The Minnesota Vikings had experienced an entertaining regular season with a 14-2 record through 16 games before the entire operation fell apart. A disappointing loss in the regular season finale in Detroit cost the franchise a division title and the automatic first-round bye week, and the lone playoff game was a blowout loss.
3 Vikings Didn’t Meet Their Expectations
The organization considerably exceeded expectations all year, as nobody expected the team with 6.5 projected wins in the preseason to compete for the NFC North until the final week of the year. Some players, however, failed to meet their preseason expectations.
Honorable Mentions
Let’s start with some players who didn’t make the top three.
One is Sam Darnold. The quarterback experienced a career year, throwing for 35 touchdowns and ending up on the Pro Bowl roster. The disappointing aspect arrived late in the year with his two breakdowns in the season’s final two weeks.
Levi Drake Rodriguez failed to make an impact on the field. However, it’s quite normal for a rookie, especially one drafted in the seventh round, to not be a difference-maker. Failing to be part of the active gameday roster is also not too alarming.
Ed Ingram
On the actual list, however, is Ed Ingram, Minnesota’s right guard. Entering the season, Vikings fans hoped for a third-year jump in reliability, but he was still the same-old Ingram, a player with some flashes in the running game but inconsistent in pass protection.
After the first nine games of the season, the coaching staff reacted to underwhelming play by benching him for veteran Dalton Risner. Minnesota’s interior offensive line is still subpar, leading head coach Kevin O’Connell to request improvement after the playoff loss. The fact that Ingram couldn’t even keep his starting gig despite the lack of top-level competition is quite concerning.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see him end up on the chopping block.
Ty Chandler
Running back Aaron Jones was signed to improve the rushing attack, and he did that. Behind him, the Vikings entered the season with third-year player Ty Chandler and practice squad rusher Myles Gaskin.
Chandler was the guy fans expected to contribute after his late-season surge in the 2023 campaign, in which he had a couple of explosive games late in the year and joined the starting lineup instead of Alexander Mattison.
To start the year, Chandler received some carries, but the Vikings traded again for Cam Akers, and Chandler was demoted to RB3 duties. Following the trade, he never eclipsed five touches in a game.
It remains to be seen what the running back room will look like in 2025 and whether Chandler will be part of it.
Brandon Powell
Emerging as the WR3 in the 2023 season and becoming the favorite target for Josh Dobbs, Brandon Powell had a chance to defend that role, as the Vikings didn’t acquire any noteworthy threats in free agency or the draft.
Jalen Nailor stole the WR3 job in training camp, and Powell completely disappeared from O’Connell’s offense, catching only seven passes for 71 yards.
On the bright side, he was a reliable punt returner, although he didn’t record any huge plays, and his average declined from the previous year.
Powell is a free agent, and GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah could try to re-sign him to another cheap contract.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt