The Minnesota Vikings are 1-1 through two preseason games. In the first outing, the starters were solid, the reserves were rolling, and Minnesota looked like a team without any obvious weaknesses. However, the Vikings would have struggled against a Gophers intramural squad in the second game. This team has the potential to reach great heights in 2025, and unfortunately, may also face an equal chance of falling to unfathomable depths.
The Vikings have created uncertainty for fans this preseason, leaving many questions about what kind of team they actually are. Against the Houston Texans, Minnesota left little doubt that this squad was ready to push for a deep playoff run. The depth was on display, and the defense nabbed three interceptions along with a pair of sacks. Even Sam Howell, who had struggled throughout camp, completed 85% of his passes in a strong case for the QB2 job.
While J.J. McCarthy left room for criticism, he also played in rhythm and, most importantly, left the game healthy. Critics will be quick to highlight that his performance was against Houston’s second-team defense. Still, just seeing McCarthy back in action after nearly a year warmed all of our cold, dead hearts. The Vikings won 20-10, and there was much rejoicing.
Fast forward to last Saturday against the New England Patriots, and it looked like the Space Jam aliens had stolen Minnesota’s ability to play football. The offense failed to score a touchdown, and the defense was diced up by a familiar face in Joshua Dobbs. Minnesota also committed 10 penalties, compared to four against the Texans, in what ultimately became a sloppy and undisciplined contest.
Aside from kicker Will Reichard’s perfect day, it was mostly a game to forget. In contrast to the Texans game, no one on the second- or third-team emerged as a standout. The battle for backup quarterback once again became nebulous after a poor performance from Howell and nothing spectacular from Brett Rypien or Max Brosmer. Kevin O’Connell admitted after the game that there are still many unknowns surrounding McCarthy.
“There’s a reason why we’re playing all three of them,” said O’Connell. “As far as what that means in the overall competition, I think I would just say that it’s still open and we’re trying to figure out what that room is going to look like for the season.”
Any confidence gained from the first preseason game was quickly replaced with concern, and the regular season is only three weeks away. With injuries mounting, Jordan Addison‘s suspension, and position battles still without clear leaders, a lot has changed in just a week. We’ve now seen both sides of the coin, so which Vikings team will show up in September?
Typically, most players logging snaps in the preseason won’t be the major contributors during the regular season. Still, Minnesota may need to utilize its depth this year more than it did last season. According to FTN, the Vikings were the 10th-healthiest team in 2024, something that is already trending the wrong way in 2025.
Injuries to Jalen Nailor, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Harrison Smith are concerning going into Week 1. They may offer playing time to edge Gabriel Murphy or receiver Tai Felton sooner than expected. And arguably the most important three players on offense, Justin Jefferson, Christian Darrisaw, and J.J. McCarthy, are all working back from injuries to unknown levels of success.
While depth is quickly becoming an important factor to monitor, the Vikings do have the ability to be a top team in the NFL again. The team went 14-3 last season, and, while a repeat of that win total is unlikely, they lost very few key contributors outside of Sam Darnold and safety Cam Bynum.
The team returns 70% of its starters from last year and has undoubtedly improved in the positions where it added new players. Will Fries, Ryan Kelly, and Donovan Jackson are unquestioned improvements along the offensive line. And, despite being older, defensive tackles Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen should still boost a line that lacked talent outside of Harrison Phillips. On paper, there are few rosters with a better starting 22.
Minnesota’s final preseason game against the Tennessee Titans on Friday will be another key indicator of what type of team will emerge in September. So far, the play has been very unbalanced. However, the Vikings have one of the highest ceilings in the league, thanks to an incredibly talented roster and an elite coaching staff.
However, it’s unusual to have such a skilled roster with essentially a rookie quarterback. For Minnesota, it all comes down to consistency and a bit of injury luck. Still, after two weeks, our picture remains unclear.