Early Playoff Picture Shows Vikings Vying for 7th…

ESPN says Vikings have ‘identity crisis’ & makes final record prediction

ESPN asked its beat reporters to tackle their respective teams and answer these midseason questions: (1) What we know, (2) What we don’t know yet and (3) Final record prediction.

Courtney Cronin first looked at Minnesota’s offense as “what we know”:

The Vikings lead the league in one-score games (seven) and one-score losses (five), a byproduct of their inability to put away teams and be consistently aggressive. What’s abundantly clear through nine weeks is this Vikings offense is a shell of the one that ranked 11th in scoring and fourth in yards a season ago. Minnesota has the talent, from Dalvin Cook to Justin Jefferson to Adam Thielen, but it has an identity crisis. Is it a run-first team? Should it be more pass heavy with two top receivers? We know the Vikings spent a ton of money to fix their defense, and while it has flashed improvement, it’s not consistently strong enough to be a top-10 unit. What’s clear about the Vikings is the trajectory they’re on is not sustainable. With franchise-altering decisions on the line this offseason, from what to do with quarterback Kirk Cousins’ contract and whether to retain [Head Coach] Mike Zimmer and [General Manager] Rick Spielman, change might be inevitable if this team fails to make the postseason.

The question mark remaining, Cronin said, is what the rookie production will look like for the remainder of the season.

Before Week 9, the Vikings had the fewest rookie contributions of any team with one of the largest draft classes (11 players). A loss at Baltimore provided a glimpse of how big an impact these rookies can make when given the opportunity as Kene Nwangwu returned a kick 98 yards and Camryn Bynum had an interception. But will those opportunities be consistent? Minnesota needs to capitalize on the speed and quickness of Nwangwu by incorporating him in the offense. It’s not likely third-string quarterback Kellen Mond plays this season, but the Vikings need to field the rest of their third-round picks (guard Wyatt Davis, defensive end Patrick Jones II and linebacker Chazz Surratt) to see if they’re capable of being a part of the plan going forward.

As for a final record prediction, Cronin projected the Vikings to finish 8-9.

The Vikings will steal a game they’re not favored in – probably San Francisco or Pittsburgh – beat Detroit and split with their remaining division opponents, but it might not be enough to earn them the No. 7 seed in the NFC playoffs.