Can It Be Week One Already?

Guys, I’m tired. So tired. Tired of watching the same seven J.J. McCarthy highlights from the greatest preseason performance in modern history. As I scroll through social media, I get excited when I see a post talking about how good McCarthy is going to be under center for the Minnesota Vikings in 2025.

Then, the footage is the same 4 throws that we have seen countless times. I know he is going to ball out, you know he is going to ball out, we just need him to put it on tape. Every week is going to be a learning experience for the young signal caller. Based on the portrait that I have painted for myself mentally, J.J. McCarthy has an unshakeable resolve and will come out swinging this season.

Training camp will bring new stories, and we will see the final 53-man roster unfold over the next several weeks. That’s just it though. Several weeks is too long. Sometimes I wish we could just skip the month of July. In my opinion, it is the worst month of the year. I know some people love Independence Day as their favorite holiday, but I loathe amateur fireworks popping off at all hours of the night, waking up my child, and scaring my elderly dog. Like, seriously, people, do you not see the irony of blowing stuff up on the 4th of July? I wish we could just skip this month. July typically holds the hottest days, and for someone with a busted air conditioner unit who is trying to go one more summer without it, I’m over it. I would like to spend that $5,000 on something else, please.

Luckily, where I am, it has been one of the coolest summers that I can remember, with lots of rain. For those of you who don’t know, which is everyone because I haven’t disclosed this on here, I live behind enemy lines. That’s right. I am writing this article from Northwest Wisconsin. It’s honestly not too bad. Where I am is closer to U.S. Bank Stadium than it is to Bleacherville in Green Bay. There is probably a 60-40 split of Packers to Vikings fans here. I have found multiple allies in the town where I live, as well as many adversaries. I have to say, though, Packers fans are kind of lame. I have friends who cheer for the green and yellow, but during this time of year, it’s like they don’t exist. Even though they haven’t played for over six months, I am still rocking a Vikings hat or t-shirt multiple days a week. I don’t see a lot of Packers gear this time of year.

That could be for several reasons. The most logical is that their colors are terrible and they don’t look good on anybody, so Packers fans only wear them when there is a game on. The other, less logical (or maybe more logical) reason is that Packers fans are weak, complacent, fair-weather fans who will give up on a game when they are down 14-0. They are riding the coattails of back-to-back Hall of Fame quarterbacks, preceded by Super Bowls they won a million years ago. Seriously, they are named after a packing company. You know what they do at a packing company? They put things into containers. Am I supposed to tremble because the big, bad Green Bay Packers are going to put me in a cardboard box? Do you know how flimsy those things are? Anyway, I digress. What was I talking about?

Training camp is underway, and we will soon start to see this team truly gel and come together. Some offensive players were already putting in work before this week, practicing on their own time in Minnesota. I know I probably focus too much on just the offense when talking about the ultimate team sport. But, as an avid fantasy football player, it kind of comes with the territory. A few narratives I’ve seen are about the Vikings’ third wide receiver to start the year and our backup left tackle starting for, probably, the first four weeks of the 2025 campaign.

Injuries are one of the more intriguing aspects during this time of year, because footage is so limited. Especially with Addison looking like he is facing a minimum three-game suspension, we look to our second and third options. Jalen Nailor, who Kevin O’Connell had great things to say about, performed the best we have seen him perform last season, overcoming numerous drops from earlier in his career. Rondale Moore is a proven athlete but has never truly made it as a legitimate receiving option and is coming off a season-ending injury. Tai Felton is the dark horse, in my opinion. The rookie out of Maryland has a chance to showcase his explosive playmaking abilities, as long as he can prove to be a reliable pass catcher. I think he is going to play with a chip on his shoulder in an attempt to prove that he is an NFL-caliber starting wide receiver. I am very excited to see what he can do. However, this excitement comes with a harsh reality: meaningful NFL football is still over a month away. It’s not like I need regular season NFL games to enjoy my life, but man, I am ready for this season to start.

What’s worse, we don’t even get a game on opening Sunday. The silver lining is that I can focus on my week one fantasy football dominance, and also would much rather play at Soldier Field in the fall than the winter. It will be a treat, however, for the narrative to instantly change for this year’s Vikings team. I think the opener will have a competitive first half, but then Ben Johnson’s tough guy routine will lose potency, his play calling tendencies will regress to the mean in the second half, and the newly minted Vikings defensive line will feast with multiple sacks and another possible week one pick six for Andrew Van Ginkel.

We will witness a definitive win where McCarthy will show why he was a top ten pick. All of the naysayers and haters will begin to change their narrative: looking at you Colin Cowherd. Everything will start to come together. This team is already locked in with minimal distractions. KO has cultivated a culture of accountability and high expectations that shows day in and day out. This team is going to be very dangerous and underestimated all season and into the playoffs. Perfect, we got ‘em right where we want ‘em. It’s no secret that I love the doubters. Keep it up. Sleep on this team. I dare you. I DOUBLE DOG DARE YOU! I can’t wait. SKOL!!!

Until next time,

• Jesse