Minnesota’s New Persona Is About To Be Put To the Test

Way back in January, it was clear that Kevin O’Connell knew what was wrong with the Minnesota Vikings. O’Connell wanted a tougher team dating back to the beginning of the 2024 training camp, and it looked like he had succeeded as the Vikings raced ahead to a 5-0 start.

The Vikings were a strong team mentally and rode the wave to a 14-2 record in their first six games. But as the season wore on, it appeared something was missing.

Minnesota invested a significant amount of money in addressing the problem, acquiring four new starters on the offensive and defensive lines through free agency. They invested more into it by selecting Donovan Jackson in the first round of April’s draft. The Vikings put all the effort behind this movement, but they hadn’t really gotten what they were hoping for until Sunday’s win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

With a 48-10 win over the Bengals fading into the horizon, many want to know what the next step will be for a team with Super Bowl aspirations. While teams resist looking back, the way they played on Sunday should serve as a blueprint for how to approach the next five games on the schedule.

The next five games could be the toughest stretch the Vikings face this season. Putting the logistics of a two-week trip to Europe aside, Minnesota will need to pack a lunch when it faces the Pittsburgh Steelers in Dublin and the Cleveland Browns in London. While you can ask questions about their offenses, led by quarterbacks over the age of 40, their defense and physicality get the job done.

It’s why the Steelers will enter Sunday’s game with a 2-1 record, while the Browns are celebrating a gritty 13-10 victory over the seemingly Super Bowl-bound Green Bay Packers. Vegas should favor the Vikings in these games, but they could be walking into a trap if they’re not ready for a fight.

The bye week will give the Vikings a chance to lick their wounds and work out the jet lag from their trip overseas. But they’ll get right back into it when they host the Philadelphia Eagles. Offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo is apparently waiting for an A.J. Brown meltdown to unleash the passing attack, and the threat of Saquon Barkley and the Tush Push mitigates Minnesota's home-field advantage.

Four days later, they’ll board another flight to take on the Los Angeles Chargers. Led by a head coach known for beating the hell out of his quarterback before games, the Chargers have a similar approach, leaning on the run and using their physicality to wear down their opponent.

If that wasn’t bad enough, the Vikings will have another road game when they travel to play the Detroit Lions. With Dan Campbell acting like the NFC North’s final boss, the Week 9 matchup could decide who has the inside track to win the division.

That's what O’Connell was envisioning when he was ready to break a podium with his bare hands after last January’s playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams. While Minnesota’s main goal was to become a team that could win any kind of fight without knowing what they were walking into, it was the physical type of game the Vikings couldn’t win last year that prevented them from reaching their full potential.

It's why Sunday’s win over the Bengals was so encouraging. Isaiah Rodgers Jr.’s historic day was one of the biggest highlights, but it was a sound game by every member of Brian Flores’ defense.

Dallas Turner led the team with five pressures. Jalen Redmond filled in nicely for the injured Javon Hargrave. Harrison Smith returned and tipped a pass that helped Rodgers earn an interception for a touchdown. The Vikings forced five Bengals turnovers in a game that was over by halftime.

The defense was part of the equation as the offense displayed a new kind of physicality. While Michael Jurgens committed three penalties at center, Christian Darrisaw's return improved the communication along the offensive line. That was aided by the use of 12 personnel, where T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver became forces in the running game.

Minnesota was missing veteran running back Aaron Jones, but Jordan Mason stepped in to fill the void, gaining 116 yards and scoring two touchdowns. Mason had a big day, running the ball like a Friday Night Lights character playing for a scholarship in his senior year.

The physical presence took some of the load off Carson Wentz, who occasionally held on to the ball too long but overall guided an efficient day. When the Vikings welcome J.J. McCarthy back to the starting lineup, it will be even more important that they maintain this physical presence.

In short, the next five weeks will determine just how successful Minnesota’s offseason efforts to get tougher turned out. And if Sunday’s win over the Bengals was any indication, the Vikings will face banger after banger beginning with next week’s matchup in Dublin.