Narrative is a funny thing in the NFL. Sometimes I question where all of the different storylines come from or why the media focuses on certain aspects over others. Not to be a conspiracy theorist (even though it’s sometimes a hobby for me), but I am sure the NFL marketing department sends information out to certain insiders to cover the stories they want to be prevailing storylines. Maybe that’s not true, but there are no definitive facts that could convince me that there isn’t a possibility that most
NFL storylines portrayed in the mainstream media are contrived from somewhere inside an NFL VP or executive suite.
A new narrative that could pick up steam after this weekend is that the Vikings “chose the wrong quarterback.” People are losing their minds over J.J. McCarthy coming into a game in the fourth quarter, down by 24 points, and leading a feverish comeback that ultimately felt short. It looked all too familiar to Vikings’ fans. For some reason, J.J. McCarthy has always thrived in the 4th quarter. The narrative that is already forming is that Kevin O’Connell’s system wasn’t right for McCarthy and that things are simplified in John Harbaugh’s offense. While that may be true, I didn’t see anything on Sunday that leads me to believe that McCarthy will find any more success in New York than he did in Minnesota.
Jason LaCanfora is reporting that some New York Giants executive says there is going to be a major shift in offensive philosophy for New York and to look at the 2018 Ravens with Lamar Jackson in his rookie season. Apparently, New York has been eyeing McCarthy for quite some time to bring in as their starting quarterback. I find that slightly far-fetched based on them only willing to trade a 5th-round pick to acquire him. If McCarthy finds success in New York, there will be questions about why he didn’t find success in Minnesota.
Persevere Toward Excellence
I know what you’re thinking: STOP TALKING ABOUT THE NEW YORK GIANTS. I am, right now. Narrative lives in a world of hypotheticals. We live in the real world. Reality cannot be denied, 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. Of those six seasons, they made the playoffs in all but one, which was in 2003 when they lost on the last play of the season to the Arizona Cardinals. The game that culminated in the classic Paul Allen screaming “NOOOOOOOOO.”
All these narratives can be squashed if Kyler Murray goes out and performs to the level at which he is capable. The experiment of drafting a first-round quarterback is over, and we are officially under the Nolan Teasley regime. Minnesota knew what they had in McCarthy. Maybe the Giants were willing to give more in a trade, but the narrative that I am choosing to perpetuate is that the front office was simply ready to move on and was satisfied getting any value back. I wish J.J. the best, but the franchise has chosen a new path.
That is what I will do here as well and move on. The Minnesota Vikings are the most enigmatic team in the NFL. Some armchair NFL analysts (people on social media who bought a microphone and know how to post on the internet) are saying that the Vikings are the third-best team in the NFC North. They’re not calling us the third-best 5-0 team; they are saying that the Bears and Packers (both of whom we beat with 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 manifested itself. Over 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 where the team scored fewer points (the 1934 Detroit Lions scored 215 points). That is an astonishing statistic but speaks to the dominance that we have seen from this defense. Football is about winning games. Sure, the Vikings offense has had its struggles and is still finding its footing. Is that a circumstance of poor coaching or them being a bad offense? Or is it a result of a shift in philosophy for Kevin O’Connell?
From a narrative perspective, KO is rewriting the defining story of his time as the coach of the Minnesota Vikings. He recently talked about how he has shifted his mindset from being concerned with what stats look like on paper to winning football games. This team is playing complementary football at its finest. Every season has its ebbs and flows, but we also see those differences happen over the course of multiple seasons. Right now, the defense is obviously the strength of this team. When Brian Flores’ unit is fresh, they are almost unstoppable. One thing I have noticed is just how relentless the defensive front is. They just keep coming and don’t stop until after the whistle. The defense is playing with such an intensity that it simply wears down opposing offenses and beats them down into submission.
Gotta Have the Ball to Score
An important factor in this success is the offense’s ability to maintain 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 concede that the Vikings haven’t been very efficient when it comes to scoring touchdowns, but I firmly believe that is going to change. In fantasy football, we talk about regression toward the mean. The Minnesota offense has only scored eight offensive touchdowns in 5 games played this season, which is the 2nd fewest in the league. However, this offense is better than that, and we will start to see that number look more normal going forward.
Another prevailing shift in philosophy is that this now appears to be a run-first offense, as evidenced by the aforementioned time of possession statistic. This offense is about controlling the clock and taking care of the football. It’s like we are time traveling back to the Mike Zimmer era. However, this is the Teasley/O’Connell/Flores era. We are fans of one of the premier organizations in the NFL, and I think we are going to actually 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 Is a Long Road Ahead
The game this Sunday against the Colts will set the tone for the rest of the season. I fully expect Indianapolis, with their backs to the wall, to make this game competitive for as long as they can. I can also see Daniel Jones throwing four interceptions, which would squash a different narrative that the Vikings shouldn’t have let him leave the building. I think Minnesota wins this game in dominant fashion, and we see our offense come to life. They are going to have to, because this team has a tough schedule going forward where they are going to have 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 does. I can’t wait for Sunday!
Until Next Skol.
