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The Minnesota Vikings are at a loss for how to take advantage of their home court after recording a massive upset on the road. Instead of steamrolling into US Bank Stadium and toppling the visiting Baltimore Ravens, the Vikings gave the game away. They lost all the momentum they had after beating the Detroit Lions a week earlier. The Vikings were defeated by the visitors 27-19.
The Vikings committed to it eight pre-snap penalties because the offensive line wasn’t on the same page as quarterback JJ McCarthy. The second-year signal caller from Michigan is going through growing pains and has made poor decisions throughout the game. He had opportunities to run all game long when he decided to throw the ball to covered receivers. Those decisions cost the Vikings dearly.
‘We had chances, but there were a lot of tipped balls’ said head coach Kevin O’Connell at his post-match press conference. “Those were all catch opportunities and we have to resolve those situations. We’re going to have conversations about why those tipped passes happened. What happened was completely unacceptable.”
Wide receiver Justin Jefferson is supposed to be the best receiver in the NFL, but his play wasn’t great either, with slow cuts and an inability to fight through tight coverage and make the play.
McCarthy and Jefferson are not on the same page at this point. McCarthy overshot Jefferson on some plays, while Jefferson couldn’t get through by sticking to catchable passes on other plays.
O’Connell joins the analytics crowd with bold decisions
Head coach Kevin O’Connell made a questionable decision to go for two points after a fourth-quarter touchdown. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Getty Images)
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O’Connell made a remarkably brutal decision as the Vikings came within one touchdown in the fourth quarter. He decided to go for two points after a brilliant TD catch from Jalen Nailor, when a standard extra point would have allowed the Vikings to get within seven points. O’Connell can point to analytics and say that if the Vikings had been successful in the two-point play, another touchdown would have given them the lead. That’s so much nonsense.
Teams that believe in themselves don’t have to rely on gimmicky strategies to win football games. They play hard and get their wins. Their coaches don’t put their players in a hole by going with the crowd and going for two points when they don’t have to.
O’Connell is a modern coach who believes in positive treatment and full support of his players, but if there is no discipline it is impossible to beat a good team. He seems to have his biggest problems when the Vikings play experienced teams like the Ravens or the Eagles. The Vikings made too many mistakes in their Week 7 28-22 loss to Philadelphia and they made even more against Baltimore.
The Ravens are a good team that has gotten off to a brutal start this season. But with Lamar Jackson healthy again and the defense shutting down opponents in the passing game, the Ravens have a chance to be a great team. They have won three games in a row and will have a chance to take on the AFC North’s leading Pittsburgh Steelers in the coming weeks.
The Vikings had a chance to build a winning record, but there was little desire, consistency or continuity versus the focus they had in the win over the Lions.
The Vikings have eight games left on the schedule and they will need to increase their concentration level. They will get another chance to win a home game in Week 11 against the Bears, a team they defeated in the opening game of the season. McCarthy gathered the Vikings in the fourth quarter after struggling earlier in the game. He will have to be much better through 60 minutes if they want to get back to .500 and win the season series against the Bears.
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