The Vikings need to sort out their QB situation and make some upgrades elsewhere

EAGAN, Minn. (AP) - These Minnesota Vikings crushed it in the chemistry department, building a system that allowed former castaway Sam Darnold to set an NFL starting quarterback record with 14 wins in his debut season and using a carefully selected infusion of free agents to revitalize the defense.

Harmony can only help to a point, however. The final two games proved that the Vikings, for all the promise and progress on display during their third year under coach Kevin O’Connell, still have improvements to make to be firmly in the mix for that elusive Super Bowl.

"We've got the right kind of things going on in this organization, but we've got to find a way to play better as a team, complement each other, and do the things we need to do to win games against the class of the NFL," a dispirited O’Connell said after the 27-9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the wild-card round of the playoffs on Monday night. "That's what we're going to go back to work and do."

The first order of business sounds familiar: Sort out the quarterback situation.

Just two weeks ago, Darnold was a first-time Pro Bowl pick, the toast of his teammates and seemingly certain to return on a rich new contract. His performance under pressure in losses to the Lions and the Rams, both contextually given the stakes of those games and literally with the ferocity of the pass rush he faced, has since reignited the skepticism about a longer-term commitment.

Darnold wasn’t ready to discuss his future on Monday night, but the question will hover over the team for the next two months.

O’Connell, in his postgame news conference, repeatedly praised Darnold’s body of work over the season. But his distressed facial expressions when the ESPN cameras cut to the sideline following several of Darnold’s mistakes during the game told part of the story, too.

The nine sacks Darnold took were clearly not all his fault, but the 82 yards lost were an NFL postseason record, according to Sportradar, and the most in any game since Cam Newton lost 91 yards on nine sacks for Carolina in 2014 at Philadelphia.

"You've got to find a way to check the ball down and just keep moving the ball forward. Completions have negative effects on defenses. They just do,” O’Connell said. "Those moments where you're holding that ball and your reaction is to try to make a play - we can't talk out of both sides of our mouth because he sure as heck made a lot of plays doing that this year - I think that's part of the growth. Remember, this guy's 27 years old. I think he has a foundation now of both the things you do at the quarterback position to have success and the things that sometimes you have to learn the hard way."

O’Connell owned up to his play-calling influence on the costly sacks, and the next step in the development for one of the front-runners for the NFL Coach of the Year award will be an increased readiness and willingness to downshift from the team’s formidable downfield passing game in matchups when the ball isn’t getting there consistently.

In one of his most candid public comments of the season, O’Connell also said there’s "no question" about the need to improve at guard and center. Much of the pressure from the Lions and Rams leaked through the middle.

The Vikings still have big plans and high hopes for quarterback J.J. McCarthy, the 10th overall pick in the 2024 draft, but his rookie year was spent rehabilitating from meniscus repair surgery on his right knee instead of easing into NFL action.

Daniel Jones, who was added to the practice squad two months ago, presents an alternative bridge option who wouldn't command market-value money coming off his recent release by the New York Giants. But the fact that Darnold, Jones and backup Nick Mullens are all part of a large class of impending free agents on the current roster complicates the decision.

Running back Aaron Jones, right guard Dalton Risner, backup edge rusher Patrick Jones, cornerbacks Byron Murphy, Stephon Gilmore and Shaquill Griffin and safeties Harrison Smith and Cam Bynum are all on expiring contracts, too.

"In the NFL, you only get one season with one team with everyone together," Darnold said.

Murphy is the most likely to return among the free agent defensive backs after a Pro Bowl season. But the Vikings currently own only one pick (No. 24 overall) in the first four rounds of the draft, so they’ll need to use free agency heavily again for the secondary.

Smith could retire, a decision he has contemplated for several offseasons now. Smith, who will turn 36 next month, was in tears in the locker room.

"When you've played as long as I have, you don't feel great every day," Smith said. "But playing, especially this year, in this defense, was some of the most fun I've had."

Left tackle Christian Darrisaw’s comeback this summer will be just as vital as McCarthy’s, after a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee ended his season during the earlier loss to the Rams in Week 8. Darrisaw ought to have enough time to return to full strength by the 2025 opener, but the Vikings will be cautious with one of their core players.