Minnesota Vikings: 5 Players Who Must Step Up the Rest of the Season

The Minnesota Vikings finally got their first win in Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals. 

The game was not exactly pretty, but it was still a win regardless. 

While their play was drastically improved over Week 4, there are several players who need to step up in order to make the team more of a factor in the extremely competitive NFC North. 

Donovan McNabb

There were big hopes for Donovan McNabb coming into the season. Thus far, he has done nothing but disappoint. 

McNabb's mechanics have been off and that has caused drastic problems in his accuracy. He has been throwing balls into the ground and over receiever's heads.

If the Vikings want to salvage what remains of their season, McNabb needs to step it up and start playing like he did in Philadelphia. 

Bernard Berrian

Yet again, Bernard Berrian has let the Minnesota Vikings down even though he took a pay cut during the offseason.

Between missing team meetings and having Twitter spats with state legislators, Berrian has not been up to par on the field or off the field. 

If he steps up and starts producing, the Vikings will finally have a No. 1 receiver, something that they have been lacking for years. 

It will also take some pressure off of Adrian Peterson. 

Percy Harvin

Percy Harvin is one of the most dynamic players in the league. That is why it has been disappointing that Harvin has not been getting the carries that he deserves.

Percy Harvin needs to find more ways to get open and get the ball. He puts the defense on edge because he can do so many things. 

The more he gets the ball, the further downfield the ball moves. 

Charlie Johnson

One of the thorns in the side of the Vikings this season has been the offensive lines. 

The offseason acquisition of Charlie Johnson has been a dud this far. While he is a step up from Bryant McKinnie, the offensive line has still been a problem.

Penalties have been a huge problem this season and Johnson has been part of that problem. The line, including Johnson, need to be more disciplined. 

Chris Cook

Chris Cook has played fairly well this season, but for the Vikings to be successful, he needs to step it up even further.

He covered Calvin Johnson very well, but with the aging Antione Winfield out with a neck injury this week, Chris Cook has some big shoes to fill. 

The secondary has been a weak part of the Vikings play and if Chris Cook can step up, the Vikings would be drastically improved.