No matter who starts for the Vikings, the Eagles are coming into this game in a fowl mood. They do not want to have three straight losses. If the Vikings run defense is seriously a problem then the 4th ranked Eagles offensive line (per PFF) could really allow Saquon Barkley to go off. Now you could argue that the Eagles rush attack is not that good so afar and the offense overall has not been that good. While true, I think they are going to look at what the Falcons were able to do and try to repeat it. I really do not like to see a team coming off two staright losses. Oh well, three straight losses never hurt another team right?
Minnesota Vikings News and Links
“It was great to get back on the grass and have some good sessions out there, kind of getting back to a lot of the principles of lower-body mechanics and things that had been really good parts of his early journey here,” O’Connell said Monday at his first media availability since the club’s Week 6 bye. “[It] didn’t even hit me till we were out there (together) – he had practiced one time since we left Chicago.”
…
McCarthy will rejoin his teammates at practice this week in some capacity, according to O’Connell.
“I don’t necessarily want to put a percentage on where I think he’s at health wise,” the coach commented. “I think this week will be massive for our whole team, but just to see J.J. back out there getting reps and working through the process of building that foundation back up [will be encouraging].”
O’Connell said he was “very fortunate to get that time” with McCarthy over the bye week, considering the 2024 No. 10 overall draft choice doesn’t possess an extensive body of work, yet. They predominantly worked on throwing mechanics from the ground up, talking through repetitions in pursuit of consistency.
“Quarterback play is about the foundation of getting to that premier base and body position at the top of your drop, whatever that drop is,” O’Connell clarified what he wants McCarthy to refine as he ramps back up. “That could be quick game, that could be a five-, seven-step drop. That can be a play-action pass where you turn your back to the defense. Whatever it is, you’re still getting to that optimal position at the top of your drop so then you can read with your feet and eyes tied together and play in rhythm.”
A key element to McCarthy’s maturation into Minnesota’s franchise quarterback will be his processing speed, which is something O’Connell believes he has been able to connect with watching Carson Wentz.
Wentz, the 2016 No. 2 overall pick, has gone 2-1 in McCarthy’s stead with a 99.5 passer rating, and owns the league’s quickest average Time to Throw among qualified passers per Next Gen Stats (2.55 seconds).
Conversely, McCarthy averaged 3.15 seconds from snap to pass in his first two tastes of a live defense.
“I think one of the things he’s taken away from these two or three weeks of watching Carson play was just the power of completions that maybe don’t necessarily always go to the first or second progression,” O’Connell noted. “It might be T.J. [Hockenson] helping out on a protection (and releasing into a route late) and it’s a critical 12-yard gain when all we did was really check the ball down. Or it’s being surgical with your accuracy when No. 1 is open. And you do that by getting to that foundation and then playing with great balance and rhythm from that point. It’s something that seems like ‘Quarterback Play 101,’ but I watched a lot of football yesterday and didn’t see it as much as you would think you should see it.”
“And that’s just the nature of playing a really difficult position with a lot of variables in front of you, down the field, different coverages and techniques and leverages, and we’re trying to give the best plays we possibly can,” O’Connell continued. “But within those plays, you have five eligibles for a reason, and finding that open eligible and putting the ball in play, and the power of preserving not only yourself, but the integrity of staying efficient as an offense ends up being the quarterback’s job a lot of the time when it’s not always fair based upon how things are around them, or the adversity around them, from a standpoint of some of the injuries that have hit us, and that’s just part of why the position is so difficult.”
That’s why the bye week lended a beautiful opportunity for McCarthy to make important progress.
“The beauty of the work last week was, ‘This is purely just about, let’s just work on the technique and fundamentals and break it down to a place where we can really take tangible [reflections] – wow, that felt different, that felt great, or that’s why we coach it like that,’” O’Connell explained of their work together. “And pretty soon he’s throwing the ball great. He’s got a smile on his face, and you’re stacking reps upon reps that will matter as now he gets to transition to actual real reps on the practice field.”
It’s too early for O’Connell to accurately gauge whether McCarthy will progress enough in time to play Sunday against Philadelphia, or if Wentz, who is dealing with a sore left, non-throwing shoulder, will make his fourth start for Minnesota and second in his 10-year career versus the team that drafted him.
But McCarthy back on the practice field is a positive step for everyone.
“I think there’s the decision that is the public one,” O’Connell said, “and I think there’s the decision with what we’re going to do for the game. And those two things can be on different timelines, although I know that’s not the most comforting thing to share with you guys. But there is a feel of making sure that we’re preparing the quarterback position for the game, knowing we’ve won games with two different guys this year, and we’ve found a rhythm at times on offense that as much as that quarterback plays a huge role in it, we’ve got to make sure our offense is prepared to play with that true all 11 mindset.”
“The Vikings’ quarterback situation is murky, to say the least,” said Tom Pelissero on Sunday, noting that J.J. McCarthy still isn’t 100% healthy from the high ankle sprain he suffered in Week 2 against the Atlanta Falcons, and that Carson Wentz is dealing with a left shoulder injury that he suffered in London against the Cleveland Browns.
“J.J. McCarthy, I’m told, got good work during the bye week. He should be able to return to practice this week, but McCarthy is still not 100% on that ankle. They gotta see his mobility. They gotta see how the ankle responds. And they gotta make sure he is comfortable and in a groove from an operational perspective before they put him back out on the field,” Pelissero said.
Here’s what Pelissero said about Wentz: “He could be limited in practice this week. A lot to sort through to figure out who’s going to be out there on the field next week against the Eagles.”
Blake Cashman’s 21-day practice window has been opened. That gives the Vikings three weeks to activate him from injured reserve, which is an indicator that he’s close to returning from the hamstring strain he suffered in Week 1 against the Bears.
Cashman wasn’t the only player head coach Kevin O’Connell had injury news about on Monday.
“You will also have Donovan Jackson, Michael Jurgens, Brian O’Neill, and J.J. McCarthy taking part in the work today, as well as throughout the week in different capacities,” O’Connell said. Let’s dive into the specifics…
…
Carson Wentz is still dealing with soreness
“He was sore coming out of the game,” said O’Connell, noting that Wentz hurt his left shoulder in London against the Browns. “He’s gotten to a good place where he can participate and take part in the preparation. The biggest thing for him is it’s a non-throwing shoulder, so it’s a matter of working through that soreness as it comes to him.”
…
Best-case scenario for the offensive line?
There’s no guarantee that Jackson, Jurgens, or O’Neill return for the Eagles game, but all three could be available. If that’s the case, the Vikings could have four-fifths of the original O-line intact for a game against a dangerous Eagles defensive front.
Best-case O-line:
LT: Christian Darrisaw (he’s a lock to play)
LG: Donovan Jackson
C: Michael Jurgens or Blake Brandel
RG: Will Fries (he’s a lock to play)
RT: Brian O’Neill
The debate is whether Brandel, who was really good in his first career game at center in Week 5 against Cleveland, is a better option than Jurgens, who has given up some ugly pressures.
The worst-case scenario would be a repeat of what the Vikings went with against Cleveland.
LT: Christian Darrisaw
LG: Joe Huber
C: Blake Brandel
RG: Will Fries
RT: Justin Skule
Offensive superlatives
MVP: LT Christian Darrisaw
When the offensive line got Darrisaw back, they immediately got better. The first two games saw quarterback J.J. McCarthy get sacked 19 times, including a 22.2 sack percentage against the Atlanta Falcons. Once Darrisaw returned, they could immediately count on him holding the fort down, making everyone else’s job that much easier on the rest of the line, including allowing T.J. Hockenson to release without having to chip.
Glue guy: WR Justin Jefferson
Biggest surprise: OL Blake Brandel
Biggest disappointment: QB J.J. McCarthy
This is an easy one for the Vikings. McCarthy was viewed by many as someone who could step right in and take the Vikings to another playoff berth. Pair that with McCarthy hurting his ankle compiles the entire situation. McCarthy isn’t worth worrying about at this point, but it’s a brutal one.
Offense overall grade: B-
Defensive superlatives
MVP: EDGE Jonathan Greenard
When you watch the defense, Greenard continues to make an impact in nearly every sense of the word. Greenard is attacking the offensive line in the running game, as a pass rusher, and even proving to be a talented player when dropping into coverage. He is making every other player’s job easier, and that is huge for a defense that has seen a lot of growth on the defensive line.
Glue guy: CB Byron Murphy Jr.
Biggest surprise: DT Jalen Redmond
Biggest disappointment: ILB Ivan Pace Jr.
Defense overall grade: B
2025 draft class superlatives
Overachiever: DT Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins
You don’t expect a fifth-round pick to become a serious rotational player, but that is exactly what we have with Ingram-Dawkins. He’s played 98 snaps over the course of the first five games with three of them over 24 snaps. He’s been good against the run and finding ways to impact throwing lanes with his length. There is still a lot of room for growth, but that is coming every day.
Rookie we need to see more from: OL Donovan Jackson
Underachiever: WR Tai Felton
Draft class overall grade: C+
Coaching report card
Grade: B
When we look at Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah‘s NFL Draft classes, they are a mixed bag. We know how the 2022 NFL Draft class ended up, and Adofo-Mensah has addressed his strategy.
“I thought a lot about those days and competing, trying to compete on multiple timelines and different things like that. I had a conversation with Kevin [O’Connell],” said Adofo-Mensah in August of 2024. “This is probably a year ago or something, around then. I asked him one time, what was it like when we were down 33-0? You know, when you feel like you’re down. When I entered the building, trying to compete, aging roster, salary cap stuff, I think there were times where I felt down 33-0.
“As we all know, that game starts with one play, one drive, and you build. I think at times I might have been guilty of trying to maybe have a 33-point play all at once. I think once I identified that, I kind of really just, and I think if you’ve seen since then, it’s been really foundationally just taking good steps, building to a certain critical point where I think we compete over the long term.”
That process has led to the Vikings making better draft decisions over the next few years, and one of them has been very controversial: edge rusher Dallas Turner.
…
How is Turner playing so far this year? If you go onto Twitter, you’ll see a lot of negative about his performance, because of his lack of sacks.
It’s a difficult conversation to have with Turner, especially because of how nuanced it is. He was raw and didn’t have a body ready for the NFL just yet. He had just 310 snaps as a rookie, mainly because Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard had All-Pro-caliber seasons ahead of him. Despite that limited playing time, he thrived in multiple instances, including this impressive interception against the Seattle Seahawks in December.
…
When it comes to rushing the passer, the quickest way to the quarterback is by making the path as short as possible. Turner can bend around the arc and use leverage to attack the offensive lineman with power. The coaching staff believes in Turner.
“I can promise you guys that my excitement for Dallas Turner, every time I’ve had a chance to talk with you, has been real. It’s been authentic. It’s been genuine,” said head coach Kevin O’Connell ahead of the Vikings’ Week 2 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. I hope you think all the things that I say to you guys is real, authentic and genuine, but I’m so excited for him, just because there is a personal football journey that takes place with every player in the NFL, and the jump that he is currently experiencing will be highlighted clearly with Gink [Van Ginkel] being out this week, but we have viewed it from day one as three potential starters.”
…
The other main aspect is how much the run defense has done with Turner on the field. In the first three games, when Turner didn’t play the majority of snaps, the run defense was significantly better with him on the field. Why? He’s incredibly versatile and has an impact in many ways.
The three players we believe could be on the trade block are:
QB Carson Wentz
LB Ivan Pace Jr.
WR Adam Thielen
The team has made it clear they want to stick with J.J. McCarthy at quarterback, and if he is healthy, Carson Wentz has shown he has some value. If a team that needs a serviceable backup to cover up a starter being injured were to call, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah should listen. The same goes for Adam Thielen, who has proven to be a disaster of a trade for the team. Trading him away is not likely to get the fifth-round pick back they sent away, but anything is better than nothing.
The last suggestion may seem controversial, but Ivan Pace Jr. has proven he was overlooked as an undrafted free agent, but he has a limited skill set. He has a unique ability to be a reliable asset in pass rush situations, but in run defense, he has struggled. Eric Wilson has emerged as someone who can make plays in the absence of Blake Cashman, so with Pace Jr. on the final year of his deal, perhaps the team looks to get something in return.
Note: Extremely doubtful any of these players are moved.
Why were Bryant McKinnie and Ray Rice with the Vikings on Monday?
“Quick trip to MN with Ray Rice to chat with the Vikings! We got into the real stuff,” McKinnie announced on social media, noting that they discussed:
Life during & after football
Handling success & pressure
The true meaning of brotherhood
Overcoming tough times
Transitioning out of the league
“The biggest takeaway? Your mental health is non-negotiable, and asking for help is a superpower,” McKinnie said. Shoutout to the Vikings organization for having us and for their continued commitment to their players’ well-being. It was a powerful day”
McKinnie and Rice were close during their days with the Ravens. In fact, they were known as the Ravens’ odd couple, with McKinnie, at 6-foot-8, a foot taller than Rice. Rice’s nickname for McKinnie was “Slim Slow,” and McKinnie referred to Rice as “Shorty Smalls.”
“Mac is one of the funniest people in the world,” Rice said of McKinnie in 2013. “He’s just one of those guys that when you get close to him, you’re in. You know what you’re getting. We understand each other. He’s a great football player, but an even better person off the field. This is my man. I’m telling you, there’s not a day that I come in and don’t first look for Mac.”
“He’s a great football player, but an even better person off the field. This is my man. I’m telling you, there’s not a day that I come in and don’t first look for Mac.”
Note: I’d like to see the Vikings trade for Hall.
Again, we all know the rules, but in case someone is new:
- No discussion of politics or religion
- No feeding of the trolls
- Leave the gender hatred at the door
- Keep the bad language to a minimum (using the spoiler tags, if you must)
- Speaking of which, if discussing a newer show or movie, please use spoiler tags
- No pictures that could get someone fired or in serious trouble with their employer
- If you can’t disagree in a civil manner, feel free to go away
- While navigating the open thread, just assume it’s sarcasm
See More:
