Luck Is Playing Key Role In Minnesota Vikings’ Sharp Start, But Offense Must Improve

The Minnesota Vikings are 3-1 and all things are rosy for rookie head coach Kevin O’Connell and the team he fronts. Well, not quite.

Luck played a large part both their second and third victories over the Detroit Lions and the New Orleans Saints. The Vikings improved their London record to 3-0 thanks in large part to a couple of questionable officials’ calls that gave them late-game momentum and allowed them to put the winning points on the board.

The first came after safety Tyrann Mathieu was flagged for hands to the face of Justin Jefferson, giving the Vikings a key first down late in the fourth quarter after an incomplete Kirk Cousins pass to Adam Thielen. Shortly thereafter, Thielen drew a pass interference penalty on Marshon Lattimore, a play that gave the Vikings 41 yards. While the PI call had some legitimacy, Thielen could have been flagged for grabbing Lattimore’s facemask.

After the Vikings had secured a 28-25 lead on Greg Joseph’s fifth field goal of the day, a 47-yarder with 29 seconds left, the defense allowed the Saints to get in position for a tying field goal attempt by Will Lutz. The Saints placekicker had made a 60-yard three-pointer with 1:56 left in the game and he had confidence when he attempted another from that distance on the final play of the game. This time, the Vikings benefited as the kick hit the left upright and then then the crossbar before bounding back into the endzone. Double-doink!

A week earlier, the Vikings got a huge break when Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell sent his kicker onto the field to attempt a 54-yard field goal with 1:10 to go and the kick sailed wide right. The Vikings took advantage of the decision – the Lions had attempted to convert six previous fourth-down plays – when Cousins threw a winning 28-yard touchdown pass to K.J. Osborn.

The Vikings were expected to have one of the most dynamic offenses in the league this year because they are loaded with talent at the skill positions. Cousins has been one of the most accurate passers in the league and regularly avoids interceptions. However, Cousins is completing 63 percent of his passes this season, and that is the lowest mark during his tenure with the Vikings. He has also thrown four interceptions, putting him on pace for 17 this season.

“There’s just a lot to clean up still,” Cousins said after the victory over the Saints. “You feel great about the win, but you also feel like there’s a lot you leave out there. We’ve got to get better. I’ve got to get better.”

Running back Dalvin Cook is considered one of the top three running backs in the NFL. However, he is not off to one of his better starts. Cook has rushed for 279 yards and that ranks 13^th among NFL running backs. He is averaging 4.3 yards per carry with one rushing touchdowns. Instead of turning into a key option in the passing game, Cook has caught just nine passes for 47 yards.

Jefferson has had two brilliant games thus far but was rendered ineffective in two others. Jefferson’s stated goal is to be recognized as the best receiver in the NFL this season, and that is still a possibility. He has caught 28 passes for 393 yards and two touchdowns, and he has also rushed for one score. However, he dropped a TD pass against the Saints, and his route running in the Week 2 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles was not ideal.

Thielen has shown the ability to draw penalties in key situations, but his numbers this year are perplexing. He has caught 21 passes for 221 yards and just one touchdown. Thielen has been recognized for his ability in the red zone after catching 14 TD passes in 2020 and 10 last year, and he needs to step it up going forward.

Osborn, the No. 3 receiver, caught the game-winning TD pass in the Week 3 victory over the Lions, but that has basically been his only contribution this season. Osborn has caught 11 passes for 118 yards with one score, and the Vikings need more from him, especially when Jefferson is double covered.

The Vikings are in an excellent position going forward, and dramatically better than the 1-3 record they had at this point last year. However, their innovative, offensive-minded 37-year-old coach has to find a way to help the attack reach its potential on a consistent basis. So far, that has not happened.