The Minnesota Vikings are enjoying/enduring a Sunday off after their loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday night. While fans are reeling after an 0-2 start and are probably discussing the touchback rule, there’s another slate of games that have some interesting storylines for the Vikings on Sunday afternoon.
From Jordan Love to the groundwork of potential deadline trades, here is what Vikings fans should be watching for on Sunday.
Is Jordan Love good?
The entire NFC North laughed at the Green Bay Packers when they traded Aaron Rodgers this offseason but it was a nervous kind of laughter. After 30 years of franchise-caliber quarterback play it finally looked like the Packers would find out what having a non-HOF quarterback was like, but Jordan Love’s Week 1 performance has the rest of the division sweating it out.
Love threw for 245 yards, 9.1 yards per attempt and three touchdowns last week but completed just over 55 percent of his passes in a win over the Chicago Bears. Love should have a tougher task on Sunday against an Atlanta Falcons defense that held the Carolina to 281 total yards last week and will be without Aaron Jones and top target Christian Watson due to hamstring injuries.
If Love turns in a dominant performance in his first career start at Lambeau Field, it could really be an eye-opener for the rest of the division. If not, Vikings fans could breathe a sigh of relief knowing the Packers probably don’t have another Hall of Famer under center.
How desperate are the Jets without Aaron Rodgers?
While there are questions at quarterback for the Packers, their former quarterback has created another ripple effect for the New York Jets.
Rodgers’s debut with the Jets lasted just four plays on Monday night as he ruptured his Achilles tendon in a win over the Buffalo Bills. While Rodgers has undergone a “speed bridge” procedure to accelerate his recovery timetable, he will miss the entire regular season, giving the keys to Zach Wilson.
Wilson’s struggles as the second overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft were a key reason why the Jets traded for Rodgers and he now gets to go up against a Dallas Cowboys defense that led the league in turnovers last season and forced three turnovers in a win over the New York Giants last week.
The Jets have a roster ready to contend and if Wilson struggles, they could search for an upgrade. If the Vikings’ 0-2 start isn’t a fluke, they could be sellers at the deadline and with Kirk Cousins in the final year of his contract (albeit with a no-trade clause), it could open the door to more “Kirk to the Jets” speculation.
Are the Lions for real?
The Detroit Lions pulled off one of the biggest upsets of Week 1 when they went into Arrowhead Stadium and defeated the Kansas City Chiefs. While many noted the win came with Travis Kelce on the sideline, it was some validation of the hype the Lions have received this offseason.
But to fully cash in on the hype, the Lions will have to keep winning including a home matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle is coming off a 30-13 loss to the Los Angeles Rams but also lit up the scoreboard in last year’s matchup with Detroit, earning a 48-45 win at Ford Field.
This year’s game figures to be a little different with a sold-out crowd expected to wear blue ski masks to embrace their “villain” role, but a win against another playoff team would go a long way towards legitimizing the Lions this season.
Can the Jaguars pass rush pressure Patrick Mahomes?
A battle between two AFC teams seems like something that wouldn’t matter for Vikings fans, but it could lay more groundwork for a potential trade involving Danielle Hunter.
The Jaguars defense pressured Anthony Richardson on just 28.9% of his dropbacks in a win over the Indianapolis Colts and could have a tough time against the Kansas City offensive line on Sunday.
If that happens, the Jaguars could come calling for Hunter, who already has four sacks in the first two games this season. It’s also interesting to note that Hunter followed the Jaguars on Instagram before signing a one-year, $20 million contract early in training camp and could be open to a trade if the Vikings can’t turn things around after their 0-2 start.
How does the rest of the NFC look?
The Vikings probably would have liked to get at least one win in their first two games but an 0-2 start may not be as daunting if the rest of the NFC has similar stumbles out of the gate.
For all of the things that went wrong in Thursday night’s loss to the Eagles, Philadelphia didn’t look like the dominant team that went to the Super Bowl a year ago and the rest of the NFC could be wide open behind San Francisco, who could have a ticking time bomb in Brock Purdy’s elbow.
After having the ball bounce their way a year ago, the Vikings may need some luck elsewhere to recover from an 0-2 start. If it doesn’t, it could be a lost season in Minnesota and one that could lead to some major changes.
