The Minnesota Vikings are set to take on the Carolina Panthers on Sunday afternoon in a battle of 0-3 teams. Over the first three games, it’s been a mixed bag for the Vikings. The offense has done a good job scoring points, but it’s been a mixed bag on both sides of the football.
As we look ahead to Sunday’s game, the Vikings are taking on their former long-time wide receiver Adam Thielen who signed with the Panthers after being released this offseason.
Buy Vikings TicketsNormally, an 0-3 team doesn’t have much hope, but the Vikings have played well enough to win all three games. There is plenty of reason to be concerned going into Sunday. Here are five reasons to be concerned heading into Sunday’s game.
1. Edge rusher depth
Over the course of the first three games, Marcus Davenport has only played four plays due to an ankle injury. That is brutal luck for the Vikings, as Davenport was seen as a key element both on the edge and on the interior with his size. Along with Davenport, Patrick Jones II is dealing with a knee injury. His absence on Sunday could leave the Vikings with just three edge rushers going into Sunday’s game, and that could be a problem.
2. Not trusting corners
This is an odd one, since the style of defense the Vikings are playing puts a lot on the cornerbacks. They are constantly getting beaten on blitzes with short routes due to playing so far off. Yes, it’s intentional to prevent the big play from happening over the top, but those short routes are what allowed Keenan Allen to catch 18 passes for 215 yards last Sunday. There needs to be some sort of balance to prevent the opponent from just peppering short routes with ease.
3. Jordan Addison in press coverage
Through three games, Jordan Addison has fared really well. 13 catches for 185 yards and two touchdowns is pretty good for a rookie who is still the team’s third wide receiver. The one problem that persists is something that we knew about from his time in college: dealing with physical corners.
In press coverage, Addison struggles to get off due to his small frame and lack of strength. It was all over his tape in college and has manifested itself so far in the NFL. For now, O’Connell needs to work on getting him free releases with motion to prevent those issues.
4. Inconsistent offensive line play
Overall, the offensive line has been better than they have been in years. They are fifth in the NFL in allowing pressure per Sports Info Solutions. It’s more about the consistency, especially on the interior. Austin Schlottmann has struggled at center and Ed Ingram has allowed 13 pressures so far this season.
Against the Chargers, Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill played their worst games in some time, including O’Neill missing a block on Joey Bosa that cost the Vikings a touchdown to Alexander Mattison. The interior still needs improvement, but the tackles need to play well for this team to have a chance.
5. Kirk Cousins needs to be decisive
Kirk Cousins has had an interesting season so far. While he leads the NFL in attempts, completions, yards and touchdowns, he has left a lot on the table. Too often, Cousins has been indecisive in the pocked by double clutching and hitching in his dropback. That indecisiveness has cost the Vikings numerous times over the first three games and remedying it will be key to taking the next step.
