Friday Mailbag: Finally, football

The Vikings play the Bears on Monday night and fans have a lot of questions about how it's going to look

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By Matthew Coller

Happy opening weekend everyone, football has FINALLY arrived. Hopefully you enjoy your Sunday of (mostly) stress free football before Monday night. Let’s get into your questions…

@Courtney_J012 How is the feel around the locker room/guys this year compared to last? An underrated, less reported on aspect of this year is that half of our team was turned over.

That’s a good point that there are a lot of new faces. There is a different feel this year because the outside world’s expectations for the Vikings were so low last year at this time that the locker room had a chip on its shoulder. There were a lot of guys beyond Sam Darnold who were trying to prove something and they rallied around the idea of being an underdog. That’s not this team.

I would describe this group like the movie Gone in 60 Seconds where Nick Cage goes around and gets his band of gangsters together for a professional job. Guys like Ryan Kelly, Will Fries, Jon Allen, Javon Hargrave… that’s like going and getting the computer hacker, the driver, the explosives guy and the guy who owns a helicopter.

This locker room is made up of a bunch of dudes who have been through the NFL and they know this team is extremely talented and ready to win. Totally different vibe.

@Kingleo8291 the secondary scares the crap outta me. How do you think guys like Rodgers and Okudah perform against the Bears receivers

It’s a challenge. Rome Odunze sounds like he’s taken another step and we have seen DJ Moore’s ability in the past. The addition of Burden and Loveland gives Williams a lot more to work with than he had last year.

I liked how Rodgers played during training camp. What stood out to me was his athleticism and ability to find the ball. He’s not a big guy but he is crazy explosive, which gives him a chance against anybody. Okudah is a total wild card to me. He played incredibly physical during camp, to the point where I wondered if he’s going to get flagged a couple of times early in the season as he tries to put his stamp on the defense.

I do think Chicago has an edge when it comes to talent vs. talent but this isn’t 7-on-7. The disguise and pressure are going to make things harder to find these talented receivers.

@WriterChurchill I'm curious what you think the Lions o line will/do look like without Ragnow. How do you think this will impact the effectiveness of defenses against their offense?

There’s no way that it’s the same. That guy was an absolute monster. The last three years by PFF grade he was second, first and fifth. And it’s not just his blocking ability but his leadership. I think he was Ben Johnson’s secret weapon against Flores. He could pick apart blitzes, get everybody on the same page. It doesn’t seem like a fluke that they had guys putting up their best career years on that O-line with him in the middle.

They aren’t likely to be terrible or completely lost out there, it’s just that they are more vulnerable. When the Vikings need to stuff a run, they have a better chance. When they rush four, they have a better chance. When they send a stunt or blitz, it has a better chance.

Detroit is still a well coached team, so they are going to be prepared. It’s just that they won’t be invincible.

Jonathan… If the Bears offered Williams for McCarthy knowing what we know now would you take the deal?

The last McCarthy Trap Question of the offseason!

How about this: I think the Vikings should be happy right now with how the 2024 draft played out. I have no idea how we’ll all feel about it by the end of 2025.

@Boogie_man2008 What do you think the snap share will look like for the defensive line rotation?

Let’s say they have 60 snaps in the game, I’d go with 40-45 going to Allen and Hargrave, 20-25 to Redmond, 10-15 going to LDR. I’d be surprised if they use anyone else too much. Maybe we see an Ingram-Dawkins debut but those four are going to be the main guys.

@EmotionHardened Thielen was on pace for 1,045 yards last year if he hadn’t missed 7 games. What’s your prediction for his total this year?

I’ll go with 35 catches for 375 yards and four TDs. There is a good chance that he ends up seeing the field more than Nailor as the year goes on but this offense is built for Jefferson, Addison and Hockenson.

@xMINNESOTAMIKEx Are you worried about the O-Line? On paper they should be good and we've been assuming that will be the case, but they didn't look great in the pre-season

They played like 10 snaps in the preseason, man.

I’d say that I’m a lot more worried about it if Justin Skule plays instead of Christian Darrisaw. The drop off is enormous.

Overall, when you say “worried,” I think about the offensive lines of the past. Oli Udoh starting? Dru Samia starting? Another year of Dakota Dozier? Blake Brandel moving from tackle to guard to start 17 games?

That’s so much different than a first-round pick at left guard, a top-10 center and a $17 million right guard. Are they going to be the No. 1 O-line in the NFL? I’m not sure. But they should be pretty darn good if healthy.

@oliphant428 Is it reasonable that I want Darrisaw to sit this one out? Historically bad playing surface, about 10 months removed from nasty injury, and the other 16+ games are more important than this one.

Yes, that’s reasonable. They have been pretty good at handling these things though. No setbacks for Hock last year, no setbacks for Jefferson in 2023. If he’s out there playing, that means the team is really confident he’s good to go.

@PickedbyGinkel Who’s gonna be the fullback?

That would be Jim Kleinsasser.

Why doesn’t Josh Oliver get Kleinsasser comparisons, by the way? Is it because Oliver is so much more jacked?

@BaseballNorm Why no news of Flores extension?

I don’t have an answer for you on that one. It could be that he wants to have another great season and work on a new contract. KOC sure made a lot more money by not signing a deal after 2023, right?

@VivekK1216 Will we see more quick slants this year? Looking at Panthers highlights last year, Bryce Young and Adam Theilen connected on some quick slants to keep chains moving. Not sure if it’s KOC or Sam Darnold but we haven’t seen much quick hitters in this offense last year

They did go into this offseason with a plan for the underneath passing game. That’s why they signed Rondale Moore. Certainly Thielen is not Moore when it comes to speed but he’s great in that area of the game. Someone made a comparison with Thielen and Travis Kelce. I kinda see it. He should be used for easy buckets.

Last year KOC played to Darnold’s strengths, which was his arm talent. This year, KOC should play to McCarthy’s strength, which is seeing the middle of the field and playing with timing. That could involve a lot of Thielen.

@AlexCFlick How often do we blitz with our improved d-line? Does Dallas Turner take the next step? Can the secondary, probably the weakest part of the defense (by proxy of insanely strong front 7 imo), be enough to stop good offenses? Are the Bears a Good Offense?

Last year they sent at least 5 rushers on 39% of plays (per Pro-Football Ref). I could see that still being in the ballpark of where they end up. I don’t see Flores waking up on Monday and deciding that he’s going to be Ed Donatell just because he has Hargrave and Allen. Those guys just make it even harder for offensive lines to handle. It’s probably the effectiveness of the times that they do roll with a four-man rush that will be different. Rather than having to lean entirely on Greenard and Van Ginkel and always run stunts up front, they can just have four guys line up and go create problems. That tool was not in the bag last year.

Rapid fire on your other Qs: Turner had a great offseason and they are trusting him. Where it goes from here is up to him. Even the weakest part of the defense has a ton of talent. Murphy Jr. is a top-paid corner, Metellus is a tough playmaker, Rodgers has been good in part-time roles, Okudah is super talented. And, I don’t think the Bears are a good offense. I’m seeing them more like 15th-20th in scoring.

@SendCatPicsToMe Vikings secondary has been a sticking point for a lot of fans this szn. How much is the orgs belief in the talent of the dbs and safeties vs their belief in the scheme+front 7 as to why they didn't try to sign a free agent?

How much of the discussion about the cornerback group is just people wanting more acquisitions? I mean, they spent more cash this offseason than any other team in the NFL per OverTheCap. They re-signed Byron Murphy Jr. to a top-15 contract at his position, added a 27-year-old from the Super Bowl champs, signed a former No. 3 overall pick, developed their standout UDFA for another year and then brought back Fabian Moreau. It’s not like they sat around looking at the walls.

@leftonlandon is Brosmer dressed as Qb2 for this Game?

That will be Carson Wentz. I’m as high on Brosmer as anyone but Wentz is QB2 this year.

@tjmamme What is one historical vikings role player (non-star) that you would want to add to this team for only for this game?

Does Cordarrelle Patterson in his prime count as a “non-star”? I would take him as KR1 and a weapon on offense in the screen and reverse game. Other than that, maybe Jimmy Hitchcock. Another ballhawk in this defense would be something.

@austin_ebersole What’s the split workload between Jones and Mason going to look like to at least start the year?

I’ll go 60-40 Jones. I’m curious if they go with something like every other drive or if it’s situational. Jones needs to be on the field on third down, Mason needs to be in short yardage etc.

@skol_vikings40 With only 4 CB’s on roster, very interested to see how the safeties will compensate for that in the game plan, as indicated by Flores’ comments. Will the pass defense performance dictate whether or not Kwesi adds a CB or two?

They might elevate another corner, either Zemaiah Vaughn or Fabian Moreau just to have enough for the game. I would guess Tavierre Thomas is the break-glass-in-case-of-emergency cornerback because he has previous experience as a slot guy. Thomas was a safety during this year’s training camp but he does have over 1,000 snaps at nickel in his career.

If they have major issues at corner, yes, they would probably go out and look. But right now it’s become the most overstated issue in Viking fan land, in my opinion.

@Watkins42 Why does most national media have the Vikings on a .500 or lower win loss record, but this team on paper should be repeating NFC North Champs? Just the QB position?

The latest Vegas over-under actually has the Vikings at 9.5 wins. They’ve moved a full win during preseason/camp. Do you know how many NFC teams have a higher number than 9.5 wins? Four. Philly, San Fran, Detroit and Green Bay.

“National media” is a lot of people. Some folks are higher, some are lower. That’s the NFL. But this team is not a plucky underdog. They are not “doubted” or “hated.” They are expected to be very good.

@vikingfan_1964 Are the Vikings still looking for CB help? It seems that they can still use veteran help? Gilmore maybe?

I haven’t heard anything about Stephon Gilmore’s status. I’m not sure why he would sign with the Vikings right now just to sit on the bench and watch Isaiah Rodgers play.

@Vikesman85 To consider this year a success should we really look at the wins and losses or do you think it’s more important to see growth out of JJ McCarthy? In my opinion, the wins and losses don’t matter as long as we continue to see JJ elevate week after week.

I wholeheartedly disagree with you.

Wins and losses. No more fake trophies. No more “oh you outdid expectations, hooray for you!” No crowning them for JJ improvements. That’s all in the past. This is a crazy expensive, stacked, veteran, star-laden roster with a first-round draft pick QB who won a national championship and then had an entire year to learn the offense. Go win freaking football games. Win a lot of them in the regular season and win them in the playoffs or this season is not a success. Period.

@shaunbowm How does the Flores scheme change or not change with Hargrave & Allen changing the structure of our interior?

I just think it gives them more options. Instead of always having to send Cashman, Metellus or Pace Jr., they can mix and match. Sometimes rush four, sometimes create a 5-on-5 with one extra rusher, sometimes drop out Van Ginkel and send somebody else while running a stunt up front. That’s the way I would describe the whole 2025 defense vs. 2024: More things they can do.

@VikingsLeadSM What’s more concerning - the WR depth with Addison out, or the CB room?

Right now I’m not particularly concerned about either one. Thielen and Nailor are fine WR2/WR3 to Justin Jefferson and TJ Hockenson as the main targets. Last year they won a game without Addison where Trent Sherfield and Brandon Powell caught passes.

The starting corners are solid/good. It’s really only Okudah who is questionable and he’s not going to be an every-down guy. If people get hurt, yes, it’s an issue. Right now? It’s a quality starting CB pair.

@BSwanson1107 Does Ben Johnson truly have Brian Flores’ number or did he just have more offensive talent in Detroit? How much was scheme vs personnel?

A little from bucket A, a little from bucket B. I think Johnson understood better how to handle some of the things the Vikings did defensively better than most other offensive coordinators that they faced. He found gaps behind the blitzes and was patient enough to keep running and throwing underneath. But Jared Goff is a really good QB. How does a QB who puts up a 36-15 record with a 102.7 QB rating and 268 yards per game get treated like he’s mediocre? Doing a bunch of great fundamental stuff to execute the offense is boring but it’s hard to stop. I’m not sure Caleb Williams can do a bunch of great fundamental stuff over and over and over like Goff.

@thejustinfagan early down running back work. who gets the nod in Game 1?

Jones is still RB1 but they’re both going to get a lot of work. To tell you the truth, I’m just as interested to find out about this as you are.

@mckehoe73 Will the bears be able to assemble ANY type of passing offense against our crippling pass rush?

It really depends on how good he does when running away from the rush. It’s possible that Ben Johnson has done some really good stuff with him that does have teeth but he’s not going to sit in the pocket and pick them apart all night. That’s not who he is. So, does he make those crazy plays or not? It seems very Kyler Murray-like in that way with Williams.

@oak_leaf_views Tempo of the game? Who will benefit the most from a long possession, sustained drives -- versus explosives. I read this today, "The more time McCarthy spends watching from the bench, the more pressure he’ll feel when he does take the field."

That’s probably true for either quarterback. Ben Johnson’s offense is definitely predicated running the ball and on those intermediate throws that keep drives going. At the same time, McCarthy is the quarterback whose roots are in the Harbaugh offense, which is all about grinding teams down. The Vikings have the better RBs, so that might be a major factor there.

@JoshWheeler23 Will we see (some) limitations on Jefferson’s reps given he wasn’t 100% less than a month ago or will he be full go?

I don’t expect him to be limited at all. He’s had a complete ramp up period and full practice. He missed a bunch of camp in 2021 and we all talked about whether he’d be a full go in Week 1 and then he was exactly the same as before. Should be 100%.

@nuginski Will Dallas be a factor this week?

Yes. Will he have three sacks and two INTs, which seems to be the standard for making his draft pick worth it? That I don’t know. But he’s gonna be in there.

Jason… Who wins Monday?