The Minnesota Vikings are going to be desperate for a win on Monday night when they take on the San Francisco 49ers. Sitting at 2-4, they are only a game out of a wild card spot and that isn’t too bad considering the circumstances.
The play of the Vikings so far this season has been quality. The underlying metrics believe that the Vikings are a good football team and their play has matched that. The biggest factor of the Vikings’ poor start? Turnovers.
The Vikings have turned the ball over 13 times with a negative seven turnover differential. These storylines are ones to keep your eye on as the Vikings try to pull the upset.
Managing editor Tyler Forness: Can the Vikings defense stifle Brock Purdy?
The key to the San Francisco 49ers offense is their second-year starting quarterback Brock Purdy. Despite being Mr. Irrelevant, Purdy didn’t lose his first regular season game until last week.
What was different about last week? The 49ers got pressure and played man coverage.
Against man coverage, Purdy was 6/19 for 51 yards and didn’t look comfortable once he got past his first read.
With Brian Flores loving to blitz (1st in NFL), deploying man coverage could easily be in the Vikings plans and give Purdy a difficult evening.
Columnist Judd Zulgad: Buyers or sellers
This game could determine whether the Vikings become sellers. A loss to San Francisco would drop them to 2-5 with one game, in Green Bay, left before the deadline arrives. We know the Vikings have gotten calls on more than one player and the temptation to add draft picks would grow if the team is sitting three games below .500 as November nears. Coming off a 13-win season in Kevin O’Connell’s first year that would be a major disappointment, but this season already has been disappointing and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah could decide now is the right time to focus more on the future than the present.
Columnist Saivion Mixson: Who steps up with Justin Jefferson out?
The first game without Justin Jefferson was not a fruitful endeavor. Cousins threw for under 200 yards, there were four maddening drops, the Bears defense looked unphased by any passing concepts that Minnesota threw at them. The field felt much more constricted than before, which can be expected when you lose, probably, the most dominant non-QB in the league.
Jordan Addison, the first-round rookie, was slated to step in and play that primary receiver role. However, that kind of responsibility thrown onto such a young player will take time to develop. Only problem is that time is not on the Vikings’ side. They need someone to step up now. Whether that’s Addison in a primary receiver role, Hockenson as the highest-paid tight end in the NFL or Osborn as a secondary option, someone needs to become a reliable target for Cousins.
If not, this game on Monday, against arguably one of the best defenses talent- and scheme-wise, will get out of hand very quickly.
Columnist Chris Spooner: Can the Vikings right the ship?
The result of this game is going to go a long way toward determining the rest of the season for the Vikings. Much of the season to this point has felt hopeless, thanks in large part to the team continuing to shoot themselves in the foot with turnovers. A win on Monday against the 49ers, however, can go a long way toward bringing some hope – and life – back into this team and fan base. A win would put the team at 3-4 on the season. Just one game below .500, and depending on Sunday’s results, potentially ahead of the Packers in the division standings.
With a game against the Packers looming next on the schedule, it’s entirely possible that we’re looking at a team that is at .500 and undefeated in the division as we close out the month of October. Is it an ideal situation? Of course not, but it’s a far cry from the doom-and-gloom that has been around this team for the past few weeks. But it all hinges on doing the little things right, and getting some luck, to walk away with a win on Monday.
