Murphy: No sugarcoating Vikings loss to Ravens
The self-inflicted problems were everywhere on Sunday, Brian Murphy writes
By Brian Murphy
After nine games and months of monotonous drills and fundamental practice, you’d figure that by now the Vikings …
I mean, how difficult can it be when you’re playing at home and …
Wait, how can Brian O’Neill, a two-time Pro Bowl right tackle, commit a trio of …
Three false starts to this column and I’m already feeling shamed and defeated.
Imagine playing offense for the Vikings Sunday and being tarred and feathered with nine false starts to turn friendly U.S. Bank Stadium into a surly referendum on a season of misguided aspirations and ultimate resignation.
The head-scratching, inexcusable and ghastly ineptitude coach Kevin O’Connell, quarterback J.J. McCarthy and the offensive line displayed in a costly 27-19 loss to the Baltimore Ravens reaffirmed that this is an unserious team with unrealistic goals and an underwhelming sense of self-awareness.
Spare us lazy clichés that these unforced errors are easily correctible if only they “lock in” and “get on the same page.” The Vikings are locked into a two-month swoon that has excavated everything we need to know about this team while those unwilling to confront hard truths are on the same page of denial.
Poor quarterback play, aggressively stubborn play calling, third-down inefficiency and a mile-wide turnover gap have left the Vikings flailing and incapable of putting together consecutive games of big plays and complimentary football. It’s been that way since Week 1 whether it’s McCarthy or Carson Wentz misfiring and flinging balloon balls all over the field.
Meanwhile, the vulnerable Ravens started with four losses in their first five games but suddenly have new life with three straight wins. Here were two 4-5 teams passing each other in the middle of the night as Minnesota became the first NFL team to false start at sea.
There is no way to sugarcoat how awful McCarthy played Sunday and in Week 2 against Atlanta in two unsightly losses that have left the Vikings 1-3 at home despite one of the best home-field advantages in the league.
Someone hand him a paper bag to breath into before he airmails another pass to an open receiver. Despite great protection against the Ravens – a moral victory in itself – McCarthy showed again how the adrenaline that courses through his 22-year-old veins seems to prevent him from managing downs, possessions and the emotional swings of a game without “crashing out,” in the parlance of our times.
O’Connell is not doing him any favors by dialing up home runs when a bunt or advancing the runner would suffice.
McCarthy was wildly inconsistent, missing several open receivers while completing only 20 of 42 passes. He threw two interceptions on pair of poorly thrown deep attempts and had numerous passes tipped or batted down at the line of scrimmage.
Both interceptions occurred on third-and-short plays that McCarthy failed to deliver when a simple handoff could have converted a first down and allowed him to fight another day.
Midway through the second quarter, McCarthy tried to hit Justin Jefferson at the Baltimore 20-yard line. However, the star receiver tripped and free safety Malaki Starks easily picked off the uncontested ball to set up a Ravens field goal.
On the Vikings’ first possession of the third quarter, they drove to midfield on the back of a pair of Jones rushes. Facing third-and-1, O’Connell called for another deep route toward the end zone.
But McCarthy’s underthrown pass was intercepted by cornerback Marlon Humphrey, which set up the go-ahead field goal to give Baltimore a lead it would not relinquish.
O’Connell had no regrets abandoning the run game for a bomb to Jefferson in single coverage, and that’s an ongoing problem. The simple play with a robust rushing attack is too often scrapped in the name of hitting on the splash plays veterans Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold proved they could deliver.
McCarthy isn’t there yet. He needs more nurturing than trial by fire if he is expected to sherpa this championship-constructed roster into the postseason. But the quarterback whisperer doesn’t seem to want to hear any of it.
Regardless, the Vikings blew off every toe of their happy feet. Their eight false starts – eight!!! -- among 13 penalties derailed drive after drive and left fans booing and collectively shaking their heads every time their comeback hopes short-circuited.
It’s been 16 years since a home team was flagged eight times for false starts in a game. O’Neill was flagged three times while McCarthy and Jefferson each committed the same fouls.
The offense struggled with snap counts, cadence and pre-snap adjustments, especially in the fourth quarter, when the Vikings false-started three times in the final 10 minutes.
McCarthy fell on more swords than Brutus after Caesar was assassinated.
“As a quarterback, you’re the orchestrator of the orchestra,” he said. “I take full responsibility for anything that happens on that field. The focus, the competitive stamina … it’s all got to be there.”
Noble to be sure, but there was so much blame to spread after this letdown that McCarthy would be wise to work more on his mechanics and meditating than his accountability. He is bound to have more painful days at the podium.
Scar tissue builds character, so McCarthy’s got that going for him, which is nice.
Whatever turnaround the Vikings’ statement win at Detroit last week might have delivered was clearly a false impression.
Or a false start at the very least.