Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson has been placed on a injured reserve due to hamstring injury he sustained during the match against the Chiefs on Sunday (AP Photo by Jacob Kupferman)
The Minnesota Vikings are one of the toughest teams to figure out in 2024. On the one hand, they seem to be in a rebuild with the state of their defense and quarterback room. On the other hand, the offense has elite talent, including Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, TJ Hockenson, and Aaron Jones. They have the pieces to succeed but also have fatal flaws elsewhere. Here are three numbers to know before the 2024 season.
Minnesota Vikings: 51.5
Blitz percentage of the Vikings’ defense in 2023
To say the Minnesota Vikings blitzed a lot in 2023 is an understatement. On over half the defensive snaps, Brian Flores sent extra men at the quarterback. The next closest team was the New York Giants at 45.4. In their week 18 games against the Lions, they blitzed on 78.7% of the snaps, which was the fourth-highest of any NFL game ever. Part of this was to try and cover up some deficiencies in personnel, but Flores is known for a more aggressive style of defense.
Here’s the kicker: it didn’t really work. Take the week 18 game as an example. Jared Goff went 23/32 with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He was only sacked once. If the Minnesota Vikings are going to have success on defense in 2024, they have to figure out how to pressure the quarterback with a four-man front. Elite quarterbacks are too good against the blitz.
Minnesota Vikings: 5,899
Career receiving yards for Justin Jefferson
The Minnesota Vikings paid Justin Jefferson in the offseason, and it isn’t hard to see why. His 5.899 career receiving yards are the most of any player through his first four years, and it isn’t close. The next closest is Michael Thomas, with 5,512. Jefferson was injured for about 40% of the season last year, and he still managed to eclipse 1,000 yards, mostly without Kirk Cousins.
The question now is whether Jefferson can keep this type of production up with a new quarterback under center. Whether it is McCarthy or Sam Darnold, he will have to build rapport with another player. He and Cousins played well together, and this was part of the success. If the quarterback struggles, we might see a dip in numbers.
Possible Number To Know: 22-1
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JJ McCarthy’s record at the University of Michigan
We don’t know whether JJ McCarthy will be the starter for the Minnesota Vikings. However, rarely do we see a first-round quarterback taken and not start, especially when the competition is Sam Darnold. His record at Michigan is hard to ignore. Outside of the one loss to TCU in the College Football Playoff, McCarthy was perfect. Some will say this is because of the talent around him.
There is no doubt Michigan had a stacked roster, but McCarthy played a role in the team’s success. He has all the tools necessary to succeed in 2024. The offensive weapons are there, and the coaching staff is solid. If he can continue the winning ways, the Vikings could have their quarterback of the future.
The Minnesota Vikings will be an interesting team to watch in 2024. They could be sneaky good or spectacularly bad.
