5 biggest questions for the Vikings after a rollercoaster start to the NFL season

There's a chance that the Detroit Lions put to rest any questions when they play the Baltimore Ravens on Monday night, but with three weeks of the NFL season mostly in the books, there are still more questions than answers in the NFC North.

Each team has experienced significant ups and downs. Green Bay looked dominant before choking in the final four minutes against Cleveland, the Lions went from bust to boom in their first two games, and the Bears were a joke before lighting up the Cowboys in Week 3.

Meanwhile, the Vikings had a magical fourth quarter in Week 1, stunk up U.S. Bank Stadium in Week 2, and then blew the doors off the Bengals in Week 3. It's been a wild rollercoaster for the Vikings, leaving us in a position to try and answer the biggest questions they face after three weeks.

1. What's up with the QB situation?

Carson Wentz is in while J.J. McCarthy recovers from a high ankle sprain. There's a chance that McCarthy returns for the Week 5 game in London against the Browns, but it's possible Minnesota lets him recover until Week 7 after the bye when they host the Eagles. If Wentz plays lights out, will McCarthy even get another look?

McCarthy was bad in seven of eight quarters, but it's not like Wentz answered every question in his first start. He had an outstanding opening drive for a touchdown but was a bit shaky from there, completing 14-of-20 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns. But he attempted just 10 passes more than 10 yards down the field, and only two beyond 20 yards, both of which were incomplete.

We still don't know how Wentz will perform under significant pressure. A closer game would bring that pressure, and so too could the Steelers, who had five sacks in a win over the Patriots on Sunday.

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2. Are the offensive line struggles resolved?

It appears to be coming together nicely thanks to Christian Darrisaw making his season debut at left tackle. He allowed only one pressure against the Bengals compared to Justin Skule allowing eight total pressures while starting the first two games. Once Ryan Kelly returns — he missed Week 3 with a concussion — the Vikings will be full steam ahead with a strong offensive line.

3. Which version of the defense is real?

The Vikings were awesome in Week 1 against Caleb Williams and the Bears, but they looked horrible in a Week 2 loss to the Falcons. Then they forced five turnovers and Isaiah Rodgers scored two defensive touchdowns while blowing away the Bengals. The real version is probably closer to what was shown against Cincinnati and Chicago, while the struggles against the Falcons could've been a byproduct of playing without four key defensive players: linebacker Blake Cashman, safety Harrison Smith, edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel and cornerback Jeff Okudah. When healthy, the Vikings are very good on defense.

Minnesota has yet to allow 200 pass yards in a game. That could spell trouble for non-mobile quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers (Steelers) and Joe Flacco (Browns) the next two weeks.

4. How much does Jordan Addison matter?

A lot. Like, a lot-lot. Without Addison, Minnesota's passing game has been woeful, averaging a meager 145.7 yards per game to rank 30th in the league. Only the Jets and Titans are worse. Some of the blame goes on a shaky O-line the first two weeks and then a huge lead against the Bengals that made throwing the ball pointless, but there's something to be said about missing a player of Addison's caliber.

Consider that Justin Jefferson leads the team with 12 catches for 200 yards and one touchdown. Jalen Nailor (7), Adam Thielen (2) and Tai Felton (1) are the only other wide receivers on the roster with a catch. Thielen was brought in to be the No. 2 wide receiver while Addison served his suspension, but he's done next to nothing. Addison will surely provide a huge boost to the passing game when he's back on the field in Week 4.

5. Can they clean up the penalties?

Penalties have been a major issue for the purple through three games. They were called for eight penalties against the Bears and Falcons, respectively, followed by 13 penalties against the Bengals. That's a grand total of 29 penalties for 205 yards the wrong way.

Minnesota has been called for the third-most penalties, and 16 of them are of the pre-snap variety. If they stop the false starts, offsides, neutral zone infractions and illegal formations, it'll go a long way in jumpstarting the offense.

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