NFL
By: Steve Rogers
The Minnesota Vikings are heading into week two of the preseason. With a home game on Saturday, August 20th at 6:00 pm against the San Francisco 49ers. Beforehand the two teams will hold a pair of joint practices on Wednesday and Thursday. This is where teams really start honing in on who is and isn’t making the roster. It is also the week when the ones actually might see some playing time. So, this is the most measurable game with the players who probably will be suiting up on week one. With that in mind, here are some of my bold takes from what I have gathered.
Vikings Rookies
Several of this year’s draft class are making big impressions in camp so far. None bigger than LSU right guard Ed Ingram. He stands 6’3″ tall and weighs 307 Lbs. Ingram has been consistently impressive thus far in camp. So much so that he has begun earning first-team reps. More and more. It sounds like he might get a chance on Saturday to work with the first team and earn the starting job outright by the end of the preseason. Not only do I believe Ingram will win the starting job, but in the supposed best-receiving draft class ever, he might win offensive rookie of the year.
Ingram will do that by shoring up the right side of the interior and protecting Kirk Cousins from constant pressure. Ingram will open up holes for Dalvin Cook, and whoever else is running the ball this year. The Vikings used their first-round pick, number 32, to draft safety Luis Cine from Georgia University. His measurables are 6’2″ tall, and he weighs 199 lbs. Not only does Cine fit perfectly alongside Free Saftey Harrison Smith, but he is versatile enough to play in the slot as a cornerback or as a linebacker. During his last season in Georgia, he logged over 100 snaps from the slot and more than 60 as a linebacker. So, Cine has experience moving around, which gives new defensive coordinator Ed Donatell more freedom to try different looks and move guys all over the field, keeping offenses guessing.
With their second pick, number 42 overall, they stayed on the secondary, the team’s most significant need, and got cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. from Clemson. Booth is 6 ft tall and weighs 194lbs. His draft stock took a hit dealing with some injury issues that otherwise would have seen him projected as a first-rounder. Booth got his first playing time during the first preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders. If he can earn a starting role, the Vikings will have taken a massive step towards solidifying their secondary issues.
Vikings On Defense
Here’s where I think things will get interestingly juicy as most of the attention is focused on the offense with the new offensive-minded head coach O’Connell, Donatell. On the flip side can surprise the whole league with the defense in the scheme and player personnel he will use to execute his masterplans. Switching from the previous four three to his three four is the first significant change.
Over the last two years, this team that has always been known for its defensive prowess has seen it decline overall due mainly to injuries and some positional turnover, that hopefully has been addressed in this year’s draft in which the team drafted a defensive guy with five of their first six picks. I’m sure the first two will make a splash as starters from week one. Not just because they fill a need at their position either. I’m going to say that Danielle Hunter being back to total health and moving to an outside linebacker might be what the doctor ordered.
Along with Za’Darius Smith coming over from Green Bay this offseason, it creates possibly the most formidable pass-rushing duo in the NFC for sure. Hunter enjoyed his best years while another pass rusher of his equal was on the other side. With Smith set to be that guy this year, I see both of them enjoying career years of double-digit sacks for each 12 to 15. Yes, I predict the pair will combine for 24 to 30 sacks. Meaning as a team, they might get close to 60.
Flipping this team’s defense from the bottom eight in every category to possibly top eight in most categories might seem like asking too much, especially with most of the roster remaining from last year. However, the best way to take pressure off a secondary is a great pass rush by reestablishing that here might be what the doctor ordered to help a young secondary learn and grow into seasoned starters by season’s end. Adding an extra linebacker to either pass coverage or pass rush will also pay dividends. Up and down, this defensive roster has the pieces in place at every level, from the D -line to the linebackers, the cornerbacks, and the safeties.
Vikings On Offense
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell ranks all 32 NFL teams based on their offensive playmakers. His results for this year put the Vikings at number four. I agree 100 percent. Dalvin Cook remains one of the most versatile and dangerous running backs in the whole league. Even though this will be a much more pass-heavy offense, that doesn’t mean it will be abandoning the run, especially with Cook as the lead back. Cook will flourish with the defenses having to respect the pass. He will see far less loaded boxes dedicated to stopping him. Combine that with this new offense that will be looking to utilize Cook in the passing game finding him in space on mismatches more often. I predict that Cook will rush for over 1400 yards this season and have close to another 500 receiving yards; I believe Cook will flirt with 2000 all-purpose yards.
The Tight End is probably the thinnest skill position with talent and depth. Wise, the Vikings are hopeful Irv Smith Jr. can get and remain healthy. If so, there’s no reason he can’t get near or over 500 yards receiving with around five touchdowns. Now to the bread and butter, the wide receivers. As the bonafide number, one receiver Justin Jefferson is set to take his game to yet an even higher level.
Considering he has put up over 3000 yards in his first two years, he has already put his name next to the likes of Randy Moss with his numbers. Jefferson came out swinging in his first year (he was a healthy scratch the first three weeks, too) with 88 catches for 1400 yards and seven TDs. He followed that up with 108 grabs for 1616 yards and 10 TDs. That’s 20 more catches for over 200 more yards and three more touchdowns. He’s confident he can surpass those numbers again this year. Why not since he did so with an offense that purposely did not emphasize the pass?
Now, in contrast, this offense is all about the passing game. Jefferson looks to be the Cooper Cupp of this purple offense. With that, and he has two other wideouts capable of lighting up secondaries, just blanketing him with double teams won’t be possible. Jefferson will flirt with 2000 yards receiving and clear 2000 all-purpose yards as he will be getting some rushing yards and close to 250 yards. With more targets coming than ever, his catch rate will also climb 140 sounds like the number. In year one, he had seven touchdowns. In year two it went up to ten. This year it will jump again from ten to 18. Coming into his 9th year, Adam Thielen is looking to get back to his performance of old circa 2017, and 2018, where he eclipsed 90 catches and 1200 yards.
His best all-around season was probably 2020, where he recorded 74 receptions for 925 yards, but the head turner was his TDs jumped from six to 14! In 2021 he also hauled in double-digit TDs, snagging ten. Proving his ability as one of the best red zone targets and an offseason getting healthy, look for this to be Thielen’s best year ever. He should get back to 80 to 100 catches for 13 to 1500 yards and continue to be one of the most dominant red zone targets in the league with 18 TD’s, half of which come inside the 20.
They are not done with wide receiver weapons yet; they have K.J. Osborn as possibly the best number three wideout in the league. Last year he emerged as the third receiver with 50 receptions for 655 yards and seven TDs. After an offseason where he gained upper body strength, he is only getting better; look for him to build on last year’s showing. Osborn will reach near 70 catches, clear 800 yards, and hit double-digit TDs with 12.
Are five high-caliber weapons going to be enough for quarterback Kirk Cousins to battle his narrative that he’s not elite and can’t win in primetime? Will a new head coach who has been his QB’s coach in the past bring out something we haven’t seen before? Well, in a word, yes. Cousins has been given a bad rap; outside of getting sick, he doesn’t miss games due to injury; not even Mr. MVP Aaron Rodgers can say that (ask Anthony Barr!).
Ask any coach in the league what he would do for a Quarterback who averages over 4000 yards nearly every year since 2015, throws at least 25 TDs every year, and has an average rating of 101. Most would be drooling till you say his name, Kirk cousins? Well, that all changes this year. Cousins would like Matthew Stafford to see his best year with the guidance of head coach Kevin O’Connell (he was OC in LA with Stafford last year). So, what does a Cousins career year look like? Having done the math on the five weapons I have mentioned, and he will throw for over 5500 yards and 56 TDs, he will throw only 12 interceptions and have a passer rating near 110.
Team
What does this mean for the team’s season with all these stats on both sides of the ball? Well, it’s simple wins, wins, and more wins. This team will put up historic numbers offensively. Piling up wins along the way, five wins will come from within the division. The Vikings will sweep the NY series. They will beat the Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, and the New England Patriots. In all, they will finish with a record of 13 -4.
With the best offense in the NFC and a top-ten defense, they will be the team to beat in the NFC playoffs. The level of balance might finally be enough to bring this team to its first-ever Lombardi trophy. Keep it locked right here at NutsandBoltsSports.com for all your purple news. Stay repping your purple and gold with all the latest gear right here. as always, SKOL!!
