Ben Leber on Vikings' 3-2 start, McCarthy vs Wentz, O-line and defense injuries, rest-of-season outlook
Description
Time to relax, unwind, and recover for both the Minnesota Vikings and their fans as the team sits through its bye week, then gears up for defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia next week.
Especially the recovery part.
Recovery from a couple of stomach-knotting, slobberknocking overseas games against the rough-and-tumble Steelers and Browns. Recovery for quarterback J.J. McCarthy, four starting offensive linemen, and three key defenders.
What should we make of a 3-2 start that included McCarthy's maligned play and high ankle sprain, veteran backup Carson Wentz winning two of three starts, the O-line's 13 different combinations that at times made it a swinging gate, and Brian Flores' banged-up defense that somehow is giving up the fifth fewest points in the NFL but can't stop a nosebleed on the ground?
Few people on the planet outside the Vikings' locker room have better access or acumen about the team than South Dakota Sports Hall of Famer Ben Leber, a former Vermillion High School Parade All-America running and 10-year NFL linebacker who spent five seasons with the Vikings (2006-10).
The sideline analyst for the Vikings Audio Network the last 10 years, Leber digs in to the perceived quarterback quandary between McCarthy and Wentz — or, really, is there one? — which of the two gives the team a better chance to beat the Eagles, and if Wentz deserves a shot at that gig even after McCarthy is cleared to play.
Leber also weighs in on what kind of moves the team should make on the market, if any, to provide help to the O-line, and how much the leaky rush defense will improve with linebackers Blake Cashman and Andrew Van Ginkel back in the lineup, plus safety Harrison Smith back to full strength.
The conversation starts with Leber's travel review of both Dublin and London, then ends with his thoughts on the Vikings' ceiling in a season that includes the Eagles, the Chargers, and all six games against stout NFC North competition ahead.
United States
