COVID-19 Rears Ugly Head After Contact With Titans; Vikings Close In-Person Operations

It had been smooth sailing for the NFL as far as the COVID-19 pandemic had been concerned through the first three weeks of the season. The Minnesota Vikings may have been 0-3, but they had not been hit by any losses as far as the virus was concerned.

However, news broke Tuesday morning that the Tennessee Titans, Minnesota’s most recent opponent, had been his with eight positive tests.

As a result, the Vikings have suspended in-person club operations, according to a statement from the team. The Vikings have not had any positive tests in the same time frame, so that has been encouraging. However, their Week 4 game against the Houston Texans could be delayed.

If there are future positive tests, it could put the game at risk. The team said it would provide further updates regarding the weekly schedule “when appropriate.”

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The 2020 NFL season has all the earmarks of an unmitigated disaster for Mike Zimmer and the Vikings. There are problems up and down the lineup on defense, and the offense has not been up to the task in two of the three games.

The Vikings are a last-place team in the NFC North that has to look up at the undefeated Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers, and even the Detroit Lions have won a game.

So where do the Vikings go from here? An objective look at the team reveals that a defensive rebuild is needed to get this team back to a competitive level, but tanking is not a strong alternative in the NFL when there are 13 games to go. It may be a longshot to think this team can get back into a legitimate race for a playoff spot, but there has to be a formula that will make the team more competitive.

Zimmer is charged with figuring this out right now, and it begins with the Week 3 game against the Houston Texans. This is a team that is in a similar 0-3 position, even though it was expected to be a strong contender this season.

There’s only one way to go for the Viking to have a chance at respectability this season. It means depending on the offense to dictate the pace of the game.

That unit was unimpressive in the opener against Green Bay until the Packers had a multiple score lead and the Vikings were able to put points on the board. The Vikings simply could not possess the ball in that game, and Aaron Rodgers led the Packers to a 41:16-18:44 time of possession advantage

The Vikings were held to 11 points in Week 2 against the Colts, but the unit came alive in the 31-30 loss to the Titans.

The most encouraging aspect was the performance of No. 1 draft pick Justin Jefferson, who caught 9-of-12 targets from Kirk Cousins for 201 yards and a spectacular 71-yard TD reception. If Jefferson can build off that game and team with Adam Thielen to form an effective 1-2 receiver duo, the offense should be capable of holding its own for the foreseeable future.

Running back Dalvin Cook is among the most explosive backs in the game, and he ran for 181 yards and a remarkable 8.2 yards per carry against the Titans to go with one touchdown.

That’s exactly how offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak pictured it at the start of the season, and while the offense has taken some time to come around, there is reason to believe that the unit should be productive.

Throw in tight ends Kyle Rudolph and Irv Smith Jr., and the offense could turn out to be quite dependable from this point forward.

It needs to be since the defense is not capable at this point. The secondary was vulnerable in 2019 and it is just as weak this year. Since the pass rush has been a mere rumor, Minnesota’s inability to slow down the opposition’s passing game has been non-existent.

The Vikings have the third-worst pass defense in the league, as they are allowing 292.3 yards per game. They have given up five TD passes and recorded just two interceptions.

If they are going to get in the win column against the equally inept Texans (0-3) on the road Sunday, it will have to be the offense that picks up where it left off against the Titans and build from there.