INGLEWOOD, Calif. — He tries. Boy, does Justin Jefferson do his best to mask his emotions.
Search for him on the Minnesota Vikings’ sideline, and you’ll usually find him on the edge of a bench. He rocks back and forth. It’s something he’s done since he was a child. There are never helmet throws, no jawing at teammates. But even he, in this moment, was despondent.
Jefferson aggressively tossed his helmet onto its perch. Quarterbacks coach Josh McCown approached him in an attempt at consolation, but Jefferson stood alone then simmered by himself as he walked toward the locker room. It was halftime at SoFi Stadium. The tipping point had been reached.
Calling Thursday night’s 37-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers an obliteration does not quite do the showing justice. This was a humiliation, an unraveling. This was the football equivalent of a prizefight where you’re almost begging the referee to end it.
The Vikings couldn’t run. They also couldn’t stop the run. They struggled to pass. They also made it seem as if they did not know how to defend the pass. Offensively, it felt like they were getting hit with a tidal wave. Defensively, there was no resistance. To top it all off, a lack of discipline ran rampant, primarily on special teams.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell admitted postgame that the team was outplayed and outcoached. Linebacker Blake Cashman preferred the term “sloppy.”
What, Blake, was most sloppy?
He laughed audibly in response to that question, and then asked: “Where do I start?”
Many of the players who talked afterward said the team’s performance surprised them. But should it have? Not only did the Chargers possess a far superior quarterback in Justin Herbert, but the Vikings have only beaten the Bears, Bengals and Browns.
There’s an undercurrent of tension with this team. You could feel it in the spring. It was evident during training camp. The overseas trip may have only added more. Edge rusher Jonathan Greenard passionately defended the team’s vibe following the Week 3 win over Cincinnati, but nights like these make you question the overall connectivity.
This subject has already surfaced in the minds of folks internally, according to those with knowledge of team dynamics dating back to the spring.
“I’m not worried,” safety and captain Josh Metellus said. “I think we’ve got the right guys in this building, the right coaches, the right staff.”
Cashman’s analysis was more sobering. He mentioned the team’s 3-4 record. He noted the competitive nature of the NFC North. He described the present situation as feeling like “you’re staring down the barrel.”
Next week’s opponent, the Lions, has beaten the Vikings five times in a row. The ensuing week, Minnesota hosts the Ravens, who could have a healthy Lamar Jackson. Two games against the Packers are coming. The Vikings also must fly out to Seattle, Dallas and New York.
All of this after being outgained 419-164. All of this after being mowed over by the Chargers’ fronts.
What must they do to keep the train from skidding off the tracks?
“For lack of a better term,” Cashman said, “nut up.”
Justin Herbert carved the Vikings up for 225 yards and three touchdowns. (Harry How / Getty Images)
O’Connell cited fundamentals and techniques as the primary issue, but the players tasked with carrying them out warrant their own conversation. It makes sense to begin with the quarterback, a subject that may have started all the tension in the first place.
This spring, the Vikings opted not to offer former quarterback Sam Darnold a lengthy contract. They did covet Daniel Jones — an action that speaks to their belief in the need for quarterback insurance — but Jones chose the more advantageous opportunity with the Colts. That’s when the idea of Aaron Rodgers surfaced, and, even though plenty of people inside the building supported the idea as a way to give young quarterback J.J. McCarthy more developmental time, the Vikings forged ahead with McCarthy as the primary starter for 2025.
All of these months later, Darnold and Jones are thriving in Seattle and Indy, respectively. Rodgers is excelling in Pittsburgh. McCarthy was uneven before a high-ankle sprain forced the Vikings to turn to Carson Wentz. He has played how you’d expect Wentz to play, especially given the serious injury to his non-throwing shoulder. On Thursday night, Wentz, who was rolling around in pain for much of the night and left to take body blows for three hours, wore a contraption that made him look like he was dressing up as Bane in Batman for Halloween.
“I’ve never worn anything remotely close to all that,” Wentz said after the game.
Offensive line injuries haven’t made the circumstances easier for either quarterback. Concussions have prevented center Ryan Kelly from being available. Left guard Donovan Jackson broke his wrist. Right tackle Brian O’Neill sprained his MCL. And Christian Darrisaw, who tore his ACL and MCL on this turf almost a year ago to the day, has taken himself out of two of the last three games. All of this carnage only amplifies the role of a defense that is without Andrew Van Ginkel, its key cog at edge rusher.
Interior defensive linemen Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave haven’t done enough. The secondary has been porous when opposing quarterbacks have time or drift from the pocket. Second-year edge rusher Dallas Turner was flagged Thursday night for launching with the crown of his helmet well after a Herbert throw.
Less tangible factors matter in the broader conversation around this team, too. This is the first season in years that O’Connell is game planning and adapting in-game without Grant Udinski, who was hired as the Jaguars’ offensive coordinator. The Vikings no longer have safety Cam Bynum, defensive tackle Harrison Phillips, defensive tackle Jonathan Bullard or cornerback Stephon Gilmore, all of whom helped orchestrate a defense that operates when all 11 are selfless and in sync.
That quality, as much as anything else, seems to be lacking right now. Herbert does not launch a 27-yard touchdown pass to receiver Ladd McConkey down the right sideline if safety Theo Jackson is helping cornerback Jeff Okudah over the top. Wentz isn’t having to scramble and absorb more punishment if the edge is secured. O’Connell doesn’t have to dial up the perfect pass if the Vikings defense is limiting the opposing team’s number of possessions. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores isn’t feeling like he has any wiggle room if the offense establishes any momentum.
Everything flows together until it doesn’t. In some ways, the transition from 2024 to ‘25 is like the joy switch has been flicked off.
“We need to own this,” O’Connell said. “This is not a bury-the-tape kind of time for our organization. This is watch it, view it, own it. Every coach, every player. It starts with me.”
One of the final members of the Vikings’ traveling party to exit SoFi Stadium was O’Connell, whose impact on the energy is outsized. Success in two of the last three seasons has made that abundantly clear. He walked with his head down alongside the director of security and safety, Dave Korus, and the assistant to the head coach, Henry Schneider IV. Together, they made the trek across that sideline toward the buses on a night that will be telling to look back on — for better or for worse.
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