The top storylines of all the Minnesota Vikings' opponents
With the Minnesota Vikings’ preseason games behind us, it’s officially time to start looking toward the regular season. So to prepare for each of the Vikings’ opponents, we poured through each team’s training camp news to get a sense of storylines big and small that could affect their matchups with Minnesota.
Green Bay Packers – Week 1 and 17
Surprise, WR is an issue
Who could’ve seen this coming? Who could’ve guessed a wide receiver room of Randall Cobb, Sammy Watkins, Allen Lazard, Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson and Samori Toure would have its struggles?
The departure of Davante Adams means that’s the group Aaron Rodgers is relying on and it appears to be frustrating him.
"A lot of drops, a lot of bad route decisions, running the wrong route," Rodgers said a few weeks ago. "We've got to get better in that area.
These are not the issues you want festering just weeks before the season opener.
ESPN recently ranked Green Bay’s WR No. 30 in the NFL, behind only Atlanta and Baltimore. PFF ranked them 31st earlier this offseason.
Maybe it won’t matter. Maybe the reigning MVP can get it done with this group anyway, but it’s not the preseason storyline the Packers were hoping for.
Injuries are a concern for Week 1
Green Bay may be without several starters when they take the field at US Bank Stadium on September 11. Mason Crosby has already been ruled out. Both David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins are questionable along the offensive line, as are rookie wide receiver Christian Watson and tight end Robert Tonyan. Starting safety Darnell Savage has been sidelined most of training camp with a hamstring injury. He’s questionable. Savage’s backup Dallin Leavitt is also questionable.
Special teams are still shaky
It’s not been a great preseason for the special teams unit in Green Bay. SI.com reported that Green Bay punted six times and allowed 118 return yards in its last preseason game against Kansas City. The Chiefs punted five times and yielded 0 yards.
“It was definitely not good enough the other night, that’s for sure,” coach Matt LaFleur said on Saturday. “We definitely got it taken to us pretty good by Kansas City.”
Former interim Las Vegas Raiders head coach Rich Bisaccia was tasked with fixing this unit that proved costly in their postseason loss to the San Francisco 49ers and it looks like there’s still some work to be done. Mason Crosby’s absence to start the season doesn’t help that either.
Philadelphia Eagles – Week 2
The Eagles are hoping for a big step from Jalen Hurts
If the Eagles are keen on a playoff berth and run, the conversation begins with Jalen Hurts. And he’s drawn strong reviews in camp.
“He’s done a hell of a job making the right decisions, especially in practice, going through his reads, going through his progressions very nicely,” offensive coordinator Shane Steichen said.
“What he was doing with the football and being able to go through reads and the progressions that fast and getting the ball to where it needed to go, I thought was unbelievable,” head coach Nick Sirianni said after a recent practice.
This could just be standard training camp fodder, but if he’s improving, that’s notable. Hurts ranked 14th in PFF pass grade and 17th in Football Outsiders’ DVOA. If he can make marginal improvements and continue to be an effective runner, the Eagles could be the NFC East favorite.
Safety is a question mark
Right now, the Philadelphia Eagles starting safety is Marcus Epps. That name should sound familiar to Vikings fans as Epps was drafted by Minnesota in the sixth round of the 2019 draft and was waived that November.
Epps has become the darling of Eagles training camp, beating out another former Viking Anthony Harris. He’s gone from the team’s third safety last year to the top of the depth chart entering this season. The Athletic’s Zach Berman pointed out that while the Eagles will tell you they’re not concerned with safety, they tried signing Marcus Williams this offseason and have made several unsuccessful attempts to address the position over the years.
The team ranked 25th in pass-defense DVOA last season. They addressed the secondary with the signing of James Bradberry, but coverage is a weak link system. And Epps starting leaves plenty of opportunity for the unit to be exposed.
Plenty of notable additions
When the Eagles snuck into the playoffs last year, it seemed a bit fluky. Finishing 9-8, Philadelphia won six of its last eight games, all against uninspiring opponents. Denver, New Orleans, the Jets, Giants and Washington twice.
The pieces they added in the offseason show they realized there was a need for significant improvement. A.J. Brown is the headliner and he’s been shining in camp. They also added linebacker Haason Reddick and Bradberry. Not to mention drafting freak defensive tackle Jordan Davis. All of them have received positive buzz in training camp.
The Eagles now have the same odds as the Cowboys to win the division, per DraftKings Sportsbook.
Detroit Lions – Week 3 and 14
Some building blocks are coming together
The overall strength of the Lions roster is still below most playoff teams, but it is coming together in certain areas. The offensive line has drawn effusive praise in training camp.
The projected group of LT Taylor Decker, LG Jonah Jackson, C, Frank Ragnow, RG Halapoulivaati Vaitai and RT Penei Sewell was ranked inside the top 5 by both PFF and ESPN in pre-season rankings.
Then a strong development out of camp has been the Detroit Lions’ receiving core. Amon-Ra St. Brown, DJ Chark and Josh Reynolds are the projected starters, with Jameson Williams waiting in the wings once he gets healthy. Several other depth wide receivers have also been talked up, most notably Tom Kennedy.
Dan Campbell is doing Dan Campbell things
The Lions have certainly been in the spotlight this offseason as they’re the subject of Hard Knocks. That has led to even more Dan Campbell content. This was among one of the start quotes of the first few episodes, with Campbell defining his team.
“To me, it means we’ll play anywhere. We’ll play on grass, we’ll play on turf, we’ll go to a f—— landfill. It doesn’t matter. Doesn’t matter if you have one a– cheek and three toes, I will beat your a–.”
His colorful and transparent nature with the media has made him a bit of a darling and he’s certainly mixing things up. This was a recent report from training camp.
Campbell’s way of leading and motivating seems to be effective, but what matters most is the results on the field. Those are still a work in progress.
Jameson Williams update
Williams was a popular draft prospect among Vikings fans hoping the team would add another wide receiver. The Vikings ultimately traded away their pick to the Lions, who then took Williams. Here’s a recent update from Dan Campbell on his status.
“He is progressing. There’s no setbacks, but we just felt like, particularly being a rookie, he’s got a ways to go. And so, the best thing for him and for us is to make that move and just get him right, make sure that the knee is stable and he’s got strength in that leg. And he can cut, he can decelerate, he can accelerate, he can -- everything, before we put him out there and start getting him reps. … He’s doing what we’re asking him to do and he is progressing and that’s really the best way to say it.”
New Orleans Saints – Week 4
The return of Winston, Thomas and Kamara
Jameis Winston played in the Saints’ final preseason game this Friday, the first time he’s been in a game setting since tearing his ACL in Week 8 last year. He is healthy and set to start for the team, along with wide receiver Michael Thomas, who missed all of 2021.
“When the ball kicks off for real, Mike Thomas is going to be ready to go, and we’re excited about that,” new head coach Dennis Allen said.
In his last full season in 2019, Thomas caught 149 passes for 1725 yards and nine touchdowns.
Alvin Kamara is also expected to play a full slate of games after questions earlier in the offseason about a suspension. Kamara faces felony battery charges, arising from a Pro Bowl weekend incident in Las Vegas, but ProFootballTalk has reported the case will not be decided for some time and a suspension will likely come in 2023 instead. PFF has reported the suspension will likely be six games.
An issue at tackle
Winston’s blind spot is in a bit of peril ahead of the season. Projected starter James Hurst has been dealing with a foot injury since mid-August and is questionable for Week 1. While the injury was a concern, it was less so when his backup, the team’s first-round pick Trevor Penning, was healthy as Penning was presumed to be the long-term starter at the position.
Now Penning is out indefinitely after tearing a ligament in his toe during last week’s preseason game. An MRI on Saturday revealed Penning will need surgery. That puts the pressure back on Hurst to remain healthy.
The Saints have long had a top offensive line in the league, anchored by left tackle Terron Armstead. Armstead is now in Miami, which leaves only one above-average starter according to PFF. That’s Ryan Ramczyk.
Don’t draft Taysom Hill in fantasy football
Sean Payton’s departure means the end of the Taysom Hill QB experiment. Allen has said Hill will focus on being a tight end, something Hill said: “isn't necessarily what I want, it's what's best for the team.”
It’s the first change from the Payton to Allen era. It will be interesting to see how much different this team looks with Payton gone. Most of the other position coaches stuck around.
Chicago Bears – Week 5 and 18
Justin Fields improving
Fields completed 14 of 16 passes for 156 yards, with three touchdowns, no interceptions and no sacks in the Bears’ final preseason game. It’s a pivotal year for Fields, who has to prove to a new regime that he’s worth keeping around long term.
“He took a big step forward for him and for our football team just getting comfortable, operating the offense and doing his thing. I thought he did that tonight,” Eberflus said.
Roquan Smith returns
Potentially the most talented player on the Bears roster sat out most of training camp over a contract dispute. The talented linebacker was looking for a lucrative second contract but the Bears were not willing to meet his asking price. He returned to practice last week.
"I'm just shifting my focus to the season and more so just focused on being the best teammate I can be to those guys in the locker room," Smith said. "It's my last year of my deal, and hey, I'm just going to take it, run with it, bet on myself like I've always done, and the negotiations are over right now."
It’s part of a general philosophy by the Bears this season to leave themselves as much cap space as possible entering 2023 and effectively punting on this season. According to OverTheCap, the Bears have $100 million in cap space for next year. They cut costs on some of their most expensive free agents, trading away Khalil Mack and incurring a $24 million dead cap hit. All in all, they have $60 million in dead cap on the books this year. As you can see next, the roster is suffering because of it.
The roster is bad
In the ESPN position rankings that were mentioned above in the Packers section, it’s hard not to notice the Bears’ consistent deficiencies.
Here’s where they ranked:
- QB – 24th
- RB – 21st
- WR – 29th
- TE – 19th
- OL – 31st
- Interior DL – 26th
- EDGE – 30th
- Off-ball LB – 14th
- CB – 29th
- Safety – 30th
- Overall – 30th
It might be another long year for Bears fans.
Miami Dolphins – Week 6
No more excuses for Tua
Over Tua Tagovailoa’s first two NFL seasons, there have been plenty of reasons to explain his bad play. From his recovery from a brutal hip injury to shotty offense line play and weapons to a coaching staff that didn’t believe in him.
That’s no longer the case. The team acquired Tyreek Hill to pair alongside an emerging Jaylen Waddle. The relationship between Tagovailoa and new head coach Mike McDaniel appears to be strong, with both throwing praise at the other.
In the final preseason game, Tagovailoa finished with 6-of-7 passing, 121 yards and a touchdown. Hill caught two passes for 64 yards.
It’s the best situation Tagovailoa has been in since he was drafted. Now, what will he do with it?
Tyreek Hill showing out in training camp
“I feel like they basically just threw me to the side, like I was trash or something.”
Hill has remained in the news since joining Miami, airing his thoughts frequently, like this quote he recently gave about the Chiefs. After spending his first six seasons with Kansas City, Hill is now on his own and away from the comfort of Patrick Mahomes.
But Hill seems to be acclimating well. Throughout camp, he’s brought in headlines. On the first play of the Dolphins preseason game this week, Hill and Tagovailoa connected on a 51-yard deep route.
Arizona Cardinals – Week 8
Kliff and Kyler saga
The Kyler Murray contract saga is well-documented. The film study clause that was included and then quickly removed provided a glimpse into the dysfunctional relationship Murray and the Cardinals seem to have.
Then came the play-calling saga. Murray has called plays throughout the preseason, which the team has spun into a positive as a way for Murray to get a new perspective on the offense, but it actually stems from this quote.
"I just wanted him to know that, hey, this s— ain't easy," Kingsbury said (via the Cardinals). "Every now and then, he starts shaking his head when I'm calling it in there, I'm like, 'Alright big dog.'”
That doesn’t sound like the healthiest quarterback-head coach relationship, with Kingsbury admitting the move was made out of frustration with the QB.
The Cardinals have petered out after strong starts to the last two seasons. Murray has two more seasons on his rookie contract before his deal kicks in, which means it’s go-time as the team tries to capitalize on the team-friendly contract before his cap hit skyrockets. This type of drama is not the juju you want entering the season.
Cornerback concerns
The cornerback room for the Cardinals is a talking point for all the wrong reasons entering this season. Byron Murphy Jr. is a serviceable starter, but that’s about the only nice thing you can say about the group, which ESPN ranked dead-last in their cornerback ratings.
The No. 2 cornerback is currently Antonio Hamilton, a 2016 undrafted free agent. Hamilton’s overall PFF grades since coming into the league are 59.8, 37.7, 63.1, 48.0 and 65.4. He’s given up 13.7 yards per reception and a quarterback rating of 111.7 over those six seasons.
The No. 3 option is Marco Wilson, a 2021 fourth-round pick that ranked 109th of 116 cornerbacks in PFF grade.
Washington Commanders — Week 9
Heeeeeere’s Carson
Last year the Commanders eked out seven wins with Taylor Heinicke under center and finished 23rd in Expected Points Added through the air. This offseason they traded for Carson Wentz, who was shown the door in an unkind fashion by the Indianapolis Colts. In fact, Colts owner Jim Irsay was still taking shots at Wentz during the preseason, saying in a New York Post interview, “We went through the season with some inconsistency at quarterback that led to massive problems.” You’d be unhappy too if your team missed the playoffs after losing to the Jaguars in Week 18.
Nonetheless, by EPA, the Colts’ passing game was 60 points better than Washington’s in 2021 (and ranked 14th) so the Commanders are hoping that marginal improvement will lead to a return to the postseason. Still coach Ron Rivera (via ESPN) doesn’t seem wildly enthusiastic about his new quarterback.
"There are some inaccuracies, but it's nothing that we are overly concerned about,” Rivera said. “You see what's going on and how things are developing. You see the timing and just understand the feeling of what's going on with our concept. So, we will continue to grow and work on it."
By the time the Vikings play Washington, Wentz will either be a feelgood story or the goat of D.C. (in a bad way).
Chase Young goes on IR
The second overall pick was supposed to be part of a defense on the rise last year but he only appeared in nine games and registered 1.5 sacks. He will start this season on injured reserve as he recovered from an ACL tear. Reports are that he may not return until midway through the season, which makes the chances he plays against the Vikings questionable. It also makes Washington’s defensive line, which is supposed to be a strength, somewhat suspect. Montez Sweat was banged up last year and Young’s replacement James Smith-Williams had just 2.5 sacks in 236 pass rush snaps (per PFF).
RB Brian Robinson Jr. out
The Commanders were set to start Robinson Jr. after he passed Antonio Gibson on the depth chart but he was shot during an attempted armed robbery. While Gibson surpassed 1,000 yards last year, Washington’s running back was still suspect as he gained just 4.4 yards per touch. They were hoping Robinson Jr. would be an upgrade but now he will be out for the foreseeable future.
Buffalo Bills — Week 10
James Cook brings something new
The Bills drafted Cook 63rd overall after getting little production out of their backfield last year. In preseason he showed that Buffalo may have a viable weapon, rushing for 56 yards on 10 carries and adding three receptions. Cook, who is Dalvin Cook’s brother, is expected to take pressure off quarterback Josh Allen. In 2021 the versatile QB ran for 736 yards on 122 carries — which may have been a tad too many for coach Sean McDermott’s liking. Cook joins a group of weapons that is already strong with Stefon Diggs and rising star Gabriel Davis.
An offseason with controversy
The Bills dealt with a few distractions this offseason, including the fallout from end of their 2021 season coming in the final 13 seconds of the AFC Divisional round to contract issues with safety Jordan Poyer to debates over a new stadium to cutting punter Matt Araiza after rape allegations surfaced. Buffalo also enters the season as the favorites to win the Super Bowl, which comes along with its own pressure.
Will the accumulation of these things impact the Bills? With their roster strength and superstar quarterback it’s hard to see a collapse but the road won’t be easy as the team with a target on its back.
Dallas Cowboys — Week 11
Tyron Smith out
It’s not an exaggeration to say that Smith is one of the most dominant players in the NFL — and that losing him for the season is a crushing blow for the Cowboys’ offense. Last year Smith ranked as the No. 2 tackle in PFF grade and gave up just 11 QB pressures in 460 pass blocking snaps. It appears the Cowboys will toss first-round pick tackle Tyler Smith into the fire. He played 66 snaps at left guard during the preseason so there will be a serious adjustment period. They could also make a move for another tackle. Earlier this offseason the Cowboys released veteran La’el Collins.
Will they replace Amari Cooper?
CeeDee Lamb might get Cooper Kupp level targets this year from Dak Prescott. This offseason they sent Cooper packing to Cleveland, leaving them without a clear No. 2 receiver. Michael Gallup and James Washington are both injured, leaving Noah Brown as the next man up on the Cowboys’ depth chart. The 2017 draft pick has appeared in 50 games and has 39 career catches. Dallas scored the most points in the NFL last year, which seems like a number bound to regress without Smith or Cooper.
New England Patriots — Week 12
Who’s calling the plays?
After Josh McDaniels took the Las Vegas Raiders head coaching job, the Patriots did not replace the offensive coordinator position with an up-and-comer or an old-school play caller. They put two failed head coaches — neither of whom coached offense — Joe Judge and Matt Patricia on the case. Unsurprisingly the Patriots’ offense has struggled during camp and the preseason, leading to major questions about the decision and whether quarterback Mac Jones will regress. Jones was the far-and-away best QB from the 2021 class last year but
Rookie Tyquan Thornton injured
Jones already doesn’t have the most threatening group of receivers in the league and he lost his rookie receiver for six-to-eight weeks with a fractured clavicle. Now the Patriots will look to a committee of receivers in DeVante Parker along with Jakobi Meyers, Kendrick Bourne and Nelson Agholor to take Jones’ game to the next level. Parker’s health may be the lynchpin to whether it works. He gained over 1,200 yards with the Dolphins in 2019 but has only played a full season once in his seven-year career. Reports from Patriots camp had him as one of Jones’ top practice targets.
New York Jets — Week 13
Zach Wilson falls behind with injury
In the first preseason game Wilson went down with a non-contact injury that will make him questionable for Week 1. Veteran Joe Flacco has taken over the reins and may end up starting the year is Wilson isn’t ready to go. It may end up being a blip on the radar for the second-year Jets QB but it isn’t ideal for the ex-BYU star when he’s looking to take a massive leap forward from a nightmarish rookie season.
“[Wilson] felt like the game slowed down for him. He was really executing the offense, he was playing good, efficient football,” GM Joe Douglas told the Jets media.
Whether Wilson can take the “next step” will be the determining factor toward whether the Vikings have an easy matchup against the Jets or it turns out to be surprisingly difficult.
Mekhi Becton lost for the season
After a strong start to his career in 2020 in which the Jets’ young tackle posted a solid 76.0 pass blocking grade from PFF, he is set to miss the 2022 season with a knee injury suffered early in camp. Becton only played 31 snaps last year and the Jets were hoping for him to return and admirably guard Wilson’s blind side. Instead they signed veteran Duane Brown, who slid last year from his typically outstanding pass blocking but still ranked 31st of 57 qualifying starting tackles.
Indianapolis Colts — Week 15
Can Matt Ryan thrive under better circumstances?
Over the last few seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, Ryan has watched his team’s roster deteriorate. This offseason he got dealt to one of the best rosters in the NFL in Indianapolis. Can he find an old flash of magic like Philip Rivers did in 2019 when he led them to an 11-5 season? Maybe there’s something left in the tank. Reports from camp seem to indicate that’s the case.
“We saw it throughout camp… Ryan was not shy about targeting his receivers downfield,” SI’s Jake Arthur wrote.
"I feel like we've accomplished, checked the boxes that we want to check, got some confidence going into the season,” Frank Reich said (via Colts).
Last year Ryan showed some signs of still having pop in his arm, ranking 11th in big-time throws (per PFF) but he still only averaged 7.1 yards per attempt, just behind Teddy Bridgewater and ahead of Taylor Heinicke.
New York Giants — Week 16
Can Brian Daboll turn things around?
Daniel Jones is reportedly making progress in the Giants’ offense and finished the preseason strong by going 14-for-16 with 116 yards against the Bengals but New York football fans aren’t interested in moral victories. Daboll is best known for guiding the emergence of Josh Allen as a star QB and expect him to get the most out of Jones. Based on Jones’ first three seasons in the NFL in which he has failed to clear 7.0 yards per attempt, that’s going to be a tough task. Still the Giants escaped camp without major drama, which is a change from their recent history.
Nobody believes in the Giants
ESPN’s power rankings placed the G-men 28th. Draft Kings’ betting odds have them +1300 to win the Super Bowl, which is only ahead of the Panthers, Jaguars, Jets, Seahawks, Bears, Lions, Falcons and Texans. It would take a lot more than a quiet camp to change minds.
