That was a really good win on Sunday. You might not be able to tell if you scroll through the comments of the recap thread. You could be led to believe the team lost.
The Vikings pulled off a very impressive
victory especially when you consider the players they were missing and that Darrisaw was on a snap count that somehow left him out in the crucial fourth quarter. Maybe the trainers feel it is best to go as long as they want and then that is all? Maybe they do not want him to come out and then go back in?
I thought they battled and played well and did what they needed to do to get the win. I cannot ask for more than that. I think it is a great time for the bye week since the team has had more than it’s fair share of injuries this season. Fire the trainers!
My Game ball goes to Blake Brandel! He handled the pivot very well for having never played there before.
I am always looking at college football, free agents in 2026, and possible trades. I wonder if the team will pull off a trade.
Minnesota Vikings News and Links
McCarthy on the mend, Wentz not thinking ahead as Vikings’ QB decision looms
“I’ve done plenty of looking ahead in my life. I’m done doing that,” Wentz said after leading the Vikings on a game-winning, fourth-quarter drive against the Browns on Sunday in London. “I’m very much trying to live in the moment and appreciate the moment right now. I’m gonna enjoy this one, get healthy, and see what happens.”
Head coach Kevin O’Connell gave a non-answer when asked if Wentz has earned the right to keep starting: “I’m just excited we got the win today, and we’re going to move forward in this bye and get as healthy as we can at all positions, and attack this thing for the next few games.”
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, McCarthy could be full go for practice ahead of Minnesota’s Oct. 19 game in Minneapolis against the Eagles.
“My understanding is the plan is for McCarthy to return to practice next week, get some reps during the bye. They’ll see how he does. Then, try to get him back to full participation heading into Week 7 against the Eagles,” Pelissero said Sunday on NFL Network.
“Let’s be clear: The Vikings are not just focused on when and how quickly they can get J.J. back on the field. They’re also focused on when they can get him in a groove and ready to play well. This is not some type of soft benching. He has a legit high ankle sprain,” Pelissero explained.
“This is a guy who not only missed his entire rookie season because of knee surgery, he hasn’t practiced on consecutive days since before the Week 1 opener this year. They do want to get, and fully intend, for J.J. McCarthy to be back in the lineup, but they want to be smart about how they do it.”
KOC gives updates on J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz, other injured Vikings
“We’ll be able to get him some extensive work, kind of as a lead-in to next week,” O’Connell said. “And then I anticipate his workload building up. We’re gonna really take advantage of that bonus Monday (practice), not only with him but with our whole team.
“J.J. got some work today and he’ll get some work throughout the rest of the week,” he added. “We’ve got some other guys he’ll be getting some work with on the field and then we’ll pick it up officially next week, but I’m encouraged about where he’s at right now.”
“We’ll be able to get him some extensive work, kind of as a lead-in to next week,” O’Connell said. “And then I anticipate his workload building up. We’re gonna really take advantage of that bonus Monday (practice), not only with him but with our whole team.
“J.J. got some work today and he’ll get some work throughout the rest of the week,” he added. “We’ve got some other guys he’ll be getting some work with on the field and then we’ll pick it up officially next week, but I’m encouraged about where he’s at right now.”
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On the offensive line, the Vikings will hope to have Jackson back at left guard after he missed the last two games following surgery on his wrist. That would give them at least three members of their starting O-line, along with Christian Darrisaw at left tackle and Will Fries at right guard. We know they won’t have center Ryan Kelly, who will miss at least three more games on IR. And one player who O’Connell notably didn’t mention as someone he expects to return to practice next week is right tackle Brian O’Neill (MCL).
“I think what we’ve learned is we have another high-quality center option with Blake,” O’Connell said. “Getting Jurgs back practicing again will give us a chance to assess what the best five looks like, and that’s what we’ll go with. Blake had a really, really strong day.”
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O’Connell said Cashman (hamstring) will have his 21-day practice window opened up next week, which means he’s getting close to coming off of injured reserve. Cashman has now missed the requisite four games on IR, but it’s not necessarily a guarantee that he’ll play in Week 7.
What Kevin O’Connell wants to see next from JJ McCarthy
“He’s had some real moments of growth through this time,” O’Connell said. “I think watching the way Carson’s kind of gone through progressions quickly, just the value of putting the ball in play, even when it’s not your first progression, even when it’s not the most exciting completion of all time.”
“You’re getting to TJ [Hockenson] off of a little nudge and a protection to help here or there and TJ is a check down element… he had one on the touchdown drive at the end where he caught just a simple ball over the middle and went for 14 with some really good run after catch,” O’Connell said. “I think he’s kind of taken a lot of that, of just watching it closely and my dialogue with him.”
“The most critical part is going to be technique and fundamentals of playing the position the way he worked so hard to build up throughout the spring and the summer, getting him back into the mandatory nature of certain things from a fundamental standpoint that will only help him perform at a high level,” O’Connell said.
“I think it’s going to be more about the physical side of his lower body mechanics and then just trying to put together a game plan for him throughout the practices of how much can he do, what’s the soreness level coming out of practices to be able to try to have the most consistent level of a ramp up we can with him,” O’Connell said.
“We’ll be able to get him some extensive work, you know, kind of as a lead in to next week,” O’Connell said. “And then I anticipate his workload building up. We’re going to really take advantage of that bonus Monday.”
Wentz’s own health is going to be a question for the Vikings as well. He left the game briefly with a shoulder injury before returning to lead a game-winning drive against the Browns.
“He’s still getting further evaluation, but he’s pretty sore in that left shoulder,” O’Connell said. “So that will be something that we’ll be taking a look at throughout this week.”
O’Connell hit right notes with gameplan vs. Browns
In the case of the Minnesota Vikings victory over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, one number tells the story: Carson Wentz’s average time from snap to throw was 2.43 seconds, the fastest in the NFL in Week 5 per NFL NextGen.
“I just told [Wentz] to trust me,” O’Connell said in his postgame press conference. “I just told him, let me worry about as best I can what’s happening up front and help where I can. I just want you to play fast and see it and throw it.”
According to Kevin Cole’s Unexpected Points newsletter, the Vikings had a 51.1% success rate on offensive plays and the passing success ranked in the 80th percentile. Cole wrote:
“Among 33 quarterbacks with at least 80 drop-backs this season, Wentz ranks a respectable 12th in EPA per play (+0.18) and has a positive completion percentage over expectation.”
Kevin O’Connell defends T.J. Hockenson amid Vikings TE’s quiet start
“We’re asking a lot of him right now that doesn’t necessarily coincide with him being one of the best route-running tight ends in the NFL,” said head coach Kevin O’Connell, unprompted, after the Vikings’ win over the Browns. “There’s some sacrifice going on, all across our football team, to do whatever is required to win one game. And that mentality can be a powerful thing as we inevitably start to get some guys back.”
Vikings snap count analysis and notable PFF grades from win over Browns
Vikings offensive snap counts vs. Browns (out of 65)
LG Joe Huber: 65
C Blake Brandel: 65
RG Will Fries: 65
OT Justin Skule: 65
WR Justin Jefferson: 65
QB Carson Wentz: 64
TE T.J. Hockenson: 55
WR Jordan Addison: 49
RB Jordan Mason: 43
WR Jalen Nailor: 42
LT Christian Darrisaw: 41
TE Josh Oliver: 29
RT Walter Rouse: 24
RB Zavier Scott: 14
WR Adam Thielen: 14
FB C.J. Ham: 12
QB Max Brosmer: 1
RB Cam Akers: 1
TE Nick Vannett: 1
Top 5 PFF grades on offense (min. 20 snaps)
- Jefferson — 82.9
- Darrisaw — 74.5
- Addison — 70.5
- Wentz — 67.1
- Nailor — 65.2
Vikings defensive snap counts vs. Browns (out of 70)
S Theo Jackson: 70
S Josh Metellus: 70
LB Eric Wilson: 70
CB Byron Murphy Jr: 69
CB Isaiah Rodgers: 67
OLB Jonathan Greenard: 66
OLB Dallas Turner: 65
LB Ivan Pace Jr: 48
DT Jonathan Allen: 48
DT Jalen Redmond: 41
DT Levi Drake Rodriguez: 37
DT Javon Hargrave: 33
S Harrison Smith: 29
DT Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins: 27
CB Jeff Okudah: 20
OLB Bo Richter: 9
S Jay Ward: 1
Top 5 PFF grades on defense (min. 20 snaps)
- Hargrave — 87.6
- Greenard — 75.8
- Metellus — 74.3
- Rodriguez — 71.1
- Turner — 71.0
One Trade Every NFL Team Should Make Before the 2025 Deadline
Minnesota Vikings
Proposed trade: Sixth-round pick to Saints for OL Trevor Penning
It hasn’t worked out in New Orleans for Penning, the 2022 first-round pick who has struggled to find a starting position. On the bright side, Penning offers versatility as a lineman with starting experience playing tackle and guard.
Chicago Bears
Proposed trade: Second-round pick to Titans for DT Jeffery Simmons
Denver Broncos
Proposed trade: Fourth-round pick to Falcons for TE Kyle Pitts
Los Angeles Rams
Proposed trade: Conditional third-round pick to Titans for CB L’Jarius Sneed
New York Jets
Proposed trade: RB Breece Hall to Cardinals for fourth-round pick
Seattle Seahawks
Proposed trade: Second-round pick to Browns for CB Denzel Ward
Eagles Under Fire For Free Agency Mistake; CB Thriving With New Team
Philadelphia still has a talented defense this year, but it’s nowhere near as dominant as it was last season. They lost multiple key players, including cornerback Isaiah Rodgers. Rodgers wasn’t a superstar piece for the Eagles last year, but Philadelphia is feeling his loss much more than anybody expected.
“I promise this isn’t just a case of hindsight being 20/20. Even last season, when he served as CB3 for the Philadelphia Eagles behind James Bradberry and Darius Slay, Rodgers flashed at times as a rangy cover man,” Landers wrote. “The signs were there, and they were enough for the Vikings to give him a shot at a starting gig on a two-year, $15 million deal.
“Safe to say Rodgers has taken that opportunity and run with it. The headliner is his performance against the Cincinnati Bengals last month, in which he both returned an interception and a fumble for a touchdown en route to NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors. But even beyond the splash plays, Rodgers has shined in Brian Flores’ defense, a big part of what’s kept Minnesota afloat despite all the dysfunction at quarterback.”
Vikings wife shuts down Lake Minnetonka boat plan with Love Boat reminder
There will be no hooker parties on Lake Minnetonka this week as the wives of Minnesota Vikings players are well aware that Oct. 6 marks the 20-year anniversary of the infamous “Love Boat Scandal.”
A cruise on Lake Minnetonka was mentioned as an idea in a group chat about a bye week getaway, but Samantha Van Ginkel, whose husband is Vikings linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, helped pivot the conversation to something less traumatic in Vikings lore.
“As a lifelong Vikings fan, I’ll never forget what happened the last time a boat was involved… so when a few people started planning a cruise on Minnetonka for bye week, I dropped an article in the group chat with allll the details. Safe to say, no one’s setting sail this week,” Mrs. Van Ginkel revealed Monday morning.
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