The Minnesota Vikings failed to defeat the New York Giants during Wild Card weekend but there was still quite a bit to learn about this team.
It’s sad that only one home team lost during the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs and it was the Minnesota Vikings. However, that loss to the New York Giants might be one of the most Vikingish things of all time.
This was not a pretty game. The Giants could have run away with it if not for a Minnesota offense that did everything it could to keep the game close. By a final score of 24-31, the Vikings couldn’t get the job done against New York, ending their season.
Despite the loss, there are many great reasons to be proud to be a fan of the Minnesota Vikings. This game may leave a bitter taste in the mouth of many fans, but few expected this squad to be a playoff squad this year, let alone win the division.
Let’s take a look at the fallout from this playoff game against the New York Giants and see what can be learned from the disappointing loss on Sunday, Jan. 15. Here are the six biggest takeaways from the loss.
Luck finally ran out for Minnesota
The Minnesota Vikings being able to win so many one-score games this season was a lot of fun, but being able to keep the streak going was going to be an extremely challenging task for the purple and gold.
It has been a ton of fun and also super stressful to watch all these Vikings games that come down to the wire but it isn’t surprising to any fan of Minnesota that their first one-score loss would come in the playoffs.
There have been many times this season that things have gone Minnesota’s way, but that trend stopped on Sunday. The Giants could do no wrong against the Vikings, particularly on offense where they dominated the line of scrimmage.
Although it’s sad to see the team’s run stop here, they far exceeded all expectations and should be fairly pleased with the overall results of the season. It would have been fun to see this run of good fortune continue, but all good things must come to an end.
The defense needs a lot of help
The Giants only punted twice and converted more than half of their third-down tries. Plus, they got both of their fourth down plays to work. The Minnesota Vikings’ defense couldn’t get off the field.
68 plays for 431 yards made Daniel Jones look like the next Michael Vick and Isaiah Hodgins seem like Cooper Kupp. Minnesota was unable to create a turnover or generate consistent pressure despite having two excellent edge rushers.
Many fans will be calling for the job of defensive coordinator Ed Donatell, but after winning the division and losing only three games during the regular season, it wouldn’t be shocking to see him stay put.
Changes will need to be made. Whether it is the coaching, scheme, personnel, or execution, the franchise can’t continue forward giving up so many points or they won’t be able to “defend the North” for very long.
The T.J. Hockenson trade was great
The Minnesota Vikings got a little desperate when Irv Smith Jr. went down with an injury and made the trade for Lions tight end T.J. Hockenson. That trade has paid dividends for the team this season.
Kirk Cousins really trusts Hockenson and he has quickly become the number two target for the Vikings behind Justin Jefferson. He had the most targets in this game with 11 and led in receiving yards for Minnesota with 129,
Don’t be surprised if the Vikings work out an extension with Hockenson considering that 2023 is the final year of his contract. They would also be able to adjust his cap hit if they choose to work out a new deal.
Since it will be questionable at best for Irv Smith Jr. to get an extension, the Minnesota Vikings may want to move forward with T.J. Hockenson and Johnny Mundt at tight end with a possible third to be a blocking specialist.
The Vikings’ rookie class struggled
It wasn’t so much that the first rookie class of new general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was bad, they just didn’t get to have a lot of time on the football field aside from starting right guard Ed Ingram.
The Minnesota Vikings invested in their defense by taking safety Lewis Cine in the first round and grabbing cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. in the second. Both spent more time on injured reserve than on the active roster this year.
Fans heard about plans the team had for using Cine but never got to see them actually get put into play. That will be something to watch for when he finally gets an opportunity to showcase his skills on the field.
Akayleb Evans and Brian Asamoah also dealt with injuries and it will be interesting to see what these young defenders can do when given bigger roles. Both have looked good at times, so if they can develop, that would be nice.
It’s time to start looking ahead
Well, the offseason has officially arrived now for the Minnesota Vikings and they will have pick 24 in the 2023 NFL Draft. They will also have some difficult decisions to make on players with huge salary cap hits this upcoming season.
The Vikings could be very bold this offseason and try to trade some established talent for assets toward a rebuild…especially if that talent hasn’t been producing as expected up to this point on the field.
Big moves could be coming and names that have been in Minnesota for many seasons could be on the move as the franchise looks to the future. Fan favorites could be on their way out the door, so it’s time to prepare for it.
With so many changes being made near the top last season, it’s time to clean some house on the roster. The division could be wide open going forward but teams like the Lions and Bears have made bold moves that paid off, so why not the Minnesota Vikings?
The future is bright with Kevin O’Connell
In his first season with the Minnesota Vikings, head coach Kevin O’Connell may have overachieved but it was nice to see his passion for not only the team in general but the players he coaches on a daily basis.
Minnesota’s offense looks a lot different with O’Connell at the helm compared to how Mike Zimmer ran it before him. The passing attack is much more efficient and he uses players like Justin Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson in efficient ways.
If this team can tighten up their defense this offseason, they could be a very scary squad moving forward, especially if they don’t have to make a lot of changes to their offense. That will be a big test for this team this off-season.
Jefferson and O’Connell are the two biggest reasons to be excited about the future of this franchise. That duo, if they can continue to produce, could lead this team to a lot of success in the coming seasons.