The Vikings don’t exactly arrive in Week 3 as an offensive juggernaut. They come in 2-0 anyway, and that’s the strange little twist of their season so far: two divisional wins, the league’s last-ranked offense in total yards, and a formula that looks far more interested in survival than fireworks.
That approach figures to be tested Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Minnesota’s path to something better on offense is pretty clear. The Vikings need the run game to hold up, they need more than Justin Jefferson carrying the passing attack alone, and they need the interior of the line to survive a nasty matchup up front.
The ground game is where it starts. Tampa Bay has allowed just 3.0 yards per carry, even while ranking 12th in EPA/rush allowed.
Minnesota, meanwhile, is tied for 18th in EPA/run and has averaged 3.6 yards per carry. There has been a small step forward already - 3.1 yards per carry in Week 1, then 4.2 in Week 2 - but the identity of this offense has been built around patience and control, not tempo and explosion.
That matters even more because the backfield is already being stretched thin. Aaron Jones missed Wednesday’s practice with a knee injury.
Jordan Mason went on injured reserve last week after thumb surgery. DeeJay Dallas was limited Wednesday with a toe issue.
If those absences linger, the Vikings may have to lean on rookie Demond Claiborne in a bigger role, and they could also elevate Jerome Ford from the practice squad.
However they sort out the carries, Minnesota can’t drift away from the run just because the results haven’t been pretty. This offense has spent the back half of last season and the start of this one trying to keep games tight and keep the defense out of trouble. That’s still the blueprint.
The passing game has another problem: outside of Jefferson, there hasn’t been much there. Jefferson has 11 catches for 147 yards and two touchdowns through two games. Jordan Addison has only two receptions for 21 yards, and he’s the only other Vikings receiver with a catch this season.
Some of that was weather-related. Last week’s rain at Soldier Field made things messy.
But that excuse disappears in Tampa, and Minnesota has already had chances to broaden the passing attack. Addison got open twice on third down in Week 1, only to see Carson Wentz miss both throws.
The question now is whether Kyler Murray can distribute the ball more cleanly in full-game action after missing last week’s game against the Chicago Bears. He played only 11 snaps in the season opener against the Green Bay Packers before leaving with a concussion.
Jauan Jennings is back too after missing practice last week and sitting out in Chicago because of a personal matter. He still hasn’t caught a pass as a Viking, but Sunday offers a chance to change that if Minnesota can get more than one receiver involved.
None of it will matter much if the pocket collapses inside. That’s the real danger point in this matchup.
Tampa Bay’s best defensive strength is right there in the middle, where Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey make for a difficult pair to handle. Vea, listed at 6-foot-4 and 347 pounds, is a two-time Pro Bowler.
His 53.7 PFF grade this season doesn’t tell the whole story, because when he’s rolling he can wreck a game - he posted a 77.0 pass-rush grade last year.
Kancey has been active too, tying for eighth-most pressures among interior defensive linemen with seven. He owns a 76.7 PFF grade, which is third on the team. That duo could create real problems for Will Fries and Blake Brandel.
Fries has the roughest numbers of the group through two games, with a 54.1 PFF grade and a 40.9 pass-blocking grade, the lowest among Vikings linemen. No one else on the line is below 69.8 in pass-blocking grade. PFF has charged Fries with one sack and five pressures allowed, including the pressure that helped lead to Murray’s ugly interception in Week 1.
Donovan Jackson has been the steadier presence so far. He hasn’t allowed a sack and owns the highest pass-blocking grade among the linemen at 74.9. If he can hold up against Vea and Kancey, Minnesota has a shot to put together its best offensive showing yet.
In Other News...
Vikings Have A Receiver Problem Their 2-0 Start Can't Hide
The Vikings are 2-0, but the early offense has already made one thing clear: everything still runs through Justin Jefferson. Minnesota has leaned heavily on its star receiver while the rest of the wideout room has struggled to keep pace, leaving the passing game far more top-heavy than the record suggests. After two games, the secondary receivers have combined for only two catches for 27 yards, a thin return for a group the team needs to be more dependable.
Jordan Addison, the No. 2 option, has not matched the production he showed in previous seasons, and the rest of the depth chart has yet to offer much help. Jauan Jennings, Tai Felton and Myles Price have all been quiet, and the Vikings have had to navigate quarterback changes and injuries along the way. The next stretch against Tampa Bay and Miami could offer a chance to straighten things out, but for now the early wins have not masked a receiving problem that still needs solving. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Quarterback Uncertainty Is Fueling A Much Bigger Possibility
Jim Harbaugh was already singing J.J. McCarthys praises during the 2024 draft, and that connection matters now more than ever as the Vikings work through quarterback uncertainty. McCarthy missed his rookie season because of injury, and his early showings in Minnesota have been uneven, leaving the team with more questions than answers at the most important position in the sport.
Harbaughs own situation in Los Angeles only adds another layer to the conversation. Justin Herbert has not looked like the same player under him, and the Chargers are staring at a difficult stretch of schedule that could sharpen the pressure on everyone involved. For Vikings fans, the larger possibility is hard to ignore: if McCarthy does not settle the position, the ripple effects could reach well beyond Minnesotas depth chart. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Get A Crucial Boost While Another Week 3 Problem Emerges
Aaron Jones is expected to be available Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, giving the Vikings a needed boost as they try to keep their offense on track in Week 3. Minnesotas final injury report also clarified the special teams picture, with Brett Thorson ruled out and veteran Johnny Hekker likely handling punting duties, while center Nick Samac will miss the game as well.
The Vikings are still walking into a matchup with some moving parts on both sidelines. Tampa Bay will be without rookies Rueben Bain Jr. and Josiah Trotter, while Baker Mayfield was a full participant in practice after dealing with an illness, leaving Minnesota to sort through its own health questions while preparing for a division test that could hinge on stability in the kicking game and protection up front. [Read more 🡒]