The Minnesota Vikings are a fascinating team to watch the last two weeks of the regular season.
Sitting at 7-8, they no longer control their own destiny for the playoffs, but they are still very much alive for a wild card spot after a 30-24 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday afternoon.
That game also saw multiple season-ending injuries, as both tight end T.J. Hockenson and outside linebacker D.J. Wonnum suffered season-ending injuries and were placed on injured reserve earlier this week.
Heading into their week 17 rivalry game against the Green Bay Packers, the Vikings are a team that needs to find a way to win. These storylines are going to be worth watching during Sunday’s game.
Managing editor Tyler Forness: How will Brian Flores adapt on defense?
The Vikings defense was a borderline dominant unit at times this season, including going 11 quarters without allowing a touchdown from week 12 to week 15. During the fourth quarter of that week 15 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, it appeared that Flores’ defense was figured out.
With the significant amount of Cover-2 and Tampa-2 coverage that the Vikigns play, in breaking concepts like bow and dagger have been torching the defense. It’s been known that these concepts wreak havoc on those coverages but adaptations to the pre-snap look and execution of these coverage bases can have an impact. What will Flores have after two weeks of getting cooked with these concepts?
Columnist Judd Zulgad: Vikings run game vs. Packers run defense
Green Bay defensive coordinator Joe Barry is on the hot seat and part of the reason is a run defense that is among the worst in the NFL. The question is can the Vikings take advantage after running the ball only 11 times against the Lions? The Vikings’ rushing offense is ranked 27th in the NFL and has been a disappointment this season. This would be a good time for Ty Chandler to get the Vikings’ second 100-yard rushing game of the season, especially with the team’s quarterback situation unsettled.
Columnist Saivion Mixson: Loser goes home
Minnesota is now backed into a corner after losing winnable games in the last two weeks. After being a top-five unit through the first fourteen weeks, the defense was ranked 29th in EPA/play over the past two weeks. Despite the offense being top-ten in EPA/play over the past two weeks, they can’t get out of their own way, committing six turnovers with Mullens at the helm.
Now, they face a loser-goes-home matchup against the Green Bay Packers, who are also 7-8, to somehow sneak their way back into the postseason. It didn’t have to be like this. The Vikings held the sixth seed and had their playoff destiny in their hands. These last two losses have seen that destiny turn into despair, as they now have to hope for losses from the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks, along with taking care of business at home, to keep their significantly slimmer playoff hopes alive.
Columnist Chris Spooner: Will Kevin O'Connell have a short leash with Jaren Hall?
Head coach Kevin O’Connell has been hesitant to make moves regarding the quarterback position. Josh Dobbs got chance after chance to turn his game around before the move was made to go to Nick Mullens. And I truly believe that, were the team not heading into the final two weeks of the season, the move to replace Mullens with Jaren Hall would not have been made.
That said, the move has been made, but how much of a leash will Hall have if he starts making the same mistakes that Dobbs and Mullens were making?
The Vikings have to have this one. They have to have the next one. Minnesota has slipped out of controlling their own playoff destiny and now needs help to get in. They can’t afford any more poor quarterback play, but their options at this point are limited. If Hall comes out and struggles against the Packers, is he going to be allowed to play through those struggles, or is KOC going to look back towards Mullens or Dobbs?
