3 Minnesota Vikings to blame after last-second loss to the Los Angeles Chargers

The Minnesota Vikings lost for the third straight game to open the season on Sunday afternoon. In a game both teams desperately needed, Minnesota out-Chargered the Chargers, a team that routinely finds ways to lose games.

Yes, despite a borderline inept fourth-down play call from their own side of the field when up four which handed Minnesota the ball, the Vikings could not win the game. They made it close, of course, but Kirk Cousins and Co. floundered on their final drive.

Considering where they sit in the NFC standings, it's fair to wonder if the Vikes will tear this team down in the coming weeks ahead of the NFL Trade Deadline. But first, there is plenty of blame to go around.

Minnesota Vikings to blame: Kevin O'Connell

Where do we start? Through three weeks, this Vikings team has looked ill-prepared, and has been on the wrong side of the turnover battle. In the first nine quarters of their season, the Vikings lost eight fumbles. That doesn't even take into account Cousins throwing the ball to the wrong team.

Minnesota has far too much offensive talent to be putting its defense in such a vulnerable position. Penalties, turnovers and more are all preventable, and something one would expect a well-coached team to avoid over the course of a long season.

O'Connell isn't going anywhere this season, as he's proven himself to be a decent play-caller and QB guru of sorts. But being a good head coach goes beyond just one side of the football, and something is clearly amiss about his team's effort level right now.