Sorry, but this is a GM issue
Sunday’s 26-0 loss at Seattle — the Vikings’ most humiliating defeat since last being shut out 34-0 by Green Bay 18 years ago — isn’t just a quarterback issue. It’s an overall general manager problem. Sustained success isn’t possible when your GM gets lapped by his peers annually in the draft. 

Throwing $300 million at other teams’ aging free agents can’t replace building core starters and quality depth among players entering their prime at three to five years, or generally ages 23 to 26. 

The Vikings have four players on their roster who were drafted three to five years ago — one from the last year under Rick Spielman (2021) and three from the first two years under Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (2022-23). Two are regular starters (Christian Darrisaw, Jordan Addison). Darrisaw didn’t play Sunday.

As for the rest of the NFC North, the Packers have 18 players and 12 starters who they drafted from 2021-23 while the Lions have 13 players and 11 starters, and the Bears have six players and five starters. Feel free to say, “Wow.”

Vikings among league’s most inconsistent
We tend to think of the Vikings as a proud, consistent franchise. Maybe we should amend that thinking as they fell to 4-8 and all but secured a 16th consecutive season of being unable to string two playoff years together. 

Yep, the last time this team made the playoffs in consecutive seasons was 2008-09. Let’s measure the stink level of that amazingly consistent stretch of inconsistency. Since 2000, the Vikings have made the playoffs 10 times. That’s tied for ninth most. But they’ve put together consecutive playoff seasons only that one time.

They are one of only five teams with one or fewer streaks of fewer than three seasons of making the postseason since 2000. The others: Chicago, whose only streak was 2005-06, and Washington, Jacksonville and Cleveland — none of whom have reached the playoffs in back-to-back years since 2000. It’s come to this: The Vikings being mentioned in the same breath with, gulp, Cleveland.


How about a little star-power help for Brosmer?
Max Brosmer was awful on an undrafted rookie level of awfulness (although his 32.8 passer rating was only 1.4 lower than first-rounder J.J. McCarthy’s Lambeau Field debut debacle the week before). But he got no help in getting comfortable from his side of the ball.

How many times have we said, written and back-patted Justin Jefferson and Addison as one of the best receiving duos in football? Well, they let Brosmer down when he needed them to step up early and keep this game from becoming the joke that it became. 

Brosmer was 4 for 4 for 26 yards and a first down when he dropped back to pass on second-and-9 from his 27. He threw a great ball 15 yards downfield that a wide-open Addison dropped. That came on the Vikings’ second possession and led to a second straight punt. Two possessions later, Brosmer was 6 of 9 for 46 yards and two first downs, and the Vikings trailed only 3-0. It was first-and-10 when Jefferson dropped a ball thrown to him a yard from the first down.

If Addison and Jefferson catch those two balls, Brosmer starts 8 of 10 for about 76 yards, and he’s a whole lot more comfortable than what he morphed into en route to completing 19 of 30 for 126 yards. Spread some of that blame around to the stars.

Seattle knew it was over at 10-0
It’s especially embarrassing for an NFL team to be down only 10-0 with over 31 minutes left and have its opponent start playing as if that lead is insurmountable. 

How else can we explain Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald easing up and not bothering to use one of his three timeouts when his defense sacked Brosmer at the Vikings’ 24-yard line with 1:50 left in the first half? He allowed the Vikings to punt the ball at 1:12. Seattle then ran three plays from near midfield and waited another 13 seconds before Macdonald called his first timeout with 23 seconds left. 

Probably fearing a Vikings’ defensive score more so than anything, Macdonald didn’t even try for a touchdown before settling for a 56-yard field goal and a 13-0 halftime lead.


STRIB

Dont worry Kwesi made this mess, so I'm sure he has a brilliant plan for fixing it... said no one ever.

If Kwesi gets fired he will be fine, I heard Enron is hiring.

Looking back I can understand why Speilman brought in Cousins. If you dont have at least an average QB in this league you are going to struggle as a team.

That’s gotta be our retred right?  Mac Jones is under contract. Wentz isn’t anything but a backup. I guess K’aaron might be willing to play one more?

As most have mentioned, just a horrible offensive showing. I mean you cringe every time there's a passing play on offense. Sickening to watch.

• Minnesota gave the rest of the NFL the gameplan to take Uncle Sammy off his game: Pressure up the middle. Get him rattled, hit him early and he's toast. He can be a beautiful thrower of the football but I'm glad we let him go. Ultimately, he's going to Darnold. 
  
• For those that thought Brosmer was going to be a revelation because JJ 'sucks', well there you go....more issues offensively than JJ. Not saying McCarthy was playing great, because he wasn't....we all have eyes....but Brosmer's weaknesses were exposed and of course it was his first game. He was trying to throw too early on many throws. Regardless, he's no Brock Purdy.
  
• The D really was playing so well for the majority of the game. What a wasted outing for that unit. Flo knew exactly how to attack Darnold. Just a shame.
  
• I just don't see a great team in the NFC. With any kind of just adequate QBing, Minnesota would be right in the thick of things. 
  
• Saw some good QBs throw some really shitty passes. It seems I see this week in and week out consistently in the NFL.
  

what's everyone's thoughts on general customer service anymore I say it stinks and that's nice

...but we let Uncle Sammy, Danny Dimes and Aaron Rodgers walk for what we've seen so far in 2025? Its the most inept QBing I've witnessed by one team maybe ever. This turnaround from last year's 14 wins is almost unbelievable. You going to tell me this Seattle team wasn't oh so beatable with the way the Viking's D was after them? Minnesota should be ashamed by their offensive line play. Saying they are snakebit with injuries there is a massive understatement. Kelly went out AGAIN with an injury. So at one point the line was missing Darrisaw, Jackson and Kelly.....while Fries was getting his ass handed to him. Its all really nuts.

Bottom line: despite ALL the rest, the QB play has gutted this team and its potential for 2025. If you started Case Keenum, and I mean right now 37 year old Case Keenum, we'd probably be 8-4 right now, maybe better. ANYONE else. Its an unwatchable offense.

Per the announcers:

2007 - Last game

1991 - Six straight quarters

Hopefully we’ll have darrisaw and Jackson back. 

Despite the results this is not a bad team, except at QB, the most important and impactful position. Yes we have underachievers elsewhere obviously. 

The biggest issues that need cleaned up in order :

JJ’s development 
KOC being better at situational play calling
Stopping the run
Turnovers 
Stupid penalties 

Watching the games, there have been so many tipped balls and fumbles that we have not been able to secure on defense. Things haven’t bounced our way at all this year.  So I think turnovers will even out next year. 

It’s on KOC to fix the first 2 most important problems. If he doesn’t, his ass should be on the line end of next year. 

Kwesi needs to hit a good draft.  If his draft and FA work isn’t at least average, his ass should be on the line also end of next year.

So bottom line in all this, I will blow sunshine as long as possible. There has been a lot of good with this leadership. Just look at their overall record. 

It looks like the the rest of the year is gonna be for evaluation and development.  Hopefully JJ can right his ship. If he shows some improvement, we can at least have some hope for next year. 

I’ll post about positions and players at some point, but there have been several underachieving large dollar players this year as well.

Can't help but be extremely happy for the young man. 1st NFL start. An UDFA. Great kid, I'm sure his whole family, friends and the University of Minnesota is beyond stoked for him later today. Former coaches that saw his potential, how smart he is, what a hard worker, etc. Lots of pride in his circles and rightly so. I think he's the first University of Minnesota QB grad to start a NFL game? I know he loves the university and vice versa. 

I wish he had the table set a bit better for his first start, but that's how it goes. Tough sledding for sure on the road in Seattle. Uncle Sammy is going to want to lay it to the Vikings. Might get ugly, but I think this season is in tatters anyway. Anyway, good on ya Maxie for getting to The Show....best of luck. 

My $ is on LSU...