5 things we've learned about the 1-1 Minnesota Vikings so far

The main thing that has stood out about the start to this Vikings season is that their young quarterback still has a lot of developing to do. It's far too early to have major concern over McCarthy's play, but the idea that he was going to step in and hit the ground running seems to have been a misguided one. McCarthy has gone 24 of 41 for 301 yards as a passer, with three total touchdowns (all in one fourth quarter against the Bears) and four turnovers. McCarthy ranks second-to-last among NFL QBs in QBR, passer rating, and sacks taken.

There have been all kinds of issues. The offensive line hasn't helped out their quarterback much, but he also has held onto the ball longer, on average, than every QB except Caleb Williams and Jalen Hurts. McCarthy has had the ball for more than 2.5 seconds on nearly 84 percent of his dropbacks, by far the most in the league. That could partially be the fault of the offensive coaching for not giving him enough quick opportunities, but it could also indicate that he isn't trusting what he's seeing yet.

That's why McCarthy's ankle injury is a bummer. He needs to be on the field, playing and developing. Now he won't get that chance again for at least a couple weeks.

2. The O-line is still a concern

After going out and completely overhauling the interior of their offensive line with three new starters in the offseason, the hope was that the Vikings would have their best O-line in years. That may still wind up being the case. But so far, that unit hasn't exactly looked fixed. McCarthy has been pressured on 40 percent of his dropbacks, per PFF, which is one of the highest rates in the league. Again, he is partially responsible for that number by not getting the ball out quickly. But the OL also bears fault.

It's obviously worth pointing out that the Vikings have been without their best offensive lineman in left tackle Christian Darrisaw, who may or may not make his season debut in Week 3. Backup Justin Skule, who seemed to be a solid short-term fill-in option, struggled mightily before landing in the concussion protocol.

But it hasn't just been Skule. The two new guards, Will Fries and rookie Donovan Jackson, had rough games against the Falcons. Brian O'Neill and Ryan Kelly are the only two OL who have graded out well thus far, and now Kelly might miss this week's game with a concussion. There have been glaring communication issues, like when both Falcons edge rushers ran free on the play where McCarthy was sacked and lost a fumble. Interior stunts continue to give them trouble.

The health of Darrisaw and Kelly will be critical, but no matter who's out there, the Vikings need better offensive line play to support whoever's playing quarterback.

3. Mason has to be a featured weapon

One of the early bright spots on the Vikings' offense has been Jordan Mason, the running back they acquired from the 49ers this offseason. The raw numbers aren't eye-popping: 24 carries for 98 yards (4 YPC) and no touchdowns, plus 3 catches for 15 yards. But Mason was a key part of the Vikings' comeback against the Bears, and basically no one on the offense got going in Week 2.

The advanced metrics look much better. Among 29 running backs with at least 20 carries so far, Mason ranks second in PFF rushing grade and fourth in yards after contact per attempt. Next Gen Stats has him 9th out of 35 qualified backs in rush yards over expected per attempt. Mason has consistently made the most of his opportunities, and he's about to get even more of them now that Aaron Jones has landed on IR with a hamstring injury.

Having already out-snapped and out-touched Jones through two weeks, Mason is now set to be a workhorse back in the Vikings' offense. Neither Zavier Scott nor Cam Akers (who is back once again) figure to eat into his snap count too much. And in order to make life as easy as possible for Wentz, it feels like the Vikings' best plan will be to lean on Mason early and often.

"Jordan clearly has already shown his ability to be a heavy runner, yards after contact, all those things," O'Connell said. "And the encouraging thing, like we expected about him, was gonna be the multi-facet to his game, from some of the great clips we've seen of pass protection to catching the football, whatever it may be. I'm not sure we could more confidence in Jordan as a potential bellcow kind of back."

4. The defense is still good...

The Vikings' defense came into this season with a ton of hype after bolstering last year's elite unit with some offseason additions. Through two games, it's been an unspectacular but solid start for Brian Flores' group. They kept the Vikings in the game in Week 1, then did the same on Sunday night until the dam broke in the fourth quarter. They're eighth in opponent EPA (expected points added) per play. That breaks down into second against the pass and 25th against the rush, largely due to the Falcons' huge game on the ground in Week 2.

The Vikings have five sacks and have only allowed three touchdowns in two games. They also only have one takeaway and no interceptions, which was a strength of their defense last season. This week's defensive task won't be easy, as Jake Browning is better than most backup quarterbacks and has incredible weapons at his disposal. With that said, he's known to put the ball in harm's way fairly often, which could create opportunities for takeaways.

5. ...but injuries have been a factor there, too

The Vikings' injuries on the offensive side of the ball have gotten a lot of understandable attention, but the defense has been banged up too. Harrison Smith hasn't played yet this season as he continues ramping up after dealing with a personal health matter. Blake Cashman landed on IR with a hamstring injury after Week 1. Those are two of the team's key communicators and playmakers on the second and third levels of the defense. Andrew Van Ginkel, who is easily one of the most important players on Flores' defense missed the Falcons game with a concussion. Third cornerback Jeff Okudah was also out.

The Vikings could potentially have Van Ginkel and Smith back this week, but they'll be without Cashman for at least three more games. Without him, they have to find a way to play better run defense and tackle more effectively than they did against Atlanta.

More from Vikings On SI