Football is finally here.
When the Minnesota Vikings take on the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football it will be their first meaningful game since the dismal showing against the LA Rams in the Wild Card round.
Much has changed since then, particularly on the interior of both lines.
While the Vikings generated a lot of sacks in 2024 the vast majority came from the edges. Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen have joined the Vikings to generate pressure through the middle of the field too.
The interior of the offensive line has been completely gutted and replaced, in part to better protect quarterback J.J. McCarthy, but also to create holes for a rushing attack which needs to improve this season.
Aaron Jones averaged 4.5 yards per carry in 2024 which is exceptional given what was in front of him.
The addition of Jordan Mason to take some of the weight off Jones could be a masterstroke. As a power runner Mason can take some of the short yardage carries and allow Jones to manage his workload after an intense 2024 season.
Changes to the roster
There have also been significant personnel changes in other positions.
Adam Thielen has returned home to boost a receiver room which will be missing Jordan Addison for three games. Isaiah Rodgers Sr. – fresh off a Super Bowl with the Eagles – comes in to boost a secondary which has lost Cam Bynum, Stephon Gilmore and Shaquil Griffin.
By far the biggest difference between the 2024 Vikings and the current team is the quarterback.
Sam Darnold was allowed to move on after an impressive season and signed with the Seattle Seahawks. Head Coach Kevin O’Connell has been consistent in his praise for second year signal caller J.J. McCarthy.
What to expect
McCarthy missed the entire 2024 season with a knee injury. In two preseason games in two years McCarthy has attempted 24 passes and completed 15.
As a sample size that is nowhere near enough to predict how McCarthy might perform.
If you go back to McCarthy’s last season at Michigan he did put up some impressive numbers. Throwing for nearly 3,000 yards with a completion percentage of 72.3 and 22 touchdowns with only four interceptions.
Whether or not wins should be a quarterback statistic or not has been debated endlessly. Whichever side of the argument you fall on, it is worth noting that in 28 college games as a starter, McCarthy won 27. His final game in college was the National Championship win over Washington, the end of an unbeaten season.
During an interview with Rich Eisen, O’Connell said: “I believe organizations fail young quarterbacks before young quarterbacks fail organizations.” He is fully aware of the pressure McCarthy is under to succeed.
Missing 2024 meant McCarthy had time to study the offense. O’Connell and the Vikings will tailor the passing game around McCarthy’s strengths.
The weapons, the protection and the coach are all in place. It is impossible to predict what the future holds, drafting a quarterback in the first round is no guarantee of success.
If you look at the three drafts prior to 2024 when McCarthy was selected, nine quarterbacks were taken in the first round. Only three of them are now starters for the team that drafted them. McCarthy has a great chance to beat the odds, the new era of Vikings football starts now.
