The 2024 NFL season started. Week one is behind us, and it’s finally nice to say that football is back. For the good people of Minneapolis, the focus will, as always, be on their favorite franchise the Minnesota Vikings.
Considering the small margins that decide the outcomes of NFL games, every team hopes for at least a play-off visit at the end of December. Vikings are no different. The Purple Monsters will be hoping for another good season for their team, after last year.
2022 Minnesota Vikings Season Recap
The 2020 NFL season was a good one for the Vikings. The team looked generally good, which can be seen in their 13-4 record. Last year marked the 62nd outing of the Minneapolis team in the football league. It was their seventh season playing at the US Bank Stadium, but it was the rookie year for their new coach Kevin O’Connell.
The start of the year was quite promising as they rose to an 8-1 start after nine weeks eclipsing their 2009 success. Also, they jumped over their 2021 record after only nine weeks and managed to end the season with a score of 13-4 which was enough to clinch the NFC North, a feat they haven’t achieved for five years up to that moment.
Unfortunately, their year ended in the Wild card round where they were bettered by the New York Giants after a 31-24 thriller. Even that loss couldn’t eclipse the outings of their best players Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson who are proving to be an amazing QB-WR combo for the Vikings.
The latter ended the season with 128 receptions for 1809 yards averaging 14.1 yards per catch. At the same time, Captain Kirk threw for 4547 yards and 29 touchdowns. These are great numbers, and after week one, both players can hope for another great season. If you want to bet on Cousins and Jefferson and the Vikings as a whole you can do it at Gamblingsites.org and back your favorite team and players with a few bucks.
How Did Week 1 Went?
The 2024 NFL season started with an upset for all fans of the Minnesota Vikings. They were defeated by the Baker Mayfield-led Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20-17. Mayfield and Mike Evans had a field day against a lackluster Vikings defense. Despite the defeat Minnesota QB, Cousins, left a great impression.
The number 8 from Minny threw for 344 yards and 2 touchdowns paired with 102.8 RTG. Jefferson, at the same time, caught nine balls, for a staggering 150 yards. As we said, despite the defeat, the Vikings looked good enough that with a few tweaks, they could repeat last year’s regular season success.
2024 NFL Season Vikings Predictions
The season started, and we already know a few things. But there are still plenty of things to say about what is coming next. Below you will find some of the boldest predictions tied to the Vikings’ 2024 NFL season. Please, read them, and tell us if we are on the same page.
As we analyze the performance of the Vikings in 2022 and look ahead to 2024, it’s essential to remember that every NFL team has its share of challenging moments, some of which have led to their status as the least successful teams in football history, as discussed in the corresponding article.
Ed Ingram Lift-Off
This player had a good season last year. Ed played a total of 1,225 snaps. That’s quite a number but it’s not all. The number that will sweep you off your feet is 63. That’s how much pressure he allowed. This is a nice number, but we believe that he can do even better. The way Kevin O’Connell runs his offense will allow him to do this.
Also, he did great in his rookie seasons. We can expect an even better season two from Ingram. After all, it is a well-known fact that the offensive line plays better as they spend more time together. Yes, he had a bad game, Week 1 against the Bucs, but we’re talking about one of the league’s premium defenses.
Danielle Hunter Will Lead The League in Sacks
Danielle Hunter is one of the best edge rushers in the league. Last year wasn’t his best but he was often double-teamed. Despite that, he managed 10.5 sacks with an additional 70 pressures. Those are good numbers. We believe that Hunter will be able to up his game this year. He was top ten in sacks in 2022 and we believe he will be upping those numbers.
The main reason why we believe that Hunter could be the sack leader in 2024 is the Viking’s defensive coordinator Brian Flores. It is the man who managed to get 15.5 sacks from Matthew Judon. Danielle will get there and probably far above and he already has one sack after Week 1.
When reviewing the Vikings’ performance in 2022 and predicting their prospects for 2024, it’s impossible not to draw inspiration from the all-time NFL greats, whose achievements serve as a benchmark for excellence, as discussed in the related article.
New Level for Vikings’ Defense
With a new scheme, we believe that many of the Viking’s young players will take a leap forward and play their hearts out each game. With this approach, they could be among the top 20 defenses in the league which would be a massive step up compared to last year.
Record-Breaking Seasons From Justin Jefferson
We already mentioned his stats from week one. You get the math. With Kirk Cousins behind the center and Justin Jefferson running deep, everything is possible. We’re predicting that the league’s start receiver is going to break the 2,000-yard receiving mark this year.
If you look at the start of his career and where he is today, you’ll notice year-in and year-out improvements. He managed to add 200 years each season to his tally. If he does it again, he’ll break the 2,000-yard mark and set a new record too. We predict this to happen.
Ty Chandler’s Breakout Season
While the Minnesota Vikings offense will run through Cousins and Jefferson, they will also have a strong run game with Ty Chandler behind it. At the moment, Alexander Mattison is the leading rusher in Minny, but we believe that his spot will be overtaken by Chandler.
The talent is there, and he can be in-game on all three downs. His advantage is going to be that he’s not the cow-bell running back of old and that defenses will not pile the bodies in trenches against the Vikings.
Summary
We believe that Minnesota can build on last season. Yes, the start was a little bit rough, but they can jump straight back on track in Week 2 against the Eagles. That’s a tough road game, but one that could be making a statement by the Vikings. With a good game from any payers we have listed, they can start achieving our predictions for this season.
