotations (NFC North teams go through other NFC divisions every three years and every AFC division every four years) establish a degree of regularity as well as competitive balance, which is important given how tight some division races are — and the rewards bestowed on division winners.
I have pointed out in multiple writings that it is a bit tedious for this year's Weeks 5-8 to mirror last year's so closely (2025: Week 5 at Browns in London, Week 6 Bye, Week 7 vs. Eagles, Week 8 at Chargers on a Thursday; 2024: Week 5 vs. Jets in London, Week 6 Bye, Week 7 vs. Lions, Week 8 at Rams on a Thursday).
O'Connell is still O'Connell, so I don't know that I'd rush to categorize the offensive philosophy as "run-first," but I do think the team wants to be more effective in certain situations, particularly the lower red zone and in short-yardage scenarios.
Ideally, a team can run the ball when it wants to run the ball and have a balance that makes it difficult for opponents to make a foe one-dimensional. That last aspect can be particularly important when a young quarterback is leading the way.
Having success with runs (a good second-down distance) opens up O'Connell's ability to attack, and converting short-yardage leads to another set of downs (more snaps where Jefferson could be the difference-maker he's proven to be) instead of quickly punting. There's also the goal of forcing opponents into chess matches with personnel groupings. If a team struggles to stop the run with lighter personnel, it will be forced to try something else, which could lead to some advantageous passing matchups.