Adversity is an opportunity for growth.

Through it, the Vikings can become a better version of themselves. But they must be flexible and adapt in real time. Minnesota doing so against Cincinnati on Sunday will entail bridling a rash of September injuries.

Entering only the third game of the 2025 slate, Minnesota (1-1) may be down two starters on its offensive line, two key players in its secondary, plus two front-seven starters and a starting running back.

Oh, and J.J. McCarthy is injured, causing the club to pivot to Carson Wentz at quarterback. Wentz has been here less than a month but sincerely appreciates the opportunity to step in for the team he grew up supporting.

Chip Scoggins of the Minnesota Star Tribune determined, "The ripple effects of the Vikings injury issues after two games resemble road construction across the metro. It's a complicated maze to navigate."

On Thursday, Scoggins penned a column about Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell's meticulousness meeting its match, basically confirming a proverb: "The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray."

The Vikings aren't at an impasse, though. Not yet – nor close to one really – because of an authentic belief in what they're capable of achieving given their combination of talent, character and work ethic.

"We are in the entertainment business, but every other facet of the entertainment business is scripted. We are not," O'Connell said. "We have to figure out a way to write our own lyrics, write our own scripts."

Scoggins reminded the truth of the matter:

For as much time and money that organizations invest in sports science advancements, the reality is that injuries ultimately come down to luck. The game is played so fast and collisions are so forceful that injuries are inevitable. It's just a matter of how many, when and to whom? O'Connell barely played his starters in the preseason to preserve health. Now, two games in, the team is scrambling to fill holes.

A homegrown Vikings leader expanded on the truth:

"The greatest teams in this league handle injuries and adversity very well," Adam Thielen acknowledged after Wednesday's practice. "The longer you're in this league you realize that it's so important to just find a way to keep pushing, even though things aren't exactly how you draw them up as far as having all 11 starters on the field. It's just not likely to have that happen every game."

The "Next-Man Up" mentality is of course cliché – but can be effective when it's taken to heart.

A Minnesota Football Lifer

Check out this résumé:

• Four-time Super Bowl champion (XIII, XIV, XLI, LV)
• Inducted into the Rochester, Minnesota, Sports Hall of Fame in 2005
• Inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame (Western Chapter) in 2014
• Recipient of the Pro Football Writers of America Paul "Dr. Z" Zimmerman Award in 2015
• Recipient of the Hall of Fame Award of Excellence in 2023

And now Bucs assistant Tom Moore, a native of Owatonna, Minnesota, with more than six decades of college and NFL coaching experience, will receive this year's Bud Grant Distinguished Minnesotan Award.

The Minnesota Chapter of the National Football Foundation announced the news Wednesday in this release. Moore, 86, jumped ranks to the NFL in 1977 and has been part of Tampa Bay's staff since 2019.

A 1957 graduate of Rochester High School, Moore began coaching college at Iowa in 1961 after playing quarterback for several seasons. Later, he became the Golden Gophers running backs coach (1972-73) and returned as the program's offensive coordinator in 1975 before he set off for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

"Tom Moore kicked off his storied football journey by playing under the Friday night lights in our state. He developed a love for football here and then went on to become one of the best and most respected coaches in NFL history," Todd Fultz, the President of the Minnesota Chapter of the National Football Foundation, said in the release. "Tom has developed numerous Pro Football Hall of Famers and continues to influence the next generation of players in his current role with the Bucs. We can't wait to honor Tom for his outstanding achievements during this year's Minnesota Football Honors show."

Following 13 seasons and a couple of titles in Pittsburgh, Moore returned home in 1990 and became assistant head coach with the Vikings under Jerry Burns for two seasons. When Dennis Green assumed head coach duties in 1992, Moore stayed on for another two seasons as the team's wide receivers coach.

Famously, Moore has helped develop quarterbacks such as Terry Bradshaw, Peyton Manning, Carson Palmer, Tom Brady and Baker Mayfield. The list of Hall of Famers that Moore has coached is extensive and includes but is not limited to Lynn Swann, John Stallworth, and Franco Harris on the Steelers, Barry Sanders on the Lions, Marshall Faulk on the Colts and Randall McDaniel and Cris Carter on the Vikings.

In a neat twist, Moore partnered with former Indianapolis Head Coach Tony Dungy as offensive coordinator of the Colts and spent 13 seasons instructing one of the all-time greatest quarterbacks in Manning. Moore had coached Dungy more than two decades earlier, when he was a QB at the University of Minnesota.

Most recently, Moore helped Brady achieve unprecedented success in the final three seasons of his 23-year career. Moore is currently serving his 49^th season in the NFL, working as senior offensive assistant for the Bucs.

Moore will be recognized during the Minnesota Football Honors television broadcast Sept. 20. The program airs at 6 p.m. (CT) on FanDuel Sports Network North.

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