Takeaways From the Vikings’ Week Seven Loss
The perfect season is over. The Minnesota Vikings suffered their first loss of the 2024-25 season on Sunday in a thrilling matchup against the Detroit Lions. As predicted, it was a high-scoring affair, however, it was Detroit that pulled out the win. The Vikings started off hot and took a quick 10-0 lead but they would fall behind before the end of the first half. It wouldn’t be until late in the fourth quarter when an Ivan Pace fumble return for a touchdown would give the Vikings their first lead of the second half. Unfortunately, there was just too much time left on the clock for Jared Goff and company, as they were able to drive into Minnesota territory and kick a field goal with barely any time remaining. With their 31-29 victory, the Detroit Lions improved to 5-1 and took the NFC North lead, while the Vikings also fell to 5-1. They now face a short turnaround, as they play the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night.
First Takeaway: Heavy Blitz Will Not Work Against Every Offense
Throughout Brian Flores’ time as the Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator, he has been known for his blitz packages and the high rate at which he blitzes the quarterback. For the most part, as we can see from the Vikings’ current record, this defensive scheme has been very successful. However, on Sunday, Jared Goff seemed to thrive under pressure in the pocket and even looked better while being blitzed versus not being blitzed. I think this game will be important for the future of this defense because it will force Flores to make adjustments based on the offenses and specific quarterbacks that they are facing. Goff only had three incompletions on Sunday so it is clear that some adjustments should have been made.
Second Takeaway: Winning the Turnover Battle Is Key
While the idea of winning the turnover battle being important is true for every team in the NFL as having more possessions will in turn result in more chances to score, it is extremely true for the Minnesota Vikings during Kevin O’Connell’s tenure as head coach. Before Sunday, the Vikings had a record of 22-0 under coach O’Connell when they didn’t lose the turnover battle. That is a very impressive stat, however, they are now 22-1 under those circumstances as both the Lions and Vikings had one turnover a piece. Regardless of the loss, it is clear that if Sam Darnold is able to protect the football and avoid turnovers, this team will be very hard to beat. If Darnold didn’t throw an interception to Brian Branch in the Lions’ territory, the Vikings could very well be 6-0 right now.
Third Takeaway: T.J. Hockenson Will Help Sam Darnold Tremendously
A huge piece of the puzzle that has been missing for this Minnesota Vikings offense has been their star tight end T.J. Hockenson. Hockenson was the top target and sort of a security blanket for Kirk Cousins last season and I believe he can be the same thing for Sam Darnold. Hockenson is expected to return in the next two weeks and when he does, his impact should be noticeable. Giving Darnold a sure-handed receiving tight end will not only open up space for the other receivers on the team but also provide a safety net for Darnold on key third downs so that Justin Jefferson doesn’t always have to be the first option. Overall, Hockenson’s return will at a minimum give O’Connell’s offense a lot more versatility in the passing game.
