SEATTLE — The last time the Vikings were shut out, head coach Kevin O’Connell was still playing quarterback for San Diego State. That’s because it had been 18 years since the Vikings failed to put up a single point in a game.
Not anymore.
After looking lifeless in the final 30 minutes of play last weekend in a 23-6 loss to the Green Bay Packers, the Vikings were even worse across 60 minutes of play this weekend in a 26-0 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
A putrid effort from the offense on Sunday afternoon at Lumen Field spoiled a solid effort from the defense.
The problems for the Vikings offensively extend far beyond rookie quarterback Max Brosmer being thrown into the deep end of the pool. It seems what was once the biggest strength for the Vikings has become their biggest weakness.
Here are some takeaways from the loss:
Kevin O’Connell had another questionable play call
The fact that O’Connell is constantly being criticized for his play calling speaks to where the Vikings are at right now.
Though some of that criticism has been misguided coming from a frustrated fan base, the critics have every right to be upset with latest the play call that O’Connell dialed up in a short yardage situation.
Never mind that the Vikings only needed to gain a yard to move the chains against the Seahawks shortly before halftime. That was apparently a long enough distance for O’Connell to abandon the run in favor trusting Brosmer to make something happen.
It went worse than O’Connell could’ve ever imagined as Brosmer panicked under pressure and threw an interception that was returned 85 yards the other way for a touchdown. It was a questionable play call in real time that was made so much worse by what happened after after the snap.
It almost feels like O’Connell is allergic to running the ball in short yardage situation.
Maybe because he doesn’t trust the interior of the offensive line. Maybe because he is wired to air it out as much as possible. Maybe a little bit of both.
Max Brosmer wasn’t ready for the limelight
It was fun to talk about Brosmer last week leading up to the first start of his career. He genuinely felt like somebody worth getting excited about with how glowingly everybody spoke about his skill set.
That optimism proved to be fleeting as Brosmer looked overwhelmed while starting for the Viking in the game against the Seahawks. He completed 19 of 30 pass attempts for 126 yards, no touchdowns, and four interceptions.
The biggest mistake from Brosmer was obviously the interception he threw in teh red zone that was returned for a touchdown. The turned the game upside down and the Vikings never recovered.
There’s a chance Brosmer could still carve out a niche for himself as a backup. He’s certainly not ready to be a starter anytime soon.
Justin Jefferson declined comment
The way star receiver Justin Jefferson has carried himself over the past couple of months has been admirable to say the least.
He has hyped up whoever is throwing him the ball, whether it was young quarterback J.J. McCarthy, or veteran quarterback Carson Wentz. He even expressed confidence in Brosmer last week before the first start of his career.
After the worst game of his career, however, Jefferson started to show some signs of frustration. He left the locker room without talking to reporters after the Vikings got embarrassed by the Seahawks. That’s not normal for somebody that has typically spoken after every game, win, lose, or draw.
The stat line was shocking as Jefferson only recorded two reception for four yards. He was actually at negative yardage late in the game before a catch in garbage time.
The lack of production is clearly starting to get to Jefferson as he hasn’t eclipsed 100 yards in a game since the Vikings were across the pond a couple of months ago.
Christian Darrisaw missed the game
The absence of star left tackle Christian Darrisaw played a role in the Vikings being unable to move the ball against the Seahawks. Let’s just say the drop off from Darrisaw to reserve left tackle Justin Skule is immense.
That made life much harder for Brosmer whenever he dropped back to pass.
This is the first time that Darrisaw has missed a game entirely since returning from a significant knee injury. That said, Darrisaw has pulled himself out of a number of games early as he has navigated the recovery process.
It’s risen to a level with Darrisaw that it’s worth monitoring his availability moving forward.
Dallas Turner continued his breakout
The ascension of edge rusher Dallas Turner appears to be a for real. He recorded a pair of sacks for the Vikings against the Seahawks, proving himself as a force to be reckoned with whenever he’s rushing the passer.
That standout performance from Turner extended his recent hot streak as he has now recorded a sack in back to back to back games. If he can continue to raise his game, he help the Vikings feel a little bit better about their future.
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