High-Flying Vikings Face Potential Pitfall In Week 6 Meeting With Wounded Dolphins

The first lap of Kevin O’Connell’s coaching career is over. The Vikings head coach is standing tall after his team has defeated the three NFC North rivals in addition to the New Orleans Saints in a game played across the Atlantic.

O’Connell can take a deep breath and let it out, but the pitfalls that face every NFL head coach are starting to line up. Now the Vikings go on the road to face a team with a pair of quarterback injuries, but a team that is angry, motivated and dangerous.

The Miami Dolphins have already demonstrated an explosive quality that few teams have shown, and a pair of receivers that are looking at the Minnesota secondary and drooling. This is still the team’s most consistent area to exploit, and insiders report that the Dolphins are eager to make amends after dropping their last two games to the Bengals and the Jets.

A motivated opponent is one thing, and the hot weather is another. By the time the calendar hits mid-October, the Dolphins have an advantage over a visiting team from a northern climate. It may sound great that a team like the Vikings will play in a game where the temperature reaches 84 degrees, but it’s quite another by the midpoint of the third quarter and the offense has to put together a drive when trailing by two scores.

How does O’Connell get his team prepared for such a situation. He’s never been in it before, and his team isn’t looking at potential pitfalls. The Vikings are looking at the next three games against the Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals and Washington Commanders and figuring they will be 7-1 before a potential glamour matchup with the high-flying Buffalo Bills in Week 10.

They will never talk about that, but that is just how they are thinking. This is not a team used to winning and it does not have a mature head coach who understands the potholes that are coming up at top speed.

The Dolphins may seem like an easy opponent because they will likely be starting a third-string quarterback in Skylar Thompson. The backup’s backup completed 19 of 33 passes in last week’s loss to the Jets for a 166 yards. He didn’t throw a touchdown pass, he threw one interception and he fumbled once.

But what of the Vikings defense? Does this unit have the forcefulness and hunger to make the quarterback’s life miserable? Based on what happened against Justin Fields and the Chicago Bears, the Vikings defense is made to order for Thompson.

Fields had his best game as a professional against the Vikings, completing 15 of 21 passes for 208 yards with 1 touchdowns and without an interception. He nearly led the Bears to a comeback victory after facing a 21-3 deficit.

That same Fields was 14 of 27 for 190 yards with a TD and an interception in Chicago’s 12-7 loss to the lowly Washington Commanders Thursday night. He was sacked five times by the Washington front and hit repeatedly throughout the game.

The Chicago offensive line that looked so good against the Vikings – Fields was sacked just twice by Minnesota – was torn apart by Washington. That does not bode well for the Vikings against the Dolphins. Edge rusher Danielle Hunter is supposed to be a star, but this nearly $20 million man has just 2.0 sacks thus far.

Miami has recorded 9.0 sacks this season and 19 tackles for loss. They may not have any superstars to cause havoc, but edge rusher Melvin Ingram has 2.0 sacks and 3 TFL. He is a major force, and the Vikings may not be ready to stop him or his teammates.

The Vikings played a complete game in Week 1, but they have not come close since then. The fact that they are 4-1 means the team is feeling good about itself and the mood at practice is optimistic.

Minnesota comes into this game as a 3-point road favorite, but they are facing a desperate team that is hungry to win a game. It is no time for back slaps and ’attaboys. Instead, this is when O’Connell must be his most demanding. That could be setting the Vikings up for a nasty trip back to reality.