Based on last season, with the Detroit Lions coming off an appearance in the NFC Conference Championship and the Green Bay Packers having a great year behind a host of young talent… not to mention the excitement of the Chicago Bears elite new receiving corps and the prospects of the 1st overall pick Heisman Trophy Quarterback Caleb Williams… it seemed like the Minnesota Vikings were going to fall behind in the NFC North. It looked even more assured when their own 1st round draft pick, Quarterback J.J. McCarthy went down with a season-ending injury before the season even started.
What Was Next?
In response, the Minnesota Vikings chose to sign Sam Darnold, a Quarterback who was previously an early 1st-round selection with big expectations. As is becoming commonplace these days, as a rookie Quarterback he failed to live up to those expectations. By the end of season 3 with the New York Jets, he was traded off to the Carolina Panthers. After 3 more lackluster seasons the Minnesota Vikings picked him up from free agency to fill in for their fallen Quarterback. This is where things got interesting.
And Then?
Just 3 games into the season, Darnold finds himself at the wheel of the number 1 team in the conference with a record of 3-0!!! Well, what about those other NFC North teams I mentioned earlier? Detroit is doing well, Green Bay took a slight step back by losing their own starting Quarterback temporarily, and the Bears… well… I’d rather not talk about that. This opened the door for the Minnesota Vikings to be a viable contender in the Division. However, regardless of how those other teams are doing, the Vikings are taking it further becoming a conference standout all on their own.
Their success is derived from having a well-balanced roster. They picked former Packer running back, Aaron Jones who despite being 30 years old, clearly has lots more in the tank. They still boast having one of the top wide-outs in the league with Justin Jefferson. There’s the emerging talent of Jalen Nailor at wide receiver, and the defense is delivering a big-time performance as the 2nd best in the league by points allowed.
Through week three of the season, the Minnesota Vikings:
🏈Have the 3rd best Margin of Victory, even against some of the toughest competition in the league (the 49ers & Texans)
🏈Up against the 2nd best Strength of Schedule among the undefeated teams
🏈Producing the 3rd best SRS score in the league, above established top teams like the Bills, Lions, Chiefs, etc…
These results are a product of that excellent roster I mentioned:
🏈Aaron Jones is delivering top 10 results in:
- Rushing yards
- Yards per game
- Yards per attempt
🏈Justin Jefferson is top 5 in:
- Receiving yards
- Yards per game
- Passer Rating when targeted
- Receiving touchdowns (tied for 1st)
🏈Sam Darnold is:
- Leading the league in touchdown passes & touchdown %
- 3rd in yards per completion
- 2nd Passer Rating
- 4th in Adjuster Net Yards per Attempt
- With great accuracy @ 2nd in On Target % | 3rd in Bad Throw % (in a good way)
🏈The Minnesota Vikings Defense is dominant:
- 1st in sacks
- 3rd in pressure %
- 1st in passes defended
- t2nd in interceptions (t3rd in total turnovers)
- t5th for the fewest touchdown passes allowed
- t2nd for the fewest rushing yards allowed
- t2nd for the fewest rushing touchdowns allowed
- 2nd for the fewest rushing 1st downs allowed
Takeaways for the Minnesota Vikings
At this point, I’d say the Minnesota Vikings 1st-round draft pick, J.J. McCarthy, is fortunate in having to step back. Of course, everyone involved would prefer it wasn’t due to injury, but as it goes, this prevents him from being thrust into the starting spot too early. Unlike so many other 1st round Quarterbacks in recent years, he has the opportunity to watch Darnold operate, learn more gradually about playing in the NFL, and develop behind a seasoned veteran for a year or two. He can sit tight while his teammates show us all that a more complete team, with a full roster of diverse talent, is how to get things done… says me.