Take a deep cleansing breath...
Dejavu; like 2023, our football world changed a lot in a week...
New issues are now front and center.
I think the next couple weeks could add to fans sadness or anger. Going from watching JJM to Hall/Mullens is a big ask.
===================================================
[font=poynter-serif-re-regular, sans-serif]J.J. McCarthy’s injury shook up the Vikings plans for their second preseason game. Few if any starters on either team are expected to play. Here’s what we’ll be watching.
[font='Inter var', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]
1. Can Nick Mullens be trusted?
[font=poynter-serif-re-regular, sans-serif]J.J. McCarthy’s season-ending knee injury means there’s no scenario in which a healthy Nick Mullens doesn’t make the team as QB2 and the guy who once again is one injury away from starting. As you might recall, things didn’t go so well in terms of wins, losses and overall trust in Mullens’ ball security the last time the Vikings needed him to lead.
[font=poynter-serif-re-regular, sans-serif]
Mullens started three of the Vikings’ last four games in 2023 and was a fantasy football stud, throwing for 1,110 yards. Unfortunately, he also was a “reality football” dud, going 0-3 with eight interceptions, most of them ridiculously careless for a veteran.
[font=poynter-serif-re-regular, sans-serif]Yes, Mullens faced the NFC North champion Lions twice in three weeks. Yes, he threw for 807 yards. No, he didn’t win, throwing six interceptions, including four in a one-score home loss.
[font=poynter-serif-re-regular, sans-serif]
Mullens didn’t play in the preseason opener last week. Coach Kevin O’Connell deemed it unnecessary, praising the seven-year veteran’s knowledge of the offense and his coach-like demeanor in helping Sam Darnold and McCarthy learn the offense. But now much more is required of Mullens.
[font=poynter-serif-re-regular, sans-serif]
Though Saturday’s game will be only a dress rehearsal staged with mostly backup players, Mullens could use a clean, efficient and, yes, turnover-free outing for however many snaps he gets to help reestablish some trust among the team, the fans and, shoot, maybe even himself.
2. Is Jaren Hall progressing?
[font=poynter-serif-re-regular, sans-serif]Taking the ripple effect of McCarthy’s season-ending injury a step further, it also means Hall likely makes the team since, A, O’Connell knows all too well that he needs to keep three quarterbacks; and, B, Hall at least knows the offense having arrived as a fifth-round pick a year ago.
[font=poynter-serif-re-regular, sans-serif]Yes, he’s still raw. No, we have no idea if he has a long-term future in this league, even as a QB2 or QB3. He mopped up the preseason opener last week and wasn’t very good until the very end.
[font='Inter var', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif][font=poynter-serif-re-regular, sans-serif]Hall completed only four of his first 12 passes for 32 yards. But with O’Connell dug in and determined to win his first preseason game as Vikings coach, Hall was given the opportunity to lead a game-winning drive. He did so, completing two of his last three passes for 31 yards to set up Will Reichard’s walk-off winning kick.
[font='Inter var', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif][font=poynter-serif-re-regular, sans-serif]Given this team’s luck with quarterback injuries the last 10 months, one would assume Hall will get most of the work Saturday and start the preseason finale at Philadelphia.
3. Hello, Stephon Gilmore?
[font=poynter-serif-re-regular, sans-serif]The week started with Gilmore visiting TCO Performance Center and the cornerback-needy Vikings. The decorated 33-year-old veteran free agent with ties to defensive coordinator Brian Flores said, “Nah,” and left town quickly without a deal.
[font=poynter-serif-re-regular, sans-serif]O’Connell said the parting was amicable and not the final answer on either side. He once again touted his team’s culture and likability as traits that could still attract the likes of Gilmore.
[font=poynter-serif-re-regular, sans-serif]
It’s a safe bet money — or lack thereof — played a role in Gilmore’s decision to walk. If the Vikings’ cornerbacks flounder in Cleveland six days after Gilmore’s visit, perhaps the Vikings will up the ante for Gilmore.
[font=poynter-serif-re-regular, sans-serif]
The team has had nothing but tragic to bad news at cornerback. Rookie Khyree Jackson was killed in an auto accident in July. Mekhi Beckmon suffered a season-ending torn ACL on the first day of camp. Shaq Griffin pulled a hamstring on Day 2 and hasn’t practiced since.
[font='Inter var', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif][font=poynter-serif-re-regular, sans-serif]The team has signed four corners – Fabian Moreau, Duke Shelley, Bobby McCain and Jacobi Francis — since camp started. They dealt 2022 draft bust Andrew Booth Jr. for Nahshon Wright, a 2021 draft bust of the Cowboys.
[font='Inter var', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif][font=poynter-serif-re-regular, sans-serif]O’Connell is likely to protect starters Byron Murphy Jr. and Akayleb Evans from the final two preseason games while hoping Griffin continues to heal and some sort of depth emerges among the likes of the players above as well as Jaylin Williams, Dwight McGlothern and A.J. Green III.
[font='Inter var', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif][font=poynter-serif-re-regular, sans-serif]And yet, it still might not be enough unless Gilmore changes his mind.
4. WR3 hopefuls about to become WR2 candidates?
[font=poynter-serif-re-regular, sans-serif]Jordan Addison’s ankle injury in Wednesday’s joint practice wasn’t deemed serious, but there’s no guarantee he’ll be ready to go by Week 1. That puts rising receivers Jalen Nailor and Trishton Jackson further into the spotlight as they continue to battle for the No. 3 receiver spot with a chance now of being the No. 2 guy come opening day at the Giants.
[font=poynter-serif-re-regular, sans-serif]
Nailor started last week’s preseason game and caught three balls for 63 yards and three first downs. Jackson one-upped him with the second unit, catching four balls for 100 yards, including a 45-yard touchdown from McCarthy.
[font=poynter-serif-re-regular, sans-serif]
Trent Sherfield Sr., who caught a 33-yard touchdown from McCarthy, is another guy to watch.
5. Dream coming true for Levi Drake Rodriguez?
[font=poynter-serif-re-regular, sans-serif]Looking for the best rags-to-riches stories among the plethora of backups playing? Look no further than Rodriguez, the rookie seventh-round pick whose unlikely journey continued with a sack in last week’s win over the Raiders.
[font=poynter-serif-re-regular, sans-serif]The undersized defensive tackle with the non-stop motor hails from tiny Texas A&M-Commerce. He needs work and more time in an NFL weight room to realize his full potential. For now, he’s the team’s quickest lineman, he’s instinctive, he’s worth watching and he’s worthy of a 53-man roster spot.
https://www.startribune.com/five-things-to-watch-in-vikings-preseason-game-vs-browns-qbs-cornerbacks-receivers-and-more/601114329
The five stages of grief are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. I’m not sure where every Vikings fan is in that process when it comes to rookie QB J.J. McCarthy, but a good number of them have reached and are stuck on “depression.”
Denial was Monday, when Kevin O’Connell told reporters that McCarthy had knee soreness. He’ll be fine. It can’t be that bad.
Anger was Tuesday when it was revealed that McCarthy had a torn meniscus. Why the bleep can’t we have nice things?!?!
Bargaining was the time between the diagnosis and the surgery. Maybe McCarthy will just need a meniscus trim? He could be back this year!
Depression is now. I know he wasn’t going to play much, at least early on, but this is a serious bummer.
Maybe you’ll reach acceptance once Sam Darnold slings his first regular-season touchdown and a hyped-up McCarthy, wearing a headset on the sideline, screams “amor fati!” for all the cameras.
But you’re not there. At least Shane, a Daily Delivery podcast listener, isn’t. He sent an email this week that started out with: “Sorry, it’s my fault.”
Shane wrote: “I normally don’t believe in jinxes or bad vibes, but I thought I’d share. My three siblings and I were at the Vikings game Saturday and were very excited about J.J.’s performance and what we witnessed During warm-ups, I reminded my siblings the last Vikings game we went to together was the 2016 preseason and Teddy Bridgewater had an amazing game, generating a lot of excitement for the season. I looked up his stats and he was 12-16 for 161 and a touchdown. Two days later was his major injury, effectively ending his Vikings career and taking a lot of optimism away from the season. I made the comment to my siblings towards the end of the game, ‘Hopefully J.J. doesn’t get hurt this week, too.’”
It’s also not the Vikings’ fault for playing McCarthy so extensively in the game — as another listener earlier this week, perhaps while still in the anger stage, suggested. They need information about their rookie QB. They got a lot of it, most of it positive. Injuries happen, even if this one is particularly unfair.
O’Connell likely had to move through these emotions more quickly. Those with more skin in the game have accepted the news. And now they need to focus in on the bigger picture of winning some games in 2024.
That task didn’t change much given that McCarthy wasn’t going to be the starting QB this season (at least at the beginning). But two other events this week from joint practices in Cleveland did crystallize a thought I was already embracing.
The events:
Jordan Addison was carted off with an ankle injury during Wednesday’s practice. Though the Vikings are optimistic that it’s just a sprain and he avoided serious injury, it’s not guaranteed that Addison will be back for Week 1. He also faces a possible suspension during the season. Additionally, tight end T.J. Hockenson figures to miss at least some time at the start of the year as he continues to recover from ACL surgery in late January.
The first team offense struggled against Cleveland, while the defense had a much better showing. In general, the defense was the side of the ball that (justifiably and necessarily) received far more immediate upgrades than the offense this past offseason.
O’Connell’s Vikings have finished top-five in pass attempts and bottom-five in rush attempts in the NFL each of his two seasons here. That can’t happen this year, especially with a stop-gap quarterback (Sam Darnold) throwing to a depth-challenged and injured group of pass-catchers.
If the Vikings are going to win this year, it’s going to be with a more balanced offense featuring running back Aaron Jones combined with stout defense.
The Vikings don’t need to pull a complete reversal and go all the way back to 2019 when they were bottom-five in pass attempts and top-five in rush attempts.
But a nudge toward “Mike Zimmer Ball” is the only path to success this year. In Zimmer’s last season (2021), the Vikings were No. 11 in pass attempts and No. 16 in run attempts.
If they did that again and scored 425 points like they did that season, while Brian Flores’ defense with a newly stacked front seven proves stout, the Vikings’ fate might not be so bad after all.
https://www.startribune.com/vikings-jj-mccarthy-knee-injury-seven-stages-of-grief-aaron-jones-randball/601114768
Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger!
Five stages of grief? C'mon. I think it's a little past time to get over it. People and media are acting as if the injury is career-threatening or that we just lost our starting QB. Neither is true.
2025 was always going to be the year when McCarthy was going to take over the reins and that hasn't changed.
Regarding Gilmore, I think he knows the Vikings, having lost Jackson, Blackmon and Griffin (for a few more weeks) are desperate and might be willing to overpay. I think he's waiting them out, but I don't think the Vikings will let another team outbid them.
My guess is Mullens gets the first series and then it’s the Jaren Hall show. Hall needs the reps.
Only way Mullens is not here is if both Hall kicks ass in PS and someone offers a 6th or better for Mully.
1-2. Reminder McCarthy is hurt.
3. Player we didn’t sign.
4. Reminder Addison is hurt.
5. Okay this makes me happy.
Dude— not exactly a cleansing breath, PF! :P
Bullazin wrote:
My guess is Mullens gets the first series and then it’s the Jaren Hall show. Hall needs the reps.Only way Mullens is not here is if both Hall kicks ass in PS and someone offers a 6th or better for Mully.
I doubt there's any way Mullens is not here. With McCarthy out and Hall clearly not ready to be QB2, I don't think we'd even trade Mullens for a 3rd rounder. I keep hearing we might bring someone in, but I think that someone would more likely be a replacement for Hall than Mullens.
MaroonBells wrote:
I doubt there's any way Mullens is not here. With McCarthy out and Hall clearly not ready to be QB, I don't think we'd even trade Mullens for a 3rd rounder. I keep hearing we might bring someone in, but I think that someone would more likely be a replacement for Hall than Mullens.
He's a turn-over gunslinging QB. But he knows KOC's offense. That and having a pulse almost gets you the keys to the kingdom.
Mullens spot is pretty, pretty safe as of 8/16 would be my take too.
Hell, I could see him backing-up JJM in 25 with that playbook knowledge. That would be year 3 for him in the system - more than anyone.
That is unless he remains a turn-over machine.
Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger!
Okay, so we did bring in the best QB to ever play at Ole Miss, aka Matt "head case" Corral. He's got ability, he might like liquor more than football. All he has to do is beat out Hall to make it from the USFL back to the NFL.
Heck, it is not beyond the pale to think he has the ability to start in the NFL. The question is whether or not he has grown up.
StickierBuns wrote:
McCarthy will be the undisputed starting QB for the Vikings in 2025. Done and done. This year is just setting the table for next year.
I would assume that to be the case regardless, but he is the only quarterback under contract next season. I'm assuming they just turn it over to him but it will be interesting to see what else they do at the position
Montana Tom wrote:
Okay, so we did bring in the best QB to ever play at Ole Miss, aka Matt "head case" Corral. He's got ability, he might like liquor more than football. All he has to do is beat out Hall to make it from the USFL back to the NFL.Heck, it is not beyond the pale to think he has the ability to start in the NFL. The question is whether or not he has grown up.
Wasn't aware of the booze issue and I don't know much about him. I'm assuming the Vikings vetted him thoroughly before signing him. A little scary though with another (presumed) boozer on the team in Addison. If Corral beat it he might actually be good for Addison.
I'm betting he beats out Hall for QB3 this year, but he's got a real chance to be QB2 in 2025 for one of the best offenses in the NFL if he plays his cards right. We'll see.
Edit Post (mod action — author will see a notice)
Warn Poster
Suspend User (3 days)
The user will be suspended for 3 days and will receive an email with the reason and information about how to appeal.