EAGAN, Minn. — The Minnesota Vikings fully expected to ride the rollercoaster of young quarterback development, with J.J. McCarthy effectively a rookie after the knee injury that kept him out of last season.

That doesn't mean they were fully prepared.

When McCarthy was sidelined by a severely sprained ankle after his second game, they turned to veteran Carson Wentz, who won twice and played admirably through pain but hadn't started a meaningful game in nearly three years before he took over. Injuries along the offensive line exposed a lack of quality depth.

The defense the Vikings invested heavily in the last two offseasons and believed would be a sturdy support for an in-flux offense failed more often than not to produce a winning performance over the first seven games.

The team that

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