Minnesota Vikings News

Home

Quizzes

Watch

Newsletter

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell. Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

To make playoffs, Vikings must clean up this major issue

By Joe Cox | Last updated 11/20/23

As the old saying goes, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” This seems to be a fitting description for the Minnesota Vikings’ performance on “Sunday Night Football,” a 21-20 loss to the Denver Broncos.

On one hand, you have a creative and generally more fun offense under quarterback Joshua Dobbs, whom Minnesota (6-5) acquired at the Oct. 31 trade deadline from the Arizona Cardinals. He has replaced Kirk Cousins, who is out for the season with an Achilles injury.

On the other hand, there’s a nagging tendency the Vikings cannot seem to rid themselves of that has played a crucial role in their losses: turnovers.

The Vikings turned the ball over three times against the Broncos (5-5). This closely resembles what unfolded at the beginning of the season, when the Vikings committed 12 turnovers in the first five games. During the next five games, all wins, they only committed five turnovers.

It is no secret how closely correlated the turnover margin is related to winning in the NFL. According to Kevin Seifert of ESPN, the Vikings are 2-64 in games in which they have a minus-3 turnover ratio on the road.

How hard would it have been for the Vikings to win on the road with a -3 turnover ratio? They haven't done it since 1977, and are 2-64 all-time in those situations. That and more in our @espn Week 11 takeaways:https://t.co/sRYFo90xZA
— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) November 20, 2023

The first offensive possession for the Vikings seemed to be an indication of how the game would ultimately unfold. On third-and-one, T.J. Hockenson lined up under center, took the snap and pitched the ball to Dobbs, who took a big hit and fumbled to the Broncos.

Late in the third quarter, running back Alexander Mattison fumbled with the Vikings leading 17-9. Mattison looked the best he had all season up until this point. He finished with 18 carries for 81 yards, but the fumble will loom over his performance and may result in RB Ty Chandler (10 carries, 73 yards) taking on a bigger workload.

With the Vikings leading 17-12 early in the fourth quarter, Dobbs was under duress, got hit while throwing and threw his first interception as a Viking. His elusiveness in the pocket has been an asset in Minnesota, but this time he was unable to escape pressure and committed his second turnover of the game.

The Broncos subsequently put together an impressive drive and closed out the Vikings, who were on a five-game winning streak.

In many ways, it feels as though the excitement around Dobbs — “The Passtronaut” — has worn off after this loss. There is still plenty of reason for optimism in Minnesota, and it’s easy to forget Dobbs has been in Minnesota for less than three weeks. To make a run at an NFC North title, though, it is clear that the Vikings must stop the turnovers.

More must-reads: