Temperature Check: Are the Vikings Better Than Vegas Thinks in 2026?

Vegas has the Vikings at 8.5 wins. Two Old Bloggers isn’t buying the eulogy. With Darren away, Dave hosts Drew Bunting to preview Vikings training camp 2026, starting with Vegas setting the win total at 8.5 amid quarterback uncertainty and a mid-tier strength of schedule. They argue the defense should hold up under Brian Flores despite losses like Jonathan Greenard and possibly Harrison Smith, citing optimism about Dallas Turner, Eric Wilson, and Blake Cashman’s impact, plus excitement for a rookie-heavy defensive line and secondary. Offensively, they discuss adding Jauan Jennings, concerns about the run game and injuries, and special teams changes including the punter/holder competition between Johnny Hekker and Brett Thorson. They debate whether OC Wes Phillips could become a scapegoat for poor offensive rankings and critique Kevin O’Connell’s late-game conservatism. Drew predicts Kyler Murray starts but J.J. McCarthy eventually takes over, while also reviewing past draft failures and praising the latest class as foundational for the future. Timestamps: 00:00 Training Camp Kickoff 01:36 Chat Greetings and Banter 03:29 Merlin Surgery Update 04:46 Vegas Win Total Talk 06:31 Camp Reporting Schedule 08:57 Quarterback Uncertainty 12:09 Defense Outlook and Losses 15:51 Flores Defense Standouts 20:28 Offense Needs More Points 21:15 Red Zone Targets and TD Picks 25:30 Turnovers and Run Game Doubts 28:38 Special Teams and Returners 33:20 Punter Battle and Holding 35:45 Wes Phillips Hot Seat 39:23 Offense Rankings Reality Check 42:05 KOC Aggression Debate 44:14 Stay Aggressive Always 46:02 Wes Phillips Hot Seat (continued) 53:11 Theme Three Begins 53:56 Murray vs McCarthy Battle 01:00:55 Kyler Arizona Baggage 01:08:51 Kwesi Draft Failures 01:14:04 Building Through Draft 01:17:17 Rookie Class Breakdown 01:22:53 Safety Room Outlook 01:29:49 Wrap Up And Schedule Fan With Us! We have your Minnesota Vikings talk amongst the Two Old Bloggers, guest Drew Bunting in for Darren @KickassblogVike, and Dave @Luft_Krigare along with our numbers guy, Drew Bunting. Join the conversation! Fan with us at Vikings 1st & SKOL @Vikings1stSKOL on the Bleav Network @BleavNetwork. _______________________________________________________ ️ Subscribe to us here! - https://www.youtube.com/@vikings1stskol92 ️ Our X can be found at @Vikings1stSKOL ️ Our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/493z6mQXcN ️ Watch the live show here: https://youtu.be/x5Tr-UEn0FM Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.