Vikings' season didn't end in Philly but how they bounce back matters
OK, so now what?
Now we know Kevin O’Connell does not walk on water after the rookie head coach’s unbeatable debut.
Now we see how the Vikings revealed themselves in Week 2 to be the same flawed 2021 team which was out-coached after success and treated momentum like hemlock.
We still don’t know Minnesota’s identity on either side of the ball. Or whether a familiar but aging and expensive roster can transform from playoff busts to NFC contenders running new schemes out of the mouths of babes.
But we should learn plenty this week about O’Connell’s mettle and the locker room’s faith in the boy wonder after the Eagles’ 24-7 dismantling of the Vikings Monday night in Philadelphia.
Adversity is always a better truth-teller than tranquility in the merciless NFL. Victories can cover for a multitude of sins no one wants to confront. Defeat exposes the flaws for all to see.
No one is declaring Minnesota’s season dead because of one road loss to a postseason team in a hostile stadium. There will be more losses and difficult matchups to test survival.
Besides, the systematic takedown of division rival Green Bay in Week 1 showed plenty of promise for what the Vikings could be in this season of seismic transition. But the disparate performances essentially cancel out each other.
So who are these guys?
O’Connell played the dutiful martyr, plunging so deeply on his sword at the postgame podium it’s a wonder anyone pulled it back out.
“When I look back on tonight, I put this one on me,” said O’Connell. “I don’t think I did enough in-game. You’ve got to give Philadelphia a lot of credit. I do mean it: I feel like this one’s on me, and I’m going to work like crazy to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
Valiant words from the humbled prince and a refreshing pivot from the pouting and scapegoating that emanated in years past from the one who shall not be named.
Accountability matters. But adjusting on the fly to the weekly dramas and narratives that define 17 weeks of unscripted entertainment is what takes the true measure of leaders who better learn to wear scar tissue as a badge of honor.
We are where we are with Kirk Cousins. No sense dissecting the veteran quarterback’s latest crawl under a rock for anything more than what he is. A talented, confounding, productive but easily rattled .500 quarterback earning millions in an unforgiving salary cap world.
I am more concerned with what the Vikings are going to do when a well-prepared defense throws a wet blanket over Justin Jefferson and dares Cousins to beat them elsewhere from a pocket of duress.
Irv Smith Jr. is a formidable option, when the tight end isn’t dropping sure touchdown passes.
Adam Thielen is a viable second threat at receiver, when he hasn’t been ignored.
Dalvin Cook was a game-breaking running back, when Mike Zimmer insisted on jamming the 1980s down everyone’s throat. But Cook’s inability to explode out of the backfield has either exposed his diminishing returns or O’Connell’s inability to integrate him into a modern offensive attack.
Meanwhile, Minnesota’s defense is getting older and creakier by the minute. After crashing Aaron Rodgers’ party last week, the unit was on its heels and chasing ghosts against Jalen Hurts and Philly’s dynamic run-pass option.
The Vikings were deked and dominated throughout a first half in which Hurts accounted for three touchdowns and put enough distance between the Eagles and their pursuers that the second half was a mere formality.
It was tempting to tune out after 30 minutes, but the Vikings teased just enough in the second half with Patrick Peterson’s clutch blocked field goal and Jordan Hicks’ interception to compel a full 3-hour tour.
Minnesota created opportunities to stage a comeback, pushing five possessions deep into Philadelphia territory. But Cousins was intercepted three times – twice near the goal line. And there was never any moment when it seemed the Vikings were in control.
So we hit the reset button. Nothing gained, nothing lost.
Haters are gonna latch onto the loss at the Linc to grouse that nothing has changed. Apologists are gonna point to pulverizing the Packers as a new awakening.
Whatever gets you through the night.
Now the schedule gets interesting. The Vikings sandwich two more home games against NFC North opponents, Detroit and Chicago, around a neutral-site journey across the pond to play the Saints in London – a nice escape from the cauldron of the New Orleans Superdome.
I can’t believe I’m saying this out loud, but the Lions look like an ascending team. At least on offense, where they have scored 71 points in two games. They may not be Super Bowl material under rah-rah coach Dan Campbell, but they’re also no longer a gimme.
Answering for failure is a staple of all proven NFL winners. O’Connell has his Week 1 game ball. He also has his Week 2 pacifier.
What will be his third act? This is what we pay to see.
Related: Good Kirk, bad Kirk: Vikings' rollercoaster ride with Cousins continues
Related: What cost the Vikings in Philly: execution or scheme?
