Vikings Report Card: Kevin O’Connell’s offense needs an identity, while Jonathan Greenard and Jalen Redmond have the defense playing well
It’s an interesting start to the season for the Minnesota Vikings.
We are six games into the NFL season, which means the first trimester of the year has been completed.
The Minnesota Vikings have played five games with their bye in Week 6, and we’ve learned quite a bit about the team. Even so, the mass injuries have been a huge deterrent in figuring out how good this team is. Still, we’ve seen a lot of performances that stand out on both sides of the football.
Through the first trimester of the season, here is our Vikings report card.
Offensive superlatives
MVP: LT Christian Darrisaw
When the offensive line got Darrisaw back, it immediately got better. The first two games saw quarterback J.J. McCarthy get sacked 19 times, including a 22.2 sack percentage against the Atlanta Falcons. Once Darrisaw returned, the Vikings could immediately count on him holding the fort down, making everyone else’s job that much easier on the rest of the line, including allowing T.J. Hockenson to release without having to chip.
Glue guy: WR Justin Jefferson
Is there anyone else who is more impactful than Jefferson? He only caught 12 passes for 200 yards and a touchdown over the first three weeks, but was the catalyst during the last two weeks.
He’s caught 17 passes for 249 yards and has been nothing short of outstanding in bringing the ball in during key situations and being the reliable rock for Carson Wentz at quarterback.
Biggest surprise: OL Blake Brandel
When you watch the Vikings’ offensive line, so much of it has been backups. It’s no surprise that Brandel has played a bunch, but the big surprise was how well he played in his first-ever game at center. He was good at the position, and it raised questions as to who would play with Ryan Kelly on injured reserve for at least the next three games. An impressive showing for Brandel.
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Biggest disappointment: QB J.J. McCarthy
This is an easy one for the Vikings. McCarthy was viewed by many as someone who could step right in and take the Vikings to another playoff berth. Pair that with McCarthy hurting his ankle, which compounds the entire situation.
McCarthy isn’t worth worrying about at this point, but it’s been a brutal start.
Turning point of the last six weeks: Loss vs. Atlanta Falcons
The Vikings unit as a whole has been a tough one to parse, especially given the massive number of injuries. The projected starting offensive line has played a grand total of zero snaps together. The one thing that we can look at is how Kevin O’Connell has managed the unit.
He didn’t make enough adjustments early on to help the unit, but he improved over the final three games before their bye week. We still don’t know what this version of O’Connell’s offense will be, but coming out of the bye week, we will know more, and there is a lot to be positive about.
Offense overall grade: B-
Defensive superlatives
MVP: EDGE Jonathan Greenard
When you watch the defense, Greenard continues to make an impact in nearly every sense of the word. Greenard is attacking the offensive line in the running game, as a pass rusher, and even proving to be a talented player when dropping into coverage.
He is making every other player’s job easier, which is huge for a defense that has seen significant growth on the defensive line.
Glue guy: CB Byron Murphy Jr.
Murphy has been a major factor in this team’s success. He is a constant in the Vikings’ passing game as the top cornerback. He even got a nice PBU against the Cleveland Browns in the back of the end zone.
Murphy hasn’t graded out great per Pro Football Focus, but he’s allowed just 12 catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns across the first five games. Murphy hasn’t been a shutdown player, but the consistency has been really important.
Biggest surprise: DT Jalen Redmond
There isn’t a single player who has been a bigger breakout than Redmond. He earned the starting job last year at the end of the season from Jerry Tillery.
This year, Redmond has three sacks and 10 pressures on 79 pass rush reps. Redmond has been moving players backward and getting ignored by the opposing offensive line a little too often. He is a menace on the interior and arguably the biggest find of general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
Biggest disappointment: ILB Ivan Pace Jr.
This is a tough one for the Vikings, as Pace certainly has struggled. However, parsing out how much of it was his fault is the key here. Pace’s success has been predicated on shooting gaps and getting penetration in the backfield.
He’s guessed wrong before, but the misses have been more egregious this year, arguably due to Blake Cashman’s absence. He could backfill for the Vikings to fix what Pace does, but Eric Wilson isn’t that guy, and it’s making a serious impact.
Is it all Pace’s fault? That much we don’t know yet, but it’s worth keeping an eye on.
Turning point of the last six weeks: Isaiah Rodgers’ 99.9 PFF grade
That game was huge for the Vikings’ confidence on defense since Rodgers was a question mark at cornerback. That game solidified the confidence that the Vikings had in him when they signed him to a two-year deal this past offseason.
It wasn’t about the fact that he compiled two defensive touchdowns and three turnovers in his 99.9 PFF grade, but about his consistent process. That has made things a lot smoother for the Vikings’ top-ranked pass defense in dropback EPA/play and second in EPA/play overall.
Defense overall grade: B
2025 draft class superlatives
Overachiever: DT Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins
You don’t expect a fifth-round pick to become a serious rotational player, but that is exactly what we have with Ingram-Dawkins. He’s played 98 snaps in the first five games, with three of them over 24 snaps. He’s been good against the run and finding ways to impact throwing lanes with his length. There is still a lot of room for growth, but that is coming every day.
Rookie we need to see more from: OL Donovan Jackson
Let’s not get it twisted: Jackson’s been great so far this season. He attacks defensive linemen aggressively and can absorb their power when they come in on him. The wrist surgery was a tough one for his development, but he’s already shown that he’s a good starter.
What we want to see more of is that kind of dominance. Is he 100% legit? More snaps will give us more information.
Underachiever: WR Tai Felton
Felton has played just a handful of offensive snaps, with the majority of his work coming on special teams as a gunner and kick returner. It’s not ideal that your third-round pick is in this spot, but it was his performance in training camp that was a key factor in leading to the Adam Thielen trade. They don’t trust him on offense yet, and it shows.
Draft class overall grade: C+
Coaching report card
It’s a tale of two parts. O’Connell focused too much on making his system work with McCarthy in the first two weeks, which was a mistake. There should have been more of a focus on helping McCarthy adjust to the NFL. The next three games saw the Vikings make many of those adjustments, and that was a huge factor in getting two wins with Wentz.
On defense, Flores has been massive. They are fantastic against the pass, but it has caused a struggle against the run. Having that kind of imbalance stinks, but it fits the mantra of “death by 1,000 cuts.” Getting better against the run still needs to be a priority, but limiting explosives in the passing game has been huge.
Grade: B
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