3 Things We Learned From the Minnesota Vikings After Week 2
The Minnesota Vikings kept it close against the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday Night Football but could not come away with the victory.
SportsGrid looks at the Vikings through two games.
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1. Kirk Cousins Isn’t the Problem
There have been a lot of questions about whether quarterback Kirk Cousins is the right guy to lead the Minnesota Vikings to a deep postseason run. It’s no secret that Cousins has had some difficult moments in prime time, but that wasn’t the case on Thursday night against the Philadelphia Eagles. Cousins threw for 364 yards and four touchdowns in the Vikings’ 34-28 loss to the Eagles. Cousins was dynamite with his arm and made some excellent reads, but the four fumbles from Minnesota set them back. There is no doubt that Cousins has had some issues in big games before, but through two weeks, he’s already registered 708 passing yards with six touchdowns and just one interception. We’re not saying that Cousins will lead the Vikings to a Super Bowl, but to suggest he’s the problem in Minnesota is getting a wrong read on the situation entirely.
2. Run Defense is Going to be an Issue
Yes, the Vikings were solid against the ground attack in Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but we won’t give them much credit because the Bucs’ run game isn’t great. On the other hand, the Philadelphia Eagles are known to pound the rock at a high clip. Week 2 saw D’Andre Swift rush for 175 yards and a touchdown. The Vikings’ next two opponents are the Los Angeles Chargers and Carolina Panthers, two teams that love running the football. It will be interesting to see if the Vikings can make the appropriate adjustments, but we’re not counting on it. New defensive coordinator Brian Flores has his work cut out for him with this unit, and whether they can figure things out with defending the run will go a long way in determining if Minnesota can dig themselves out of the 0-2 hole they’re in.
3. Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison Will be a Great Duo
There are many powerful wide receiver duos in the NFL in 2023, headlined by the likes of Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill in Miami, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith in Philadelphia, or Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins in Cincinnati. With what we’ve seen early in 2023, it won’t be long before a pair of Vikings are included in that conversation. Justin Jefferson has already established himself as the top wideout in the NFL, while rookie Jordan Addison has made his presence felt through two weeks. Jefferson has yet to find the end zone for Minnesota but has hauled in 20 balls for 309 yards. On the other hand, Addison has caught seven passes for 133 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Jefferson and Addison can stretch the field and will be a problem for opposing defenses for years.
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