The Minnesota Vikings wanted to evaluate Josh Freeman. They have 10 more games in which to focus solely on whether Freeman can be a long-term solution to the quarterback position.
There's little else to be the main focus after an embarrassing performance -- also due in part to Freeman -- on Monday night in New York in a 23-7 loss to the previously winless Giants. The Vikings are now 1-5 and need to use the rest of the season in pure evaluation, from Freeman, to the undermanned secondary to each and every spot on the roster, players and coaches included.
Here are five takeaways from Monday's night's loss.
1. 2012 was the fluke
In 2011, Minnesota was 3-13. Then out of nowhere, the Vikings made the playoffs as a Wild Card team by winning their last four games. Many wondered which was the real Minnesota team. It's clear, with 2013 turning into 2011, that 2012 was the fluke. With two very poor seasons out of three, even with a playoff appearance in between, the Vikings look overmatched each week.
Minnesota looks nothing like the playoff team from last season that had its weak spots, but physically dominated teams on offense with the running game and Adrian Peterson.
Minnesota was also prepared for its big games down the stretch last season, something that hasn't been the case the past two weeks in what could have been considered winnable games. The Vikings were routed at home by Carolina, which had just one win, despite two weeks to prepare, and then looked out of sync offensively from the beginning on Monday to give the Giants their first win.
The breakdowns are in all phases. The offense has been a mess and Minnesota looked exactly like it was playing with a new quarterback for the third time in four games. The offensive line doesn't look like the emerging unit it was last year, struggling to open holes for Peterson or protect the quarterbacks. And the defense hasn't been able to get off the field at key times. The game plan can be questioned, which falls on the coaching. The Vikings have seemingly regressed in nearly every area from last season's surprise playoff appearance.
2. Freeman wasn't ready
In all honesty, starting Freeman on Monday night wasn't about beating New York. Freeman getting the start is about giving him as many chances as possible to see if he can solidify the quarterback position. Freeman was starting after only two weeks with the team and only one week working with the first-team offense. In hindsight, throwing Freeman in so quickly looks to have been a rash decision.
Minnesota could have stayed the course with either Christian Ponder or Matt Cassel and given Freeman more time to acclimate to the offense and get on the same page with the rest of the offense. Instead, they threw Freeman into the fire and he didn't look prepared and he looked every bit the inaccurate passer he has been. Freeman entered the night with a league-low 45.7 completion percentage. He regularly overthrew receivers on Monday night, missing badly on many attempts. In the end, Freeman was 20 of 53 passing for 190 yards and one interception. He likely can improve the more he gets comfortable with the offense and his teammates, but he wasn't ready for Monday night and it wasn't a good sign of things to come.
3. Peterson was Plan B
Perhaps the biggest discrepancy on Monday night was the fact Freeman threw the ball 53 times. Minnesota should have entered the game wanting to get the ball to Peterson early and often. Instead, in a game that was never more than a two-possession game, Peterson finished with 13 carries and Freeman had 53 passes. True, the Giants were loaded up to stop Peterson and force the Vikings to throw the ball, but it's been that way for the past four years. When Peterson went on his historic run last year, he was the focus of opposing defenses.
Instead, Minnesota's offensive line hasn't been opening holes and Peterson was an afterthought on Monday. Two of the first nine plays for the Vikings, a team that has been so run-dependent in the past, were runs for Peterson.
Minnesota never was really out of the game, but Peterson was essentially taken out by such a pass-heavy game plan. He finished with 13 carries for 28 yards. His biggest play was a short pass he took for 22 yards.
4. Hero to goat
Marcus Sherels provided the early momentum Minnesota needed with a nifty, 86-yard punt return for a touchdown. It was the only points the Vikings would score all night. Kicker Blair Walsh, dealing with a left hamstring injury, was short on a 53-yard field-goal attempt. Sherels had actually given Minnesota the lead and the chance to establish its own game and control the clock. But the Vikings never capitalized on the momentum.
In the second half, Sherels could have turned the tide of the game again. He dropped an easy interception chance, which he might have been able to turn into a touchdown with no one between him and the end zone. Instead, Sherels dropped the pass. On the next play, the Giants punted to Sherels, who caught the ball and went down on his own during the return and fumbled. New York recovered and scored a touchdown two plays later for a 17-7 lead.
Sherels deserves credit for his play this season and his ability to stay on Minnesota's roster above all odds and become a valuable punt returner and defensive back. Two plays Monday, though, turned what could have been a 14-10 Vikings' lead into a 17-7 deficit.
5. Small steps for the defense
The outlook was bleak early for Minnesota. A drive that looked eerily similar to last week, New York had the ball first on Monday and went 68 yards in 17 plays and took 9 minutes, 36 seconds off the clock. The Giants converted three third-down chances. Carolina dominated time of possession a week earlier and New York was doing the same Monday. But the Vikings held the Giants to a field-goal on the first possession.
New York scored on two of its first four possessions, but Minnesota's defense started to show signs of improvement. Some of it can be to missed opportunities for the Giants, but after struggling most of the season, the Vikings' defense was better Monday. New York had 36:22 in time of possession, but ended up only 7 of 19 on third downs after the early success and the defense kept Minnesota in the game. New York only had 257 yards of total offense and ran for just 64 yards. A defense that had been porous so often this year maybe can take some solace in the effort. The performance would have looked even better if Sherels held on to the interception and didn't put the defense in a bad spot with the fumble. Andrew Sendejo, playing for Harrison Smith, also dropped a possible interception.
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