MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings were all-in on developing quarterback J.J. McCarthy this season, after his rookie year was lost to injury, with the belief they could insulate him from some of
the natural struggles of inexperience by surrounding him with a stacked veteran team and a savvy coaching staff.
After a bumpy start put some holes in the plan, the blueprint all but disintegrated in a blowout to the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday. Not only have the players and schemes on offense and defense failed to deliver, but they've had all of two games during which to test McCarthy.
“I told our team, ‘This is where we’re going to find out what we’re all about,'” coach Kevin O'Connell said after the 37-10 defeat that was the second worst in his four seasons.
The Vikings were dealt a tough blow when McCarthy, the 10th overall pick in the draft last year, needed meniscus surgery on his right knee before making it to the regular season. The high sprain of his right ankle he finished his second game with has been even more devastating, considering the way Sam Darnold mostly flourished in 2024 and Carson Wentz has mostly flopped in 2024.
After going 2-3 with Wentz, who played through a non-throwing shoulder injury that took plenty of hard hits during an increasingly painful night, McCarthy is line to return next week. With the Vikings (3-4) currently in 12th place in the NFC, and last by two losses in their daunting division, even remarkable progress by McCarthy over the last 10 games might not be enough to get them in the playoffs.
Wentz had the misfortune of playing most of the game without stalwart tackles Christian Darrisaw and Brian O'Neill because of knee injuries, not to mention center Ryan Kelly, who's hardly been available. On the other side, the free agent spending spree on defensive tackles in their 30s, Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, has not paid dividends. And the lack of production from recent drafts has left them without enough depth at cornerback, not to mention other positions.
“That's all a team effort,” wide receiver Justin Jefferson said, “and we're just not doing enough.”
There's not much for the Vikings to feel good about. Rookie Myles Price had a 27-yard average on five kickoff returns, continuing to show an aggressiveness and a burst that appears to be close to breaking him free for a score. Fittingly, he had a 46-yard runback to open the game and a 42-yard return in the third quarter, both of which were wiped out by holding penalties on rookie Tyler Batty.
The defense against the run has been the most frequent and damaging issue this season. Just four days after Flores loaded up to keep 2024 rushing champ Saquon Barkley at bay and keep a spy on nimble Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, the Vikings were trampled by second-year bruiser Kimani Vidal. Justin Herbert scrambled seven times himself for a backbreaking 62 yards, as the Chargers became the second team to top the 200-yard mark on the Vikings this season. They held 10 different opponents to 86 rushing yards or fewer last season.
Winning performances were in short supply, but edge rusher Jonathan Greenard — matched up against the fifth overall pick in the 2024 draft, Joe Alt — was in the backfield often. He had six tackles, three for loss, and one sack with two hits on Herbert. Defensive tackle Jalen Redmond also stood out, playing 86% of the snaps, by far the most of all the interior linemen.
OLB Dallas Turner. The 2024 first-round draft pick has been forced into a critical role with Pro Bowl pick Andrew Van Ginkel missing five of the first seven games to injury, and the consistency and production haven't been there for a player the Vikings traded up to get last year. Turner has not yet shown he can be a reliable run-stopper, and he has just 1½ sacks. Turner also took a 15-yard penalty for a helmet-first hit on Herbert in the first quarter that gave the Chargers a first-and-goal.
After fielding their most complete lineup of the season last Sunday against Philadelphia, the Vikings took a concerning step back with their overall health, thanks in part to the grueling four-day turnaround for the trip to Los Angeles. Darrisaw left after two series, and O'Neill couldn't make it at all. Kelly (concussion) must miss at least one more game, but there's no telling when or if he'll return. Fullback C.J. Ham (hand) was inactive on Thursday along with Van Ginkel (neck). The return of running back Aaron Jones from a four-game absence was one positive.
Now the Vikings have three extra days of recovery for a potential boost prior to their Nov. 2 game at Detroit, with McCarthy likely to lead the list of returners. New injuries that popped up against the Chargers were to Greenard (ankle) and tight end Josh Oliver (foot), whose departure in the first quarter was a hindrance to getting the running game going before the score got out of hand with another key blocker Ham already out.
0-6 — The Vikings have lost all six night road games they've played in four years under O'Connell, including three on Thursdays. O'Connell is 4-11 overall at night, including the loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the first round of the playoffs last season. The Vikings have dropped four straight in prime time by a combined score of 117-34. But this pattern predated O'Connell. Over the past 20 years, encompassing four coaching staffs, the Vikings are 9-28 on the road at night and 24-42 overall. They're 1-9 all time on Thursdays on the road, last winning in 1978.
The Lions (5-2) will be more rested than the Vikings, coming off their bye week. Minnesota has lost to Detroit five times in a row, the longest skid since their first five matchups from 1961-63. The Vikings have also dropped four straight games in Detroit.
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