4 problems the Minnesota Vikings must fix during 2022 bye week
By Dean Jones
What problems must the Minnesota Vikings fix during their bye week to improve further on a tremendous start?
If you’d been told the Minnesota Vikings would be 5-1 at their Week 7 bye, almost every fan would have taken it. It hasn’t been easy at times, and there’s been plenty of nervous moments, but that’s the situation Kevin O’Connell and his roster now find themselves ahead of their well-deserved period of rest.
This complete change in approach with O’Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has had the desired effect so far. The Vikings boast a firm grip on the NFC North with the Green Bay Packers sitting at 3-3, so hopes of a postseason return look well within reach providing further improvements are made in the coming weeks.
The bye week is a chance to refresh, regroup, and put right some things that aren’t quite going according to plan. If O’Connell does this effectively and the players continue buying in, then Minnesota might be among the dark horse contenders for an elusive first Super Bowl when it’s all said and done.
With this in mind, here are four problems the Vikings must solve during their 2022 bye week.
Problem No. 1
Killer instinct
Life as a Vikings fan is never smooth sailing. O’Connell’s men seem to be doing things the hard way once again, allowing teams back into games and seemingly switching off before the light turns back on late.
This might be fine for the regular season and has been so far. But it won’t wash when push comes to shove in the playoffs.
Adopting a killer instinct to put opposing teams away and managing winning situations better could be another step in the right direction for this group. It would also make things a whole lot easier for the fanbase’s blood pressure for good measure.