Why the Vikings Are Constantly In Catch-Up Mode

You can always count on death, taxes, and the Minnesota Vikings somehow ending up in one-score games. Since Kevin O’Connell took the reins in 2022, Minnesota has been either fortunate or unlucky enough to have 37 of its games come down to one score.

The Vikings have won 27 of those, but they’ve also likely raised the collective blood pressure of the state of Minnesota by 27 points. They are 1-1 in such games so far in 2025, both of which required furious fourth-quarter comebacks. However, turnovers and penalties have kept the Vikings from coming out ahead.

In the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers games, the Vikings had to play hero ball for an all-out desperate attempt at a comeback. Even in the loss to the Atlanta Falcons, Minnesota entered the final period of play with just a 12-6 deficit, well within the realm of another come-from-behind victory.

The 15 minutes of furious football only worked against Chicago, and it’s not a sustainable path to success in 2025. In each of those three games, the Vikings mustered just six points in the first half, creating a frantic final push to try to earn a win. In most cases, you could assume the slow start was followed by a fiery, yet endearing, halftime speech that led to the late heroics. However, for the Vikings, their reasons for wacky finishes may be more a result of two major flaws in their game this season.

Aside from the plethora of injuries, turnovers, and penalties, these have consistently hindered Minnesota’s attempts at normalcy — a quality many other fan bases enjoy. The Vikings have the second-most penalties in the league this season, with 37 total infractions. Flags are flying more than the team plane over the next two weeks.

They are also a league-worst in pre-snap penalties with 18. It’s no secret that Minnesota has been terrible on third down this season, ranking 30th in the NFL through Week 4, and that giant number of pre-snap penalties helps to explain why. So, yes, the offense hasn’t run as smoothly as in 2024, but constantly putting yourself in third-and-long is a setup for failure.

So, what gives? The Vikings have never ranked worse than 15th in penalties since KOC took over, yet this year they are on pace to commit 157, 45 more than last year and 68 more than in 2023. Well, the shuffling quarterback situation and a rotating door at the offensive line surely haven’t helped. In all, 13 of this year’s penalties have fallen on the shoulders of offensive linemen, including eight false starts, six of which have occurred in those woeful first halves. Getting behind the sticks early in games has not only made the voracious comebacks necessary but also inevitable.

Another different but equally distressing feature of the 2025 Vikings is their propensity to turn the ball over. Minnesota is tied for the second-most turnovers in the NFL with seven this year, and has lost the turnover battle 6-2 in its two losses. Kevin O’Connell is famously unbeatable when the Vikings win that battle, but his 4-16 record when the Vikings turn the ball over more is just as eye-catching.

Most coaches likely have a less-than-ideal record in those games because it’s just really hard to win when you give the ball away. This year, though, the Vikings have been outscored 34-9 in quarters in which they’ve turned the ball over at least once.

So while turnovers are bound to happen — even last year’s 14-win team had 21 of them — this year’s team has felt incapable of minimizing the damage done after the mistake. Without that type of mitigation, they’ve been left with no choice but to hang it all on the hopes of a late rally.

The Vikings don’t have a problem moving the ball or even scoring. They out-gained the Steelers in the loss, and have outscored their opponents 102-80 this year. Instead, Minnesota has a problem with consistency, which starts with reducing turnovers and penalties.

Minnesota hasn't played clean football. While injuries to key starters could be a factor, the Vikings just haven’t been good enough in the areas that keep games within reach. Bad turnovers and persistent penalties have put the team in constant catch-up mode, and with that type of play typically comes more rushed penalties and coerced turnovers.

It would be nice to get out to an early lead like against the Cincinnati Bengals a little more frequently, but Minnesota seems more intent on replicating history. The NFL record five touchdown comeback against the Indianapolis Colts was fun and all, but let’s leave the past in the past.