NFL 2025 Week 4: Where Do the Vikings Stand After 2-2 Start?

Minnesota Vikings fans have been on a rollercoaster of emotions through the first four weeks. For those who have been fans for a while, though, this is nothing new.

The Vikings have had some of the best highs in the league and some downright disastrous occurrences that could alter how fans and analysts alike view this 2025 season. Here are the biggest storylines as the Vikings end Week 4 and look for sunnier skies.

The injury bug is biting the whole roster

The Vikings just can’t seem to stay healthy after 4 weeks of football. As elite as this roster looked on paper, this team can’t seem to get all of the pieces healthy at the same time.

In Weeks 1 and 2, it was longtime explosive safety Harrison Smith who was out with an undisclosed health issue, along with star tackle Christian Darrisaw, as he continued his recovery from a brutal knee injury last year. Darrisaw was especially missed in Week 1 against the Chicago Bears and Week 2 against the Atlanta Falcons, where his substitute, Justin Skule, provided absolutely abysmal pass protection. If you don’t believe me, look at the numbers for yourself. It almost looked like he was helping the opponents.

In Week 2, the defense was struck head-on. This time, starting linebacker Blake Cashman, intimidating edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel, and cornerback Jeff Okudah were all ruled out, putting holes in the defense that ended up giving away 22 points in a brutal loss to the Falcons. Cashman, placed on IR, will have missed four games with a hamstring issue by the time he’s eligible.

Week 2’s loss also saw injuries stack up for the offense during the game. Starting center Ryan Kelly and Justin Skule both suffered concussions during the game, leaving more backup offensive linemen to try to protect the backfield. That didn’t work, since starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy suffered an ankle sprain that will keep him out until Week 7, and starting running back Aaron Jones injured his hamstring, which resulted in him being placed on IR. 

Week 3 was a little more merciful. Carson Wentz started in place of McCarthy, and Christian Darrisaw and Harrison Smith returned in limited roles. The Vikings enjoyed a satisfying 48-10 beatdown of the Cincinnati Bengals and stayed mostly healthy throughout the game.

Week 4 brought the bug back again, however. Starting guard Donovan Jackson was ruled out ahead of the game with a wrist injury, and Van Ginkel sat out another game due to a neck injury. During the game in Dublin, Ireland, against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Kelly once again exited with a concussion, and Pro Bowl tackle Brian O’Neill left with a knee injury. Back in came Skule, along with backup center Michael Jurgens, to play alongside backup Blake Brandel. The weakened o-line proved to be a nightmare for the Vikings, who allowed six sacks and now have a 13.1 sack percentage through four games, good for the fourth-highest percentage since Next Gen Stats began that statistic in 2018.

The offense had an awful first two weeks, and while the scoring has increased with Wentz at QB, the bottom line is that this team can only go as far as its health can take it. If their gamechangers are always injured, they can’t succeed long-term.

Brian Flores’ Defense is a Silver Lining

Another year, another terrifying defense from defensive coordinator Brian Flores. 

The defense has been solid. They had a phenomenal Week 4, where cornerback Isaiah Rodgers had a pick six, forced a fumble that he scooped up and ran in for another TD, and forced another fumble…all in the first half. His otherworldly performance earned him a perfect 99.9 PFF grade, the first player ever to achieve the mark. Through 3 weeks of football, they were sixth in total yards allowed per game and tied for the 2nd-least touchdowns allowed by a defense. This defense isn’t even 100% healthy, yet it still terrorizes teams with blistering blitzes and crafty coverage. The pass defense has improved significantly from last season. They’ll continue to hound opposing offenses in the weeks to come.

Vikings Aren’t Last Year’s Success, But They Still Have a Good Shot After 2-2 Start

Look, the Vikings aren’t going to be as dominant as last year. In 4 weeks, they’ve had constant injuries and a rookie QB for two weeks. But this team still has plenty of possibilities. The NFC North Division is still wide open. A .500 start is not the end of the world. If this team can sneak out a win against the Browns next week and head back home for a bye week, they can hopefully return full force and fully healthy. 

It may not look like it based on the record, but one thing’s certain: this team is aiming to be much more than average.