The Vikings are 1-0. It was ugly on offense for three quarters and certainly not how they drew it up, but they persevered and got three fourth-quarter touchdowns from J.J. McCarthy in a season-opening win over the Bears on Monday night. This was a total team win that featured key performances in all three phases of the game.
For the first time during the 2025 regular season, we have snap counts and Pro Football Focus grades to look at. There’s a lot to take away from the data, so let’s dive in.
Vikings offensive snap counts vs. Bears (out of 56)
What stands out the most here is Mason out-snapping Jones by two in the first game of the Vikings’ new backfield. Mason had 16 touches for 75 yards, while Jones had 11 touches for 67 yards and a touchdown.
This game provided a pretty good blueprint for how things might go this season. Mason had far more success as a runner, so he ended up handling 15 carries to Jones’ 8. The Vikings didn’t go away from the running game despite trailing for almost the entirety of the first three quarters. But Jones remained heavily involved in the passing game, running a route on 16 of his 28 snaps. Not only did he catch four passes, including a 27-yard TD, he also drew a 42-yard pass interference flag on a go route in the first half. It looks like this will be a true 50-50 split for as long as both are healthy.
Also notable is Nailor serving as the Vikings’ clear WR2 ahead of Thielen. The veteran Thielen went without an official catch in his first game back with Minnesota, although he did grab a two-point conversion from McCarthy. Nailor’s one catch was a big 28-yarder just before halftime that set up a Will Reichard field goal. It’ll be interesting to see if that pecking order remains the same in Week 2 without Jordan Addison.
Yurosek handled the Johnny Mundt role as TE3 in his first game.
Top 5 PFF grades on offense (min. 20 snaps)
1. O’Neill — 83.2
2. Kelly — 76.4
3. D. Jackson — 74.3
4. Mason — 73.2
5. A. Jones — 68.4
Three offensive linemen and two running backs making up the top five PFF grades isn’t the worst thing for Vikings fans to see in Week 1. Outside of Skule, the backup left tackle, the Vikings’ pass protection was quite good. O’Neill and Kelly were rock solid, as usual, and Jackson was excellent in his NFL debut. McCarthy was sixth with a 63.3 grade, which he obviously pulled out of the gutter during his incredible fourth quarter.
The lowest grades among key rotation players went to Thielen, Skule, and Jefferson. Filling in for Christian Darrisaw, Skule was charged with two sacks and four pressures allowed. Jefferson had a quiet game that included two uncharacteristic drops.
Vikings defensive snap counts vs. Bears (out of 67)
As anticipated, Jackson became a full-time player in Harrison Smith’s absence. Ward also saw the field quite a bit, with 25 snaps easily a career-high for the third-year player. Cashman is an every-down player, but he left the game with a hamstring injury that is expected to keep him out for at least a few weeks. That meant more work on defense for Wilson, who will step into a starting role alongside Pace while Cashman is out.
Redmond is DT3, but Rodriguez and Ingram-Dawkins also made the rotation. Elijah Williams missed the game with a hamstring injury. And Turner is OLB3, but he played just 43 percent of the snaps — not exactly the “three starters” billing we’ve head from Vikings coaches. Okudah, who played less than Ward as the sixth defensive back, is being evaluated for a concussion.
Top 5 PFF grades on defense (min. 20 snaps)
1. Ward — 77.1
2. Metellus — 75.6
3. Rodriguez — 71.3
4. Greenard — 65.9
5. Van Ginkel — 65.2
Ward had the Vikings’ best coverage grade of the day, but he could lose his playing time next week if Smith is back in action. Metellus paced the team with six tackles. Rodriguez is making a case for even more reps. Greenard tied with Hargrave for the team lead with seven pressures, coming close to multiple sacks but ultimately being eluded by Caleb Williams. Allen also had six pressures, giving that trio a combined 20 on the night. Van Ginkel only had one pressure but was effective in run defense and coverage (he almost had a Gink-6 at one point).
The lowest grades among players over 20 snaps went to Pace, Murphy, and Jackson.
The Vikings’ top five players in special teams snaps were Eric Wilson, Tavierre Thomas, Bo Richter, Chaz Chambliss, and Austin Keys.
As always, it should be noted that while PFF grades are interesting, they’re not some end-all, be-all evaluation of player performance.
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