What could potentially stand in the way of the Minnesota Vikings wining enough games to qualify for this season's playoffs?
The Minnesota Vikings currently own the sixth seed in the NFC playoff picture. They are coming off two straight losses to teams they should've beaten. Mistakes in various areas by numerous members of the team prevented them from being in a nice cushy spot as the final five-game push to the playoffs commences.
These mistakes and areas of weakness have stood out in recent weeks and are the factors that could ultimately leave the Vikings on the outside looking in when the playoffs begin in January.
Hopefully, with the bye week, Minnesota head coach Kevin O'Connell was able to take an extended look at some of the team's issues and come up with solutions that will make the Vikings get back to playing the way they did during their five-game winning streak.
The biggest boost to this team will be getting All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson back. He's a superstar and will make Josh Dobbs, or whoever Minnesota's starting quarterback is, look much better.
While getting No. 18 back will be big, let's go over a few factors that could be what causes the Vikings to miss the playoffs this season.
1. Turnovers
The Vikings have been turnover machines pretty much all season long. They started the season off 0-3, and a big reason why was their inability to hang on to the football. They were fumbling, letting passes bounce off their hands, or simply throwing the ball to the other team.
Those areas got cleaned up during the team's improbable five-game winning streak. They were protecting the football and winning the turnover battle and it showed in the win/loss column.
However, their fortunes turned a few weeks ago. Josh Dobbs has been the biggest culprit, turning the ball over six times in the last two games. Alexander Mattison has also had some costly fumbles that have put the team in some really bad spots.
The defense has bailed the offense out multiple times this season but hasn't been able to do enough to squeak out a win when the margin is so far in the black. They are getting worn out late in games, having to be on the field so much, and the offense is to blame.
The Vikings aren't going to beat anyone if they continue to cough up the football or throw it to the other team. They have to get this figured out, or they'll be cleaning out their lockers on January 8th, instead of preparing for their Wild Card round opponent.
2. Quarterback Play
This ties into the turnover topic, but the Vikings have to get better play out of the quarterback position. This could happen with a change to Nick Mullens or Jaren Hall, but it could also come by just the way Dobbs is used.
Hopefully, Kevin O'Connell has realized during the bye week that Dobbs isn't a pocket passer. He's at his best when he's rolling out and can use his legs.
O'Connell should encourage him to run about as often as possible, just like he did when he was thrust into the Falcons' game. Dobbs had no problem moving the ball when he could play more freely, and the team needs to get back to that.
If they do alter how they use Dobbs, and he is still making horrible decisions and throws, then a change has to be made. Nick Mullens doesn't provide anything overly special as far as arm talent or mobility, but he can run the offense very similar to Kirk Cousins.
It would be a much more game-managing type of offense, but with the way Brian Flores's defense is playing, it may be enough. Rookie quarterback Jaren Hall is another option, and his inexperience is both horrifying and intriguing at the same time.
Whatever the case, and whoever the signal caller is in this final stretch run, the play from the quarterback position needs to be better, or the Vikings are not going to be invited to the big dance.
3. Head Coaching Decisions
Kevin O'Connell is a good football coach and has done a lot to keep his team competitive despite a crazy number of injuries to key players on his team.
While his ability to keep morale high and the team believing despite the loss of their star wide receiver and starting quarterback is great, some of his in-game decisions have been confusing and costly.
O'Connell opted to go extremely vanilla in the second half against the Saints after opening up a huge lead. The defense was able to hang on and secure the victory, but the game was much closer than it needed to be or should have been.
He also went conservative in Denver, and his biggest offense was not being aggressive late in the Bears' game while only having a one-point lead with about three minutes left.
O'Connell needs to start calling plays like Ed Donatell is his defensive coordinator again. A year ago, he knew the offense had to keep putting points on the board if it was going to win games, and that strategy worked.
Now that he knows his defense is good, he's comfortable getting a lead early and then calling plays to drain the clock and preserve that lead instead of adding to it. That strategy has backfired the last few weeks, and the Vikings have lost to teams they should've beaten.
If the Vikings are going to make the playoffs, the head coach needs to be more aggressive in his playcalling and have his side of the ball carry their weight.