Vikings Dubbed ‘Pretenders’ Due to One Key Player on Roster

The Minnesota Vikings are 2-0 and just beat the defending NFC champions without their second- and third-best pass catchers and with Justin Jefferson, the best target in the passing game, exiting the contest early with an injury.

Despite what quarterback Sam Darnold has shown over two weeks with what was supposed to be the best offensive roster he’s ever had, but which has actually been one riddled with injuries to key players, ESPN’s Benjamin Solak is not yet a believer in Minnesota.

“I wish they were contenders. It would be so cool if they were contenders. But Sam Darnold falls below the bar of quarterback play necessary to be a true contender,” Solak wrote on Tuesday, September 17. “The only way I’d be willing to buy the Vikings is if I were certain that coach Kevin O’Connell is so good an offensive schemer that he can do what Sean McVay did for Jared Goff in 2018 and what Kyle Shanahan did for Jimmy Garoppolo in 2019. And it’s harder to do it now than it was then. I’m just not there yet.”

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Sam Darnold Among Best QBs in NFL Through First 2 Weeks

Solak’s reservations on Darnold are more than fair and founded considering how poorly the QB played for most of his time with the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers across his first five NFL seasons.

Darnold had long since achieved the status of a bonafide bust as a former No. 3 overall pick when he joined the San Francisco 49ers as their backup QB last season. He showed flashes in the minimal field time he got behind Brock Purdy, but it wasn’t enough to draw any real conclusions — at least none different than those already formulated across his 55 starts (22-33) previous to arriving in the Bay Area.

But two weeks into this season, Darnold is performing like one of the better QBs in the league. He has completed 72% of his passes for 476 yards, 4 TDs and 2 INTs — and one of those turnovers clearly wasn’t his fault.

Still, eight quarters is a small sample size and the Vikings have a tough stretch of schedule in front of them with games against the Houston Texans (home), Green Bay Packers (away) and New York Jets (home) before an early bye in Week 6.

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Justin Jefferson Expects to Play in Week 3 After Suffering Injury Against 49ers

If Darnold can lead the Vikings to a 4-1 or 5-0 record heading into the bye week, the entire conversation around him and Minnesota’s chances to win the NFC North Division and/or make the playoffs will change dramatically.

Darnold should have some help in that regard, as Jefferson said he will be ready for the team’s Week 3 matchup with Houston after suffering a quad contusion that knocked him out of Sunday’s game against San Francisco.

“Just a little thigh bruise, contusion, whatever you want to call it,” Jefferson said, per Andrew Krammer of the Star Tribune. “Something that happens a lot in the game.”

Second-year wide receiver Jordan Addison, who is out with an ankle injury, may not be ready to go this weekend but should be back in either Week 4 or Week 5 based on his initial return timetable. Tight end T.J. Hockenson isn’t expected back before the Vikings take on the Detroit Lions at home on October 20.

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