Daily Norseman
Through the first four weeks of the season, we have seen Minnesota Vikings quarterbacks getting sacked at a near-historic rate. I found myself, like many, placing ownership of sacks this season on the carousel of offensive lineman. However, I decided that I did not want to go based off of assumptions or anecdotes. In order to provide informed analysis of the Minnesota Vikings protection issues, I am taking it upon myself to review every sack, frame by frame, to see where it is going wrong.
I will be honest, I am going to pace myself to get up to where we are now in the season, because it gets tough to break down film of the same type of negative play over and over. Below are what I saw from every sack in weeks one and two of the 2025 NFL regular season. I do this for the Daily Norseman faithful, so you don’t have to.
One caveat here: I don’t KNOW what Kevin O’Connell is thinking on a given play, but I can surmise his thought process through film analysis.
McCarthy gets sacked on 3rd and 2 at the MIN 33-yard line.
Time Stamp: Q1 13:40.
Bears line up in nickel double mug set. Nailor motions across the formation, defender follows all of the way. Looks like man coverage. The ball is snapped and it is cover 3, not man. McCarthy looks like he’s looking deep to Hockenson. He drops back as Hockenson is blanketed by a defender.
I think O’Connell was definitely anticipating man coverage, based on Nailor and Jefferson’s routes. They run directly at and almost into each other and then adjusted their routes at the last moment. The routes would have created a natural pick, if the defense was in fact in man coverage. McCarthy waits a beat before shifting his focus to the middle of the field directly in front of him.
It’s almost like he is waiting for the receiver to be open instead of anticipating it beforehand. He pulls his arm like he is about to throw but waits another beat. Although they didn’t get the coverage they wanted, McCarthy still has an option for a tough inside throw to Jefferson. He then decides to run because he sees green to his left.
He avoided the edge battling against Skule on the left side of the formation. The defensive tackle G. Dexter makes a great play to get off of a Will Fries block and makes a good tackle on McCarthy for the sack.
Whose fault? Play Call 25%. McCarthy 50%. Good play by the defender 25%. I think Justin Skule did his job on this play.
McCarthy gets sacked on 3rd and 4 at the MIN 30 yard-line.
Time Stamp: Q1 5:41.
Bears line up in nickel single mug set. Vikings line up with a three wide set on the left side. Nailor once again motions, this time behind Jefferson and...
