There have been many changes to NFL football over the decades, and it has been clear for years that most teams are not ready to play at peak efficiency when the season opens in the second week of September. Most teams — including the Minnesota Vikings — don’t play the majority of their starters during the preseason. It’s all about injury prevention.
The first four games of the season are about getting their starters used to competition again and understanding the effort and conditioning it takes to win in the NFL. The Vikings head into Week 4 with a 3-0 record and that’s clearly a good thing, but injuries have not left Kevin O’Connell’s offensive team fully formed.
If Justin Jefferson can play against the Miami Dolphins with his sprained ankle, the Vikings may finally start to learn what their offense may be capable of doing this season. QB Kyler Murray returned to the starting lineup last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the most encouraging moments came on the first play of the game when the quarterback hit Jefferson with a 22-yard pass. The second quarter saw Murray hit Jordan Addison with a 30-yarder along the sidelines and a 41-yard TD bomb.
They need more of those kinds of plays and the development of Aaron Jones and the running game if legitimate offensive progress is going to be made.
Defense has a chance to dominate again
The Vikings have the No. 2 scoring defense in the league as they are allowing 13.7 points per game. There were some vulnerabilities demonstrated in Week 1 against Green Bay, but that game turned around when the defense flexed its muscles in the fourth quarter and the Vikings turned a double-digit deficit into a 39-22 victory.
The Vikings defense has followed by shutting down the Bears and Bucs. The Dolphins appear to be one of the worst teams in the league so another strong defensive effort is expected. That is exactly what defensive coordinator Brian Flores is expecting and it’s also what O’Connell needs to see.
The Vikings are clearly a team that lives by the blitz and they do it more than any other NFL team. However, that’s not the only factor. The Vikings have a pair of rookie interior defensive linemen that can shut down the middle of the offensive line. Caleb Banks and Domonique “The Big Citrus” Orange give Minnesota something it has not had for multiple seasons.
These two are not every-down players and don’t have huge counting stats, but when they are in the lineup, opponents can’t run the ball on the interior and they can’t protect the quarterback.
The Vikings have a combination of muscle and scheme that give them a huge advantage they need to sustain every week.
Vikings have the best kicker in the NFL
Third-year PK Will Reichard has made all 7 of his FG attempts this season, including both of his attempts from 50 yards and beyond. He made 33 of 35 FG attempts last year, and he has not missed an attempt since last October. Reichard has a chance to become what Justin Tucker was to the Baltimore Ravens for so many years.
The former Baltimore kicker was a known commodity who regularly exceeded the 90 percent mark for his 13-year career and was as consistent as a metronome.
Reichard has a chance to wear the crown among NFL kickers for many years.
