Will the 2016 Vikings become the 2015 Cowboys?
Injuries are a part of football. That’s an undeniable fact, and it’s the reason the NFL requires teams to issue an injury report each and every week. It’s the reason rosters are bigger than in every other sport, allowing for teams to keep players fresh and healthy throughout the season.
The injuries that the Minnesota Vikings have been forced to endure, however, are atypical. Teams don’t often lose three of their best players before Week 3. The Vikings will have to play all of (or most of) 2016 without quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, running back Adrian Peterson and left tackle Matt Kalil. All three have suffered significant injuries, with Bridgewater and Kalil being placed on injured reserve.
Injury blows of this magnitude don’t happen … unless you’re the 2015 Dallas Cowboys.
I say this because the Vikings’ current season and Dallas’ 2015 campaign are eerily similar, sharing parallels that Minnesota would rather not notice. Both teams had their plans somewhat derailed by losses due to injury after entering their respective seasons with Super Bowl aspirations.
The Cowboys’ hopes of winning a ring were put on hold for another year after Tony Romo, Dez Bryant and Orlando Scandrick went down with long-term injuries. Romo played four games, while Bryant played nine – most of which on a gimpy foot. Scandrick, like Bridgewater will, missed the entire season. Dallas went from 12-4 in 2014 to 4-12 in 2015 in a blink.
Now, some might argue that the Vikings have a far superior roster to the Cowboys of a year ago. That’s fair, however, let’s not forget Dallas was coming off of a season in which they nearly reached the NFC Championship game with largely the same roster (plus DeMarco Murray). They were certainly Super Bowl contenders, just as the Vikings were this season before the recent rash of injuries.
And for those who say the Cowboys weren’t talented, seeing as they won four games, consider this: They started the year 2-0 with wins over the Giants and Eagles, outscoring those two teams by a combined 11 points. This season, the Vikings are off to a 2-0 start with wins over the Titans and Packers. Those two victories were by a combined 12 points.
Statistically, the Cowboys got off to a better start than the Vikings. They put up 795 yards of total offense through two games, while allowing just 514. The Vikings have totaled 585 yards of offense and allowed 579. Minnesota, of course, didn’t start new quarterback Sam Bradford Week 1, which makes a difference. But Dallas’ offense was better through two games, as was its defense.
Obviously, these numbers don’t mean the Vikings and 2015 Cowboys are the same teams, but there are striking similarities. Minnesota’s defense this season is marginally better than Dallas’ last season, but you can make the case that Dallas lost more in Romo, Bryant and Scandrick than the Vikings did in Bridgewater, Peterson and Kalil.
To the same point, the Vikings are also better equipped to overcome those injuries. They were fortunate to have the chance to trade for Bradford, who looked great in Week 2. A trio of Jerick McKinnon, Matt Asiata and Ronnie Hillman obviously can’t replace Peterson’s production, but they offer a variety of skill sets versus Peterson’s two-down limitations.
And as for Kalil, by no means is he a Pro Bowl left tackle. He struggled in the team’s first two games against the Titans and Packers, allowing pressure far too regularly. Again, that’s not to say T.J. Clemmings will be an upgrade over the 2012 No. 4 overall pick, but the Vikings have a capable replacement with him sliding over from right tackle.
On the other hand, the Cowboys were forced to replace Tony Romo with Matt Cassel and Brandon Weeden. Their skill put together doesn’t match that of Bradford. Terrance Williams proved he’s nowhere near a No. 1 wideout in place of Bryant, and Brandon Carr can’t play the slot or cover the way Scandrick does.
The biggest difference is that the Vikings had a chance to replace Bridgewater with a trade, albeit a costly one, before the season began. Additionally, the running back position is far easier to fill out than wide receiver. Peterson is certainly one of the best backs in the league, but Bryant is among the top receivers when healthy, too. And after seeing Peterson’s start to the season – 50 yards on 31 carries – it’s hard not to think he’s hit the post-30 wall.
This is a lot to digest. But the fact of the matter is that the Cowboys lost three key starters before Week 3 and were unable to overcome it – even after Bryant and Romo (briefly) returned. Does this mean the Vikings are going to win just two more games the rest of the way? No, probably not. But you’d be foolish to think they’re the same team without Bridgewater, Peterson and Kalil; just like the Cowboys weren’t the same without their stars.
A 2-0 start hardly means a playoff berth is forthcoming for the injury-riddled, bad-luck Vikings. But it’s difficult not to see a lot of the 2015 Cowboys in this Minnesota team. That’s not something Vikings fans want to hear, but it’s the sad truth.
