MINNEAPOLIS, M.N. — I’d say the Vikings offense hit rough seas on Monday night against the Bills, but saying that Carson Wentz steered the ship directly into a cliff would be a more accurate description. After a month and a half of downplaying offensive concerns thanks to an undefeated record, the last two weeks have proven that the Minnesota Vikings’ season desperately needs saving from a peewee-football-level offense.

With the NFL trade deadline approaching on Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET, we’ll soon find out whether general manager Nolan Teasley will try to salvage the wreckage.

The Battle: Vikings offense gets “punked” in primetime 

Of all the football games I've seen, that was certainly one I will not forget anytime soon. The Vikings’ defense and the crowd at U.S. Bank Stadium came to play. That place was louder than I have ever heard it as the Bills took the field for their first offensive possession. The defense played off the crowd’s energy for most of the night, putting together a truly impressive performance before eventually getting gassed.

Guess that can happen when the opposing offense is able to hold the ball for nearly three quarters of the game. 

Carson Wentz's performance on Monday night holds a special place in all-time bad performances from a Vikings QB, and we’ve certainly seen a lot of them. Wentz finished 8-for-25 for a brutal 81 yards and two interceptions. Max Brosmer entered the game late in the fourth and ended with 58 passing yards for reference, albeit against a prevent defense. 

O’Connell also ignored his running game almost the entire game in an attempt to help Wentz find a rhythm. Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason ended the day with eleven total carries for 51 yards. Even with Wentz struggling mightily and the defense keeping things close, O’Connell kept going back to the well. The 23-6 final score does not fully tell the tale of just how brutal this offensive performance was. 

Lessons Learned in Week 9: O’Connell’s handpicked QB room does him zero favors

We can debate all we want about how much blame Kevin O’Connell deserves for the Vikings’ current offensive woes, but one thing is certain: this is his QB room, and he must own it. With no full-time general manager, O’Connell spent this past offseason speaking to the need for a deep and competitive quarterback room.

His solutions? Picking Kyler Murray in free agency, bringing back Carson Wentz, and allowing Max Brosmer to be QB3 after the J.J. McCarthy trade.

Simply put, it doesn’t matter if wideouts are getting open or how “close” the offense is if no one in the QB room is capable of throwing an accurate and timely pass. Is O’Connell a poor talent evaluator? Is he causing his QBs to overthink and meltdown under pressure? His only hope now is that Teasley finds him a QB who can run his offense by this afternoon. 

The journey ahead: NFC North is closing in

This week could not have gone worse for the Vikings in the pursuit of their first division title since 2022. The Packers absolutely dominated the Patriots in a 45-27 showing where both Christian Watson and Matthew Golden put up video-game numbers. Unfortunately, Vikings fans must admit that Jordan Love is, in fact, very good at football. Minnesota will head to Green Bay Sunday on a short-week turnaround. 

The Bears and Lions both snuck out close wins against sub-par Florida football teams, but a win is a win in the standings. Caleb Williams continued to flash moments of absolute brilliance against the Bucs before spiraling into a four-interception performance. The Bears would hang on with a 27-24 win. The Lions struggled against a single-win Dolphins team but left Miami witha  19-9 victory. 

The Vikings have fallen to third place in the NFC North and the sixth seed in the conference. If the playoffs started today, they would head east to face McCarthy and the New York Giants.

Know Your Foe Week 10: Packers

The Packers are currently fourth in the NFC North, but a win against the Vikings on Sunday could change their fortunes quickly. With the Packers hitting their stride and the Vikings' offense doing everything it can to ruin a great season from Brian Flores’ defense, these two squads are heading in dramatically different directions. 

This game could look much different if the Vikings are able to make a splash trade acquisition on Tuesday, but Minnesota will have an uphill battle without serious help.