Souhan: Following back-to-back losses, can Vikings fix flaws? If so, will they?

Each of these views is true:

• The Vikings are a week removed from being one of two undefeated teams in the NFL. They have perhaps the best receiver in the league, and their star tight end is about to return from injury. They are well-coached and their two losses are understandable — one, by two points, to a frighteningly good Lions team, and one on a short-week trip to the West Coast, where the Vikings haven’t won a night game since 1996. This is no time for panic.

• The Vikings entered the season with obvious question marks and are on a two-game losing streak, just lost their star left tackle to injury, are getting little help from recent draftees, can’t stop making silly mistakes on offense, and look vulnerable on defense.

The question for the Vikings’ brain trust as the trade deadline approaches is, which view will have more influence on their decisions?

It’s a trickier question than you might think.

Should the bosses treat this team like a championship contender and sell out to win now?

Or take the long view, admit to themselves that this team isn’t a true Super Bowl contender, and conserve assets for the future?

What could complicate these decisions is that General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and coach Kevin O’Connell are in the third year of four-year contracts, and were told by the Wilfs this summer that they would not be receiving extensions before the start of the 2024 season.

If they think they need to win to earn extensions, will they be tempted to trade from their diminished stock of draft picks before the Nov. 5 deadline?

They currently have only three picks in the ‘25 draft — a first-rounder and two fifth-rounders. They probably will also receive a compensatory pick. Trading draft picks to replace Darrisaw (if necessary) or acquire another player would be dangerous to the future of the franchise.

There is also a factor that indicates that the Vikings should sell out to win this year. They have the fifth-oldest roster in the NFL and have a number of key players in the last or only year of their contracts, including cornerback Stephon Gilmore, running back Aaron Jones and safety Cam Bynum. Star safety Harrison Smith could retire after this season, as well.

Will the prospect of roster upheaval this offseason be viewed as a reason to try to win now?

Adofo-Mensah has admitted he made mistakes in his first draft, in 2022; first and second-round picks Lewis Cine and Andrew Booth Jr. are no longer with the team.

In 2023, he selected receiver Jordan Addison in the first round, and Addison had an excellent rookie season, catching 70 passes for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns.

This season, Addison has played in four games, producing 12 catches for 209 yards and one touchdown. His draft class includes cornerback Mekhi Blackmon, safety Jay Ward, defensive tackle Jacqueline Roy, quarterback Jaren Hall and running back DeWayne McBride. None are starters.

Adofo-Mensah’s strength has been acquiring established NFL talent — trading for tight end T.J. Hockenson and signing free-agents like Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, Blake Cashman, Shaquill Griffin and Gilmore.

If the Vikings win big this year, Adofo-Mensah’s successes in that area will become the prevailing story of his tenure. If this team falters, his drafts will receive more scrutiny.

O’Connell has proved himself as a talented offensive coach. Now he has to prove that he, and defensive coordinator Brian Flores, can counter-punch the counter-punchers.

The Lions and Rams were able to take advantage of Cashman’s absence in the middle of the field with the run and pass, and the Rams’ ability to speed up their offensive tempo kept the Vikings’ defense from disguising their intentions before the snap.

At 5-2, the Vikings are no longer the talk of the league, but they are in far better shape than most neutral observers thought they would be at this juncture. In the NFC, only the Lions have a better record and only the Packers have the same record.

A two-game losing streak isn’t a crisis, but the Lions and Rams have exposed their flaws, and the Vikings may not be willing or able to fix those flaws with trades.