Daily Norseman
The Minnesota Vikings somehow managed to take the lead for a brief moment before suffering a well-deserved loss to the Chicago Bears at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Here are some thoughts:
PAGING JIM MORA
At 4-6, 2-3 in the NFC, and with a daunting schedule ahead, playoff hopes are probably finished. Yeah, yeah, mathematically this and scenario that, but c’mon now. We’re now 10 games into the season, and aside from the Bengals game, the Vikings have played complementary, playoff-quality football for, what, maybe five quarters? I’ll dust off the playoff talking points if we somehow manage to get back to .500 in December, but if I had to bet, they’re put away for safekeeping until next September. But, hey, stranger things have happened. In fact, Stranger Things is back. A sign? Connect the dots, insert copious amounts of purple bias, and add some water… maybe? It would (likely) take going 6-1 the rest of the way for a team that couldn’t even manage back-to-back wins by Thanksgiving.
In reality, I harbor no illusions about who we are. Like many others, I dismissed the oddsmakers setting an 8.5 over/under for the Vikings this offseason. We had won 14 games and improved on defense and the offensive line. Sure, we had a 22-year-old first-time starter behind center – but we also had KOC, the reigning NFL Coach of the Year and certified quarterback wizard. Naturally, there would be a learning curve and some developmental hiccups, which might mean three or four fewer wins at most. Now, the under on the 8.5 might seem the safest bet. Yuck. How are we now 1-4 at U.S. Bank Stadium?
HEY, ANOTHER J.J. MCCARTHY TAKE (A DEEPER DIVE)
Others here at the DN have already chimed in here, here, and elsewhere. I went into it briefly last week, and my view remains the same. To recap:
I’m guilty of falling in love with the idea of immediate success, which has been somewhat common for first-time starting quarterbacks over the past decade: Dak Prescott, Lamar Jackson, Brock Purdy, C.J. Stroud, Jayden Daniels, and Bo Nix all made the playoffs. You could even consider Jordan Love, despite his unique situation. Given the coaching staff, the roster, and being in the building for an entire season, it didn’t seem far-fetched that McCarthy would be the next on that list. At the very least, no factors were working against it, like what happened to Caleb Williams last year.
***…***This is simply opening the door slightly to the idea that, at the end of the day, maybe 2025 is just about McCarthy’s development. Maybe 2026 is the play. I hate the idea too, but ignoring it isn’t a solution either.
Either way, take a deep breath, everyone. For those in the DN game threads and across social media who declare McCarthy a bust or label him Ponder 2.0…After…Four…Games…please R-E-L-A-X. Meet context, perspective, and patience. They are your friends. Embrace them.
Well, it’s now five games. The...
