We’re going to look back at the Minnesota Vikings’ 27-24 win on Monday night against the Chicago Bears and remember it for the sheer amount of adversity the team overcame. Just going into Soldier Field is a tall task. But J.J. McCarthy making his first start there? While missing safety-blanket extraordinare Christian Darrisaw on offense, and veteran coach-on-the-field Harrison Smith on defense? There was a lot that could go wrong.
And through 45 minutes, it all was. Caleb Williams sliced and diced the Vikings for a touchdown on the opening drive. Eight of Minnesota’s first nine drives went for three plays or fewer, with McCarthy occasionally struggling to get the snap off. An ugly pick-six put the Vikings down by multiple scores on the road. The supernaturally sure-handed Adam Thielen couldn’t haul in a third-and-two pass. Blake Cashman came off the field with a bad hamstring.
But through it all, the Vikings were able to start 1-0. Was it because McCarthy finally got his feet under him? Sure. Because Kevin O’Connell was able to keep his team locked in for crunch time en route to winning yet another close game? Absolutely. However, the biggest reason the Vikings were able to overcome such adversity is simple: Their offseason plan worked exactly like it was supposed to — at least, for one game.
Give Kwesi Adofo-Mensah credit; there was no way to play it safe this offseason. The team went 14-3 last season, and anything short of an NFC title game appearance was going to lead to second-guessing. And when a GM moves on from Sam Darnold, spurns Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers, and rolls with a first-year starter who’d never played an NFL snap, they leave very little protection against criticism.
If those critics weren’t out after three quarters, then they were certainly getting ready to pounce. Rodgers threw for four touchdowns in his Pittsburgh Steelers debut. However, McCarthy ultimately vindicated Minnesota’s decision.
And, shockingly, McCarthy won in a way that didn’t make it look like the victory was despite him. That’s not something anyone thought would be said when he was urging Ryan Kelly, “We gotta go! We gotta go!” with dwindling play clocks, getting passes batted down, or throwing an ill-advised pick-six.
Still, McCarthy made some damn plays. His touchdown throw to Justin Jefferson came in a small window in the middle of the field. He dropped another touchdown pass to Aaron Jones between two defenders, and, of course, he ran with patience and power for the decisive score.
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Those three drives in the fourth quarter bolstered McCarthy’s reputation as a winner and put him in a unique class of players through one game. But Adofo-Mensah’s calculation to hand the reins to McCarthy goes beyond what the quarterback can provide by himself.
The move allowed the Vikings to finally invest heavily in their running game. Adding Jordan Mason and Ryan Kelly were two rare no-brainers for Minnesota’s front office. Still, the Vikings took a big swing on Will Fries, sustaining his abbreviated breakout campaign from last year, and took Donovan Jackson in the first round over addressing other big needs.
But it paid off on Monday night. Mason and the revamped line did what Jones struggled to do last year: Get hard, tough yards between the tackles. Minnesota’s forward momentum began with Mason breaking off some plays.
However, the real value add for keeping McCarthy instead of going with Darnold or Rodgers was creating a defense that could buy McCarthy 45 minutes. They again invested big in the interior line, adding Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave.
The Vikings got just two sacks (both Hargrave), but the plan worked superbly. After a 10-for-10 start, Williams went a dismal 11-for-25 to finish the game. Williams scrambled his way out of a few sure sacks. However, those plays were offset by numerous rushed throws, stepping out of bounds before getting a throw off, and an intentional grounding penalty that led to a missed field goal in the fourth quarter.
That investment in the interior pass rush caused Minnesota to sacrifice other areas. They traded steady run-stuffing captain Harrison Phillips before the season started, and by most estimations, were thin at cornerback.
It didn’t burn them in the running or passing game. Take out Williams’ scrambles, and the Bears averaged just 3.1 yards per carry, even with the focus shifting to pressuring the quarterback. Williams couldn’t exploit Byron Murphy, Isaiah Rodgers, or Jeff Okudah, and the few times receivers got open downfield, he didn’t have time to take advantage. That was the plan.
The Bears undoubtedly did Minnesota some favors. Their lack of discipline was occasionally astounding; they racked up 12 penalties for a whopping 127 yards. The impact of those miscues perhaps made a bigger impact than the stats suggest, giving a then-sputtering Vikings offense chances to get points, while taking points off the board for themselves.
Was it ugly? No doubt. But Adofo-Mensah built this team to win ugly, if necessary, because running with a first-year starter creates the need to win in some difficult situations. But the key is to win, and they not only notched the victory but did it in a way that validates the way the Vikings operated this offseason. That’s just as, if not more, encouraging as the amount of adversity the team overcame on Monday.