INGLEWOOD, Calif. — You might not be able to find a game in which the Vikings have looked this bad since hiring head coach Kevin O’Connell.
There were no redeeming qualities to how the Vikings played in the 37-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday night at SoFi Stadium.
The struggles spanned offense, defense, and specials teams, which explains why the game was never competitive. As the final seconds ticked off the clock, everybody on the Vikings looked like they would’ve rather been anywhere else.
Here are some takeaways from arguably the most embarrassing loss O’Connell has experienced as the man in charge.
Why was Carson Wentz still in the game late?
Never mind that quarterback Carson Wentz is working through a significantly injured left shoulder. He still took countless hits throughout the game. Some of that had to do with him failing to protect himself in certain situations. Some of that had to do with a depleted offensive line not giving him enough time in the pocket. Though he showed a lot of toughness by continuously peeling himself off the turf, Wentz probably shouldn’t have been allowed to play as long as he did. It was on O’Connell to save Wentz from himself. Instead, he continued to play through an immense amount of pain, and he wasn’t very effective completing 15 of 27 passes for 144 yards, a touchdown, and an interception.
Why didn’t Max Brosmer get a chance?
There’s an argument to be made that quarterback Max Brosmer should’ve seen more playing time than he did. Though he got some tick in the final minutes, completing 3 of 4 passes for 13 yards, Brosmer had no impact on the game itself. Maybe he could’ve if he got in earlier. The offense was struggling for prolonged stretches with Wentz at the helm. It might’ve been worth seeing if Brosmer gave the Vikings a better chance to win. Asked why he didn’t play Brosmer when the game was still within reach, O’Connell noted that he didn’t want to put the undrafted free agent in a bad spot so early in his career having to play behind a depleted offensive line.
Why did Christian Darrisaw leave early?
The process of getting left tackle Christian Darrisaw feeling 100 percent is still ongoing. It doesn’t seem like he’s reached a place where he can log a heavy workload in consecutive games. To his credit, he gave it a shot for the Vikings, playing a couple of series before exiting the game for good. He clearly wasn’t feeling like himself in his limited snaps. The loss of Darrisaw was even more significant when considering the Vikings were also without right tackle Brian O’Neill. He recently returned from a sprained medial collateral ligament and couldn’t get his body ready to go on short rest.
Why wasn’t the defense able to make stops?
The easiest answer to that question is quarterback Justin Herbert looked like a man on a mission for the Chargers. When he wasn’t using his right arm to carve up the Vikings, especially in the middle of the field, he was gaining chunks of yardage with his legs. The exotic scheme that defensive coordinator Brian Flores runs has garnered a reputation of being able to confuse signal callers. That wasn’t the case for Herbert as he picked apart the defense seemingly at will. It also helped that whenever Herbert needed a break he could hand off to running back Kimani Vidal. He finished with 23 carries for 117 yards and a touchdown. It wasn’t a good look for the Vikings on defense as they surrendered more than 400 yards of total offense.
Why does it feel like this season is on the brink?
After falling below .500 for the first time this season, the Vikings are about to find out if they’re made of right stuff. They are in desperate need of a win and have tough games against the Detroit Lions and Baltimore Ravens coming up on their schedule. If the Vikings are going to turn it around, they have to start by upsetting either the Lions or the Ravens at a minimum. If the Vikings lose the next couple of games, they can start thinking about a high pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The fate of the franchise suddenly rests on the shoulders of quarterback J.J. McCarthy as long as he’s healthy enough to start under center. He’s a beacon of hope right now with a lot of darkness surrounding the Vikings.
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