The Vikings are just over halfway through their 2021 schedule at 4-5. Leading up to Sunday's game against Green Bay, we'll break down how they've fared so far.
OFFENSE
Preseason expectations
The Vikings opted for stability after offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak's retirement, promoting his son Klint from quarterbacks coach and betting on the younger Kubiak's development as a first-time play-caller. They drafted Christian Darrisaw to be their left tackle and anchor a line full of homegrown players, while counting on tight end Irv Smith to play a larger role after releasing Kyle Rudolph.
Where they are
A year after they ranked 11th in the league in points and fourth in yards, the Vikings have dropped to 14th in points and seventh in yards while mired in a prolonged search for their offensive identity. They took a more aggressive approach last week against the Chargers, and have emphasized the same before this week's game against the Packers, but will still need Kirk Cousins to play with the assertiveness he showed last week while finding Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen more often. Darrisaw has stepped in as the left tackle after missing the first three games following his second groin surgery of the year, but penalties have been a consistent issue for the Vikings' offensive line. Smith, though, was lost for the season after sustaining a knee injury in late August.
Player to watch
Jefferson. His 143 yards against the Chargers were his most since Week 6 last season, and served as a reminder of why he needs to be a focal point of the Vikings' game plans going forward, and it's worth watching how they try to involve him the rest of the way. His two 27-yard catches against Los Angeles underscored how good he is at making contested catches; when he's in man coverage, he rarely should be counted out to win a one-on-one matchup. Teams will certainly try to take Jefferson away as an option in the passing game, but his ability to beat press coverage, route-running skills, size and speed mean the Vikings should be able to find ways to get him the ball in spite of extra attention.
One big question
Will the Vikings' offensive line require further work? After the team took Darrisaw 23rd overall in the spring and drafted Ohio State's Wyatt Davis in the third round, it appeared the Vikings could finally have consistency on the line, with a group of young draft picks occupying all five spots after years of attempts to patch the line with free agents. But Davis hasn't done enough to see the field in Year 1, and former sixth-round pick Oli Udoh (starting in the right guard spot where Davis could play) leads the league with 11 holding penalties. The Vikings' future at center is also worth watching, with 2019 first-round pick Garrett Bradbury in the middle of another underwhelming season and trying to fend off Mason Cole before the team has to make a decision on Bradbury's fifth-year option this spring.
— BEN GOESSLING
DEFENSE