I feel less confident in predicting a win total than I did
last year, mostly due to the conflicting nature of us upgrading our DC, while replacing
our older veteran talent with unknowns.
I think there’s a reasonable chance that Flores can get us from abysmal to
middle of the pack just based on how much of an upgrade he is over
Donatell. That said, I could also see a
scenario play out where he just can’t polish that turd enough.
It’s absolutely unreasonable to assume we’ll have as much
magic as we did last year in winning one score games, but if the defense steps
up a bit, and our offense raises their floor a bit during the middle of the
games, maybe we don’t have to.
My gut feeling says 10-11 wins, but I’m not going to be
surprised if it falls apart, and I’m depending on being pleasantly surprised by
some players that are having to step up this year. I can’t see us with less than 7 wins unless
Cousins is injured for several games.
Quote: @minny65 said:
From Packer Central - FWIW
Around the NFC North: Minnesota Vikings - Sports Illustrated Green Bay Packers News, Analysis and More
Season outlook:
The Vikings continue to follow what GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah described last year as a competitive rebuild. This offseason, with an eye on 2024 and beyond, they cleaned up their future salary cap outlook by moving on from veterans like Adam Thielen, Eric Kendricks, and several others. In free agency, their marquee moves were short-term deals for Marcus Davenport, Josh Oliver, and Byron Murphy Jr., a trio of second-contract players in the prime of their careers.
Even after parting with Thielen, Dalvin Cook, and six starters from last year's porous defense, the Vikings believe they can repeat as NFC North champions in 2023 and perhaps make a run in the playoffs. Why? Because their offense has a chance to be among the league's best in year two of the Kevin O'Connell era. Kirk Cousins should have a greater command of O'Connell's system this year, and he'll be throwing to a loaded pass-catching corps that includes Justin Jefferson, T.J. Hockenson, K.J. Osborn, and first-round rookie Jordan Addison. The addition of Oliver, an elite run-blocking tight end, is sneakily huge for a team that struggled to be efficient on the ground last season.
Defensively, there's nowhere to go but up. O'Connell brought in Brian Flores to overhaul the team's scheme and mentality on that side of the ball; the Vikings promise to be a much more aggressive defense in 2023. With Danielle Hunter back for another season and second-year players Akayleb Evans and Brian Asamoah set to emerge, this could at least be a competent unit. And if the offense is both efficient and explosive, competence on D might be good enough.
Obviously, some regression is coming to a team that went 11-0 in one-score games last year on its way to 13 wins. Still, there's a chance they get notably better as a team and win another 11 games. That feels like the ceiling with a difficult schedule. There are also more than enough question marks — interior pass protection, cornerback play, pass rush depth — that it's not hard to envision the Vikings taking a big step back and winning seven or eight games this year. - Will Ragatz Inside the Vikings
sure dude.
Until they are dethrone, they are still kings of the north.
I'm actually more optimistic about the Vikings this year than I was last year. It'll be tough to win 13 games again, but I could see us being a stronger overall team but only have 10 or 11 wins.
I think we'll still have a high end offense and I think we'll still be strong situationally like we were last year (that alone helped us win this close games). Difference will be our defense "should" be better with Flores. I think we'll have more 3 and outs but will probably still give up yards. That's the way the league is trending... It's just who can get more turnovers and 3 and outs to give your offense more chances to score.
Quote: @Wetlander said:
I'm actually more optimistic about the Vikings this year than I was last year. It'll be tough to win 13 games again, but I could see us being a stronger overall team but only have 10 or 11 wins.
I think we'll still have a high end offense and I think we'll still be strong situationally like we were last year (that alone helped us win this close games). Difference will be our defense "should" be better with Flores. I think we'll have more 3 and outs but will probably still give up yards. That's the way the league is trending... It's just who can get more turnovers and 3 and outs to give your offense more chances to score.
This is where I am at too. Predict they will be 11 - 6.
I think we are also a 8 or 9 win team for a few reasons;
- a lot of luck along the way in pulling out some miracle wins last year. You can't expect that to happen two years in a row
- we suffered almost zero significant injuries last year. Don't expect that to happen two years in a row
- have we absolutely upgraded any of the roster positions we were deficient last season? We don't know, but on face value I'd say probably not. Kendriks for Asamoah, Thielen for Addison, Smith for Davenport, PP for Murphy, etc. I know where we definitely have downgraded is at running back.
- division will be much more competitive
This just smells like a .500 football team to me
I think we upgraded the coaching on D, but likely have taken a step back in talent on that side of the ball, I am very concerned about our run defense once again, it seemed that teams rarely had an issue running in short yardage between the 20s when they had the entire field to work with, we did look a little better in condensed situations where the defense didnt have so much room to cover, but that should go with most any defense. I also question if we have made any gains on O, Addison and Nailer, should be able to cover up for the lost production from AT, but his leadership may be missed. ISjr... well I could make up for his lost production so we are good at TE, but I know continuity is a big thing for OL play, but IMO it wasnt a lack of continuity for our interior OL last year, it was a lack of an anchor, so running Bradberry back out there again does nothing for me in terms of expectation for improvement, in fact our interior OL has looked like crap since Cleveland was moved from right to left guard IMO ( I thought he played better on the right side and I dont recall as many free rushes through that right gap as we have seen the last couple years) all in all, I think we will have a better team, but a worse record, maybe a 1 and done in the playoffs, and once again be picking late teens early 20s.
I think the range of outcomes is wider this year than most. We just have a lot of new parts and question marks.
What irritates me is how people talk about the one score-wins (as if our record were a mirage) without even mentioning the fact that the year before 7 of our 9 losses were by one score. The '22 version just figured out how to play better situational football, but that was basically the same roster. An 11 (ish)-win roster.
With a middling defense, this team beats the Giants by 14. I expect a better defense this year. Just not sure how much better. But I think most are underrating how much better the Vikings offense can be in year two, even without Dalvin. The key will be health (obviously) and Jordan Addison. If he takes some time to figure it all out, the offense likely won't improve. But if he has a, say, Keenan Allen type rookie season, the Vikings are going to be put a metric shitload of points on the board.
Either way, buckle in. This could be the most fun-to-watch purple team in decades.
Quote: @JimmyinSD said:
I think we upgraded the coaching on D, but likely have taken a step back in talent on that side of the ball, I am very concerned about our run defense once again, it seemed that teams rarely had an issue running in short yardage between the 20s when they had the entire field to work with, we did look a little better in condensed situations where the defense didnt have so much room to cover, but that should go with most any defense. I also question if we have made any gains on O, Addison and Nailer, should be able to cover up for the lost production from AT, but his leadership may be missed. ISjr... well I could make up for his lost production so we are good at TE, but I know continuity is a big thing for OL play, but IMO it wasnt a lack of continuity for our interior OL last year, it was a lack of an anchor, so running Bradberry back out there again does nothing for me in terms of expectation for improvement, in fact our interior OL has looked like crap since Cleveland was moved from right to left guard IMO ( I thought he played better on the right side and I dont recall as many free rushes through that right gap as we have seen the last couple years) all in all, I think we will have a better team, but a worse record, maybe a 1 and done in the playoffs, and once again be picking late teens early 20s.
That's been my concern also. While I think the pass defense will be improved by virtue of scheme change under Flores and some hopefully healthy bodies, I think the run defense will struggle. We struggled last season but we're so poor against the pass teams just kept stealing and didn't feel the need to run it. It was pitch and catch essentially. Tonga, Lowry and Phillips are just guys to me and the backups aren't much better. We don't penetrate or collapse the pocket. Despite the disagreement of others, I think we are small at linebacker and Hicks is past his prime. None of this adds up to a stout run defense and if we are going to simply allow free lineman to get to the second level consistently and put a body on our linebackers, we are going to be in trouble. Scheme and coaching only go so far. You need the horses to make it work and that's where I think we are lacking
![[Image: gns774da2gb2.png]](https://vikefans.com/vfforums/uploads/editor/9f/gns774da2gb2.png)
IDK, 4 wins is all I see…!  B)
Quote: @supafreak84 said:
@ JimmyinSD said:
I think we upgraded the coaching on D, but likely have taken a step back in talent on that side of the ball, I am very concerned about our run defense once again, it seemed that teams rarely had an issue running in short yardage between the 20s when they had the entire field to work with, we did look a little better in condensed situations where the defense didnt have so much room to cover, but that should go with most any defense. I also question if we have made any gains on O, Addison and Nailer, should be able to cover up for the lost production from AT, but his leadership may be missed. ISjr... well I could make up for his lost production so we are good at TE, but I know continuity is a big thing for OL play, but IMO it wasnt a lack of continuity for our interior OL last year, it was a lack of an anchor, so running Bradberry back out there again does nothing for me in terms of expectation for improvement, in fact our interior OL has looked like crap since Cleveland was moved from right to left guard IMO ( I thought he played better on the right side and I dont recall as many free rushes through that right gap as we have seen the last couple years) all in all, I think we will have a better team, but a worse record, maybe a 1 and done in the playoffs, and once again be picking late teens early 20s.
That's been my concern also. While I think the pass defense will be improved by virtue of scheme change under Flores and some hopefully healthy bodies, I think the run defense will struggle. We struggled last season but we're so poor against the pass teams just kept stealing and didn't feel the need to run it. It was pitch and catch essentially. Tonga, Lowry and Phillips are just guys to me and the backups aren't much better. We don't penetrate or collapse the pocket. Despite the disagreement of others, I think we are small at linebacker and Hicks is past his prime. None of this adds up to a stout run defense and if we are going to simply allow free lineman to get to the second level consistently and put a body on our linebackers, we are going to be in trouble. Scheme and coaching only go so far. You need the horses to make it work and that's where I think we are lacking
You're right. We don't yet have the horses for a top half defense. But I don't hear anyone arguing that we will. It doesn't have to be top half. If Flores and the aggressive new scheme improves the defense from 31st to, say, 21st, this team will be better than it was last year.
|
