The Minnesota Vikings are just days away from their 2024 regular season kicking off in the Big Apple vs the New York Giants. There are more than a few storylines to follow in Kevin O’Connell’s third season as head coach.
How about at quarterback? Kirk Cousins is gone. Sam Darnold signed this offseason. The Vikings drafted J.J. McCarthy, before he screwed up his knee in the first preseason game, requiring season-ending surgery.
Justin Jefferson has a new contract, Jordan Addison is injured, after a difficult offseason. TJ Hockenson will start the season on PUP… etc. The storylines are endless. But what about an X-Factor?
2024 Minnesota Vikings X-Factor is… who?
If you could pick one player on the Minnesota Vikings whose success or failure will dictate the course of the 2024 season, who would it be? Darnold, Jefferson, maybe a surprise pick like new CB Stephon Gilmore?
Well, ESPN’s Ben Solak had the opportunity to pick anybody from the Vikings roster. Instead of choosing any of those players mentioned above, he went with new outside linebacker, Jonathan Greenard…
The Vikings were happy to pay Greenard to be just that: solid with all-around quality. Brian Flores’ blitz-heavy approach doesn’t rely on edge rushers to be elite individual pass rushers, so Minnesota elected to sign Greenard to a $72 million, four-year contract, while Houston let Greenard walk to sign ex-Viking Danielle Hunter to a two year, $49 million deal.
Though the logic of the switch is sound, that’s still 16.5 sacks walking out of the door in Hunter. Hunter is a sack artist, and sacks are drive-ending plays. Greenard cannot be just a quality edge defender with a nice 8.5 sack season — the Vikings’ defense will feel the absence of those sacks. He must win those one-on-ones he gets when Flores’ fronts mess with protection rules; he must clean up on discombobulated quarterbacks who have avoided the first pressure from a bullet blitzer. If Greenard can bring the 12.5 sacks he tallied in Houston, he’ll fill his role nicely, and this defense will continue to grow in Flores’ second season.
Ben Solak calling Jonathan Greenard the Vikings X-Factor (ESPN)
Jonathan Greenard will not be the difference
It would not at all be a shock to see Greenard come in and make up for the loss of Danielle Hunter. The former Vikings fan-favorite is coming off a career-best sack tally, but he has also been hurt pretty consistently. Greenard represents a player ready to break out, and who better to have him do so than Brian Flores.
All of that can be true, but Jonathan Greenard still isn’t the x-factor for the Vikings this season. Even more interesting than Solak’s X-Factor choice, was his reasoning.
Essentially, he boils the difference between a good season and bad season down to four sacks. With 8 sacks, it would be disappointing. If Greenard gets 12 sacks, it’ll mean the difference for Minnesota’s defense. I mean, even in old school football logic, that’s a pretty wild theory.
Sam Darnold is the true Vikings X-Factor
It’s fine to acknowledge there are other players that will help to propel the Vikings towards success. Greenard is certainly among those players. When it comes to a single player that will determine the outcome of the season, it’s unquestionably Sam Darnold.
Quarterback is the most important position in the sport, and Darnold’s performance will be the most important for his new team. The former first round pick has started 56 games across his career. He has just once posted a winning record during a season, and he owns a 63/56 TD/INT ratio.
None of the numbers he has brought to the table, thus far, will be enough to get it done, in Minnesota. If the Vikings are going to be competitive in the season ahead, it will be thanks to Darnold’s improvement.
Brian Flores needs his defense to take a substantial step forward this season. Greenard will be among the key contributors capable of helping that change. None of it will matter though if the quarterback position isn’t at least an asset.
