{"id":24093,"date":"2023-07-26T17:36:55","date_gmt":"2023-07-26T21:36:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.betonline.ag\/news-room\/?p=24093"},"modified":"2023-07-26T17:36:59","modified_gmt":"2023-07-26T21:36:59","slug":"taking-stock-minnesota-vikings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.betonline.ag\/news-room\/nfl\/taking-stock-minnesota-vikings\/","title":{"rendered":"TAKING STOCK: MINNESOTA VIKINGS"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

BY ADAM GREENE<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some in Minnesota Vikings fandom wasn\u2019t super pumped at the hire of Kevin O\u2019Connell, fresh of a Super Bowl championship as offensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Rams as the team\u2019s new head coach last offseason. The flirtation with current Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, and his proven NFL coaching record, were enticing and O\u2019Connell, for them, felt like a consolation prize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a 13-4 regular season record and a return to the playoffs, no one feels that way anymore. Yes, the Vikings are back, and while the limits of their roster, and Kirk Cousins\u2019 ability to perform at a high level in the spotlight remain, the offense and rest of the team is primed to stay in the hunt, and atop the NFC North, for a long time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The season opened with, what would always please any Minnesota fan, a thorough thrashing of the Green Bay Packers. They dropped their Week 2 game against the eventual NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles, but no one is turning their nose up at that loss now. They then reeled off seven consecutive victories before stumbling against the Dallas Cowboys as Cousin\u2019s troubles in any nationally featured game again reared their head. They dropped just two more contests the rest of the way, to the Detroit Lions and the Packers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The high point? Easily the 33-30 overtime win over the favored Buffalo Bills on Nov. 13 served notice that the Vikings would be a factor in the 2022 season. On the year, they went 3-2 against teams that made the playoffs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, all that skidded to a halt in the Wild Card round. Favored over the New York Giants, but in a nationally televised game, the Vikes came up short, 31-24, and their season wrapped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cousins went 13-4 as a starter, completing 65.9 percent of his passes for 4,547 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions on the way to a Pro Bowl selection. Dalvin Cook, now a free agent, led the team rushing with 1,173 yards and eight touchdowns to go with 39 catches, 295 receiving yards, and two touchdowns. Justin Jefferson made a claim to the NFL\u2019s best wide receiver mantle, catching 128 passes for 1,809 yards and eight touchdowns. The Vikings got double-digit sacks from two guys, 10.5 from Danielle Hunter and 10 from Za\u2019Darius Smith. Hunter added 65 tackles, 12 for a loss, three passes defended, and one forced fumble. Smith had 44 tackles, 15 for a loss, five passes defended, and a forced fumble. Eric Kendricks recorded 137 tackles, eight for a loss, six passes defended, a fumble recovery, and a defensive touchdown. Harrison Smith picked off five passes to go with 85 tackles, one tackle for a loss, 10 passes defended, and one forced fumble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MINNESOTA VIKINGS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2022-23 Record:<\/strong> 13-4<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Playoffs:<\/strong> Lost to the New York Giants in the NFC Wild Card Round<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2023 Super Bowl Odds:<\/strong> +4500<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2023 NFC Championship Odds:<\/strong> +1600<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2023 NFC North Odds:<\/strong> +300<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

NOW WHAT?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How important was Dalvin Cook to what the Vikings accomplished last season? We\u2019re going to find out because Minnesota cut one of the league\u2019s best running backs to save salary cap money. Alexander Mattison, a fourth-year running back out of Boise State is penciled in as the starter right now. He rushed for 283 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 3.8 yards per carry last season out of the bullpen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The biggest issue holding Minnesota back is all but unsolvable. Kirk Cousins is the Tony Romo of his day. He\u2019s too good to bench and he\u2019s too good to allow you to draft his replacement high in the first round, but he lets you down when the spotlight comes on and that\u2019s just who he is. The joke about 1 p.m. Kirk Cousins being a different guy than 4:35\/8 p.m. Kirk Cousins is real. And last year all but scientifically proved it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luckily for the Vikings, they have plenty of 1 p.m. games on their schedule<\/a>, though they do face the defending NFC Champion Eagles on Thursday Night Football in Week 2. Go ahead and count that as a loss. They get the Los Angeles Chargers at home at 1 p.m. the next week and, make no mistake, they\u2019ll be favored in that game and most likely win it. Minny\u2019s schedule isn\u2019t that tough, especially for a defending division champ, thanks in large part to a weak NFC North. I could see them racking up nine wins before their bye in Week 13. They play just one 2022 playoff team in their final five games, a Week 15 match-up at the Cincinnati Bengals which should be a loss. They also play both their games against the suddenly hot Detroit Lions in that span. Those games probably won\u2019t determine who will win the division, but could keep Detroit from locking down a playoff spot and pretty much disappointing everyone, everywhere. I could see the Vikings finishing anywhere from 11-6 to 13-4 again. They\u2019re a safe bet to make the postseason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

THE DRAFT<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minnesota didn\u2019t have a lot of draft capital entering April\u2019s Draft, but they did nail their first two picks in the first and third rounds. In the first, they found the perfect compliment for Jefferson (and replacement for the departed Adam Thielan in USC wide receiver Jordan Addison, who looks like the second coming of Isaac Bruce to me. In the third, they grabbed Addison\u2019s teammate, Mekhi Blackmon out of USC. After that, there wasn\u2019t much to their draft, earning them a C+ grade in my rankings<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FREE AGENCY<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a roster, especially on offense, already pretty loaded, the Vikings focused primarily on not losing their own free agents. They did add tight end Josh Oliver from the Baltimore Ravens, cornerback Byron Murphy from the Arizona Cardinals, defensive end Marcus Davenport from the New Orleans Saints, defensive end Dean Lowry from the Packers, wide receiver Brandon Powell from the Rams, linebacker Troy Reader from the Chargers and cornerback Joejuan Williams from the New England Patriots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NFC NORTH<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The end of the Aaron Rodgers era in Green Bay might change the complexion of the AFC North for the other teams, but the Vikings could usually split with the Packers at worst. Now, with their first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer and ivermectin spokesman gone, that should be a sweep. The Lions should be for real and contend for a playoff spot, but Minnesota is just too far ahead roster-wise and the Bears are still on training wheels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Follow Adam Greene on Twitter <\/em>@TheFirstMan<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connect with us our socials on <\/em>Twitter<\/em><\/a> and <\/em>Instagram<\/em><\/a> for the latest sports news, viral moments, betting odds and the occasional memes.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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