The Minnesota Vikings are 2-0 and heading to Tampa Bay to face a desperate 0-2 Buccaneers team — and the only crisis in Minnesota is Kevin O’Connell’s 31st-ranked passing offense. While Brian Flores’ defense plays like the ’85 Bears on a budget, the offense can’t crack 200 yards through the air. Kyler Murray returns from concussion protocol to make his first real start, and the stakes are simple: can KOC finally deliver?
This week on Two Old Bloggers, Dave Stefano was joined by fill-in co-host Drew
Bunting (filling in for Darren Campbell, who’s traveling in Nova Scotia). The show, a Vikings 1st & SKOL production, broke down the Vikings’ Week 3 matchup at Tampa Bay with the depth and snark longtime listeners expect.
Key Points in Bullet Points
- Offensive struggles are real: The Vikings rank 31st in passing yards over their last 19 regular-season games, with a negative EPA of -0.5 per play. As Dave put it: “This team was third in the league for three straight years, and now they can’t crack 200 yards.”
- Flores is carrying the team: Brian Flores boasts a defensive EPA of +11.9 — the best in football. Drew’s wife Ruby summed it up perfectly: “You mean Brian Flores is 2-0.”
- Kyler Murray returns: Murray is out of concussion protocol and gets the start. Dave expects KOC to open up the playbook; Drew predicts a conservative approach, saying: “I think he’s gonna take the same conservative approach, and then in the second half we’ll be texting each other going, ‘Can we let Kyler Murray throw it down the field?'”
- Drew’s 17-point challenge: Drew challenged KOC to score at least 17 points in the first half. His research showed the Vikings have hit that mark only twice in their last 14 games — both with J.J. McCarthy at quarterback.
- Snap count risers: Caleb Banks (20 snaps, up from 16), Levi Drake Rodriguez (60 snaps, up from 34), and Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins are all seeing increased roles. Harrison Smith’s snap count is climbing (26 to 29).
- Myles Price over Tai Felton: With Jauan Jennings out, Price took 50% of offensive snaps as WR3 while Felton got zero. Drew called Price “a gamer” with “a little bit more gonads or onions than Tai Felton does.”
- Buccaneers are battered: Rueben Bain Jr. and Josiah Trotter are out. Alex Anzalone has been “terrible.” Vita Vea is a disappointment. Drew warned: “Desperate teams are dangerous teams.”
- Turnover battle is everything: The Vikings are 37-4 under O’Connell when they win or tie the turnover battle. They’re +3 on the season; Tampa Bay is -4.
- Prediction: Both hosts picked the Vikings. Dave: “I believe the Vikings are gonna win and win handily.” Drew unveiled his new “prediction horn” — and it landed on the Vikings.
Listen:
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Watch:
Listen or watch to Two Old Bloggers on Vikings 1st & SKOL / Bleav. Flores has this team 2-0. Sunday in purple at Ray Jay is when the offense has to stop being the hitchhiker.
If you’re a Vikings fan looking for unfiltered, insightful, and hilarious analysis every single week, Two Old Bloggers delivers. Dave Stefano and Darren Campbell (with Drew Bunting filling in) break down snap counts, stats, matchups, and storylines with the kind of straight talk you won’t get from mainstream outlets. Search for Two Old Bloggers on your favorite podcast platform, subscribe to Vikings 1st & SKOL on YouTube, and join the live chat every week. SKOL!
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We have your Minnesota Vikings talk amongst the Two Old Bloggers, Darren @KickassblogVike, and Dave @Luft_Krigare along with our numbers guy, Drew Bunting. Join the conversation! Fan with us at Vikings 1st & SKOL @Vikings1stSKOL on the Bleav Network @BleavNetwork.
Questions for you:
Will Kyler Murray be the spark that finally ignites this offense, or are we in for another conservative, field-goal-filled afternoon in Tampa?
If Murray still looks like 11 snaps of nothing against an 0-2 Bucs team missing two defensive starters, how long before “quarterback whisperer” becomes a punchline?
