4 Vikings most to blame for the team's disastrous 1-4 start

The Vikings' 1-4 start has Kirk Cousins trade rumors swirling around Minnesota and the entire NFL. The high-priced quarterback's name isn't being mentioned in these rumors because of his struggles. Cousins doesn't deserve blame for the team's weak start to the 2023 season.

Vikings' decision-makers need to look elsewhere when apportioning blame. Most of it resides on the defensive side of the football. Giving up 24.4 points per game isn't horrible, but it's a big reason why the Vikings already find themselves falling out of the race for another NFC North crown.

The higher-ups in Minnesota don't need to mash the panic button quite yet, but meaningful changes will be required to correct this poor start. Paying attention to the following four underperformers would be a good place for the Vikings to start.

4. Ty Chandler

This spot on the list could easily have gone to Cam Akers because both he and Chandler have failed to provide the Vikings' offense with a big-play option from the running back position. Alexander Mattison is getting the bulk of the carries, but he was never going to give the offense the sort of juice they previously received from Dalvin Cook.

Chandler's inability to do that early in the season led to the need to facilitate the Akers trade. Now that both backs are on the roster, Minnesota desperately needs one of them to create an explosive play or two per game from the backfield. That could be via a conventional run or a short pass into the flat.

The Vikings need more production and balance from their running back corps. That means either Chandler or Akers needs to become a big part of the weekly game plan to turn their season around.