Narrative is a funny thing in the NFL. Sometimes I ask where all the different storylines come from or why the media focuses on some aspects over others. Not to be a conspiracy theorist (although sometimes it’s a hobby for me), but I’m sure the NFL’s marketing department sends information to some insiders to cover the stories they want to be the dominant storylines. Maybe that’s not true, but there are no concrete facts that could convince me that there’s no possibility that most of the NFL story lines portrayed in the mainstream media are made up from somewhere inside an NFL VP or executive suite.
A new narrative that may emerge after this weekend is that the Vikings “picked the wrong quarterback.” People were already losing their minds when JJ McCarthy entered a game in the fourth quarter, dropped 24 points, and led a feverish comeback that ultimately felt short. It looks familiar to Vikings fans. For some reason, JJ McCarthy always thrives in the 4th quarter. The narrative that’s developing is that Kevin O’Connell’s system wasn’t right for McCarthy and that things were simplified in John Harbaugh’s offense. While that may be true, I saw nothing Sunday that leads me to believe McCarthy will find more success in New York than he did in Minnesota.
Jason LaCanfora reports that several New York Giants executives say there will be a big change in offensive philosophy for New York and look at the 2018 Ravens with Lamar Jackson in his rookie season. Apparently, New York has been eyeing McCarthy for a long time to bring in as their starting quarterback. I find that thinking a little far-fetched based on them being willing to trade a 5th-round pick to get him. If McCarthy succeeds in New York, there will be questions about why he hasn’t found success in Minnesota.
Persevere Towards Excellence
I know what you’re thinking: STOP TALKING ABOUT THE NEW YORK GIANTS. Me, now. The narrative lives in a world of hypotheticals. We live in the real world. There’s no denying the fact, and the Vikings are 5-0 going into a very winnable game against the Indianapolis Colts. The Minnesota Vikings have started a season with a 6-0 record six times in the modern NFL era. In those six seasons, they made the playoffs in all but one, which was in 2003 when they lost the final game of the season to the Arizona Cardinals. The game that ended with the classic Paul Allen yelling “NOOOOOOOOO.”
All of these narratives can be shattered if Kyler Murray comes out and performs at the level he is capable of. The experiment of drafting a first-round quarterback is over, and we’re officially under the Nolan Teasley regime. Minnesota knows what they have in McCarthy. Maybe the Giants are willing to give more in a trade, but the narrative I choose to perpetuate is that the front office is just willing to move on and is happy to get any amount back. I wish JJ the best, but the franchise chose a new path.
That’s what I’ll do here and move on. The Minnesota Vikings are the most mysterious team in the NFL. Some armchair NFL analysts (social media people who bought a microphone and know how to post on the internet) say the Vikings are the third best team in the NFC North. They don’t call us the third-best 5-0 team; they say the Bears and Packers (both of whom we beat Carson Wentz) are better. HA!
Are we witnessing History?
This defense is special. Like really special, as evidenced by how the Vikings’ current 10-game win streak has played itself out. In the last 10 games, the Minnesota Vikings have scored 229 points. Historically, you have to go back to 1934 to find a 10-game winning streak in which a team scored fewer points (the 1934 Detroit Lions scored 215 points). That’s an impressive statistic but speaks to the dominance we’ve seen from this defense. Football is about winning the game. Sure, the Vikings offense has struggles and is still finding its footing. Is this a case of poor coaching or are they a bad offense? Or is it the result of a change in philosophy for Kevin O’Connell?
From a narrative perspective, KO is rewriting the defining story of his time as coach of the Minnesota Vikings. He recently talked about how he changed his mindset from being concerned with how the stats looked on paper to winning football games. This team plays complementary football at its finest. Each season has ebbs and flows, but we also see those differences occur over many seasons. Right now, this team’s strength is obviously defense. When Brian Flores’ unit is fresh, they are almost unstoppable. One thing I noticed was how relentless the defensive front was. They just keep coming and don’t stop until the whistle blows. The defense plays with such intensity that it simply wears down opposing offenses and beats them into submission.
Must Catch the Ball to Score
A key factor in this success was the offense’s ability to sustain drives. So far this season, the Vikings are averaging the second highest average time of possession in the league at 33:38 per game. They trail only the Chicago Bears in this category. I will admit that the Vikings have not been very good when it comes to scoring touchdowns, but I strongly believe that will change. In fantasy football, we talk about regression to the mean. Minnesota’s offense has scored just eight offensive touchdowns in 5 games played this season, which is 2nd fewest in the league. However, this offense is better than that, and we’ll start to see that number become more normal in the future.
Another dominant change in philosophy is that it now appears to be a run-first offense, as evidenced by the aforementioned time of possession statistic. This offense is all about clock control and taking care of the football. It’s like we’re time traveling back to Mike Zimmer’s time. However, this is the Teasley/O’Connell/Flores era. We are fans of one of the top organizations in the NFL, and I think we will definitely see success beyond the regular season. I know, as a Vikings fan, hope is a slippery slope. A slippery slope to sadness and disappointment.
There’s a Long Road Ahead
This Sunday’s game against the Colts will set the tone for the rest of the season. I fully expect Indianapolis, with their backs against the wall, to make this game as competitive as they can. I also see Daniel Jones throwing four interceptions, which would destroy the other narrative that the Vikings shouldn’t have let him leave the building. I think Minnesota won this game in dominant fashion, and we saw our offense come alive. They will need to, as this team has a tough schedule going forward where they need to put some points on the board. It’s time for this offense to get rolling and for the defense to keep doing what it’s been doing. I can’t wait for Sunday!