The Vikings do the same thing, but should expect different results

As Week 9 approaches, the Minnesota Vikings say they are incorporating Cam Akers into the game plan and are excited to have Dalton Risner in the mix.

“Cam is here for a reason,” O’Connell said.

“Dalton is an essential part of the conversation,” he added. “I expect to try to get him up to speed and ready to go.”

These quotes are from Wednesday's practice, but could also be from last year. The Vikings signed Risner on September 19th and traded for Akers 24 hours later. They must have been happy with those moves because they signed Risner and traded again for Akers this season.

Still, the Vikings were 0-2 last year when they added Akers and Risner, and a week later the Los Angeles Chargers defeated them at US Bank Stadium. Since 1990, only 11.5% of players have gone 0-2 and made it to the playoffs. That number drops to 2.5% if they start the year 0-3.

The Vikings' owners have vowed to keep the team extremely competitive, which is why they agreed to sign Akers and Risner last year. Eventually they crawled back to .500. Minnesota defeated the San Francisco 49ers 3-4 and was 4-4 when Kirk Cousins ​​was sidelined with a season-altering Achilles tendon injury.

A year earlier, they had allowed Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to trade for TJ Hockenson and later offer him a market-defining contract. At the time of the trade, they were 6-1 and finished with 13 wins. However, 11 of them came out with a one point lead. Minnesota finished the year with a negative points differential and lost in the first round of the playoffs to Daniel Jones and the New York Giants.

The Vikings find themselves in a familiar situation two years after trading for Hockenson and one year after adding Akers and Risner. They hope that Hockenson will develop their offense and that Akers can be a sufficient replacement for Aaron Jones. Risner should also provide a valuable backup with Christian Darrisaw suffering a season-ending injury in Los Angeles and Ed Ingram having pass-blocking issues.

Minnesota does the same thing and expects different results. Still, context is important. They have a +51 point lead and are third in the league in DVOA. The Vikings also have the best defense in the league according to DVOA, despite some slip-ups in the last two games.

“We are a 5-2 football team,” special teams coordinator Matt Daniels emphasized, adding that the Vikings have plenty of experienced leaders in the locker room. “This is not real adversity that we are suddenly experiencing.”

Losing Darrisaw hurts the league's 16th-best offense by DVOA. However, this is the side of the ball that the Vikings need to improve on. O'Connell is an offensive line coach, Justin Jefferson is healthy and they're bringing Hockenson back.

Even though they won't be able to run as many long plays with Cam Robinson at left tackle, Sam Darnold should still be able to get the ball to his receivers. Jefferson had his first 100-yard game since Week 2. Jordan Addison provides separation and Hockenson is an upgrade from Johnny Mundt. Add in Jones' impact in the run game and this should be a top-10 offense in the league.

Last year the Vikings had a flat tire when they added Akers and Risner. Then they hit a pothole and the wheels came off. This year, however, they are filling a rising balloon with air. It shouldn't surprise anyone that Ben Johnson has cracked the code for Minnesota's defense. Yet he and Sean McVay did so while Blake Cashman stood on the sidelines and Brian Flores had ten days to close the safe again.

“It’s just kind of a chess game that goes on all season long,” Flores said. “How much do you add in a week? Are you ready for (a new concept)? Which players are available to you? I think all of those things play a role.”

Minnesota shouldn't try the same thing and expect different results. However, the context has changed in the last two years. The Vikings are not getting by with one-point wins like they did two years ago. They didn’t start the year 0-3; They have lost two in a row after a 5-0 start.

The Vikings are also in the right part of their schedule. Vegas has a 5.5 point advantage over Joe Flacco (39) and the Indianapolis Colts. It will also be an advantage for them on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Tennessee Titans. Akers is here for a reason. Risner is there. Hockenson should keep the offense from stalling. There's no reason they can't get back on track.