Tuesday Reflections: Getting The Most Out of the Vikings Roster

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Dec 8, 2020
Image courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings

It’s no secret that the Minnesota Vikings roster has its shortcomings. Fans may quibble about some of their decisions, but the coaching staff has really done a great job. Mike Zimmer deserves praise for how he has held the defense together. The offense, for the most part, has been strong. The special teams have been the team’s weakest link, even though they shouldn’t be. If the Vikings are going to sneak into the playoffs, they’ll need their coaches to ensure they keep getting the most of a Minnesota Vikings roster with some clear flaws.

The O-Line’s Pass Pro

Last week, our Unsung Hero article focused on Brian O’Neill. Toward the end, we expressed concern about when the defense targeted his inside shoulder: “At times, Carolina’s defenders had success working inside on O’Neill. This is something that opposing coaches and players will undoubtedly notice, so the Vikings will need to ensure that O’Neill is prepared for this.” On Sunday, the Jags were able to exploit this weakness.

Go back and re-watch the beginning of overtime. On the first play, Dawuane Smoot almost immediately beats O’Neill with a simple rip move toward his inside. The Vikings thus began OT behind the sticks, an unenviable position for a team that desperately wants to stay ahead of the sticks. If I’m noticing these trends, you can be 100% certain that NFL coaches are as well. These coaches are the ones responsible for constructing game plans to exploit this weakness. O’Neill has been tremendous, but there is still room for growth.

Garrett Bradbury started really strong, but has since had several rough games. Dakota Dozier continues to struggle. In other words, there is some reason for concern. Part of the solution, as least in the opinion of this arm-chair coach, is to reinsert Brett Jones into the starting lineup. Ezra Cleveland and Jones are the two best options at guard, so it’s important to get both on the field. Doing so will make life easier for Bradbury.

Creating Pressure With Four

Defensive coordinators are usually in a bind when it comes to creating pressure. If you polled every defensive coach in the NFL, every single one of them would say that one of their main priorities rests in making the quarterback uncomfortable. How this goal is accomplished is where things get tricky.

 

Anyone who watched the Washington/Pittsburgh game last night will be able to tell you about the importance of generating pressure with just four players. By no means is Minnesota’s d-line as talented as Washington’s, but it’s notable that Zimmer often relied on a similar strategy.

Jordan Brailford, as the above video demonstrates, had tremendous success on Sunday. He was often deployed as part of a four-defensive-end d-line on obvious passing downs. Brailford generated several pressures, and he got in on both a safety and forced fumble. Ifeadi Odenigbo had a similarly impressive game. If the Vikings are going to beat the Bucs, they’ll need to generate pressure with four linemen. Doing so allows Zimmer to allocate increased resources toward his coverage. It’s a tough ask, but the Bucs game was always going to be a tough match up.

Maximizing the Roster’s Strengths

During his Monday press conference, Mike Zimmer was asked about the offense’s impressive season. They’re currently ranked fourth overall in yards per game. Nevertheless, Zimmer spoke about the need to adjust to how defenses are playing against them. Zimmer was his usually evasive self, but it seems likely that he was referencing how teams have focused their attention on slowing Dalvin Cook.

Over these past four games, Cook has still been the focal point of Minnesota’s offense, but he has been fairly inefficient. Cook was extremely efficient in the first two weeks after the bye. He averaged 5.4 YPC in Week 8 and then an absurd 9.4 in Week 9. These past four weeks have been quite different:

  • Week 10: 3.2 YPC
  • Week 11: 4.3 YPC
  • Week 12: 3.4 YPC
  • Week 13: 3.8 YPC

By no means should Cook receive all the blame for this dip in efficiency. On the contrary, fans should be looking at the coaches.

The conventional wisdom suggests that NFL offenses ought to begin by establishing the run. Doing so will then allow the team to find success passing the ball. Times have changed, though, and Minnesota doesn’t need to do any more work to convince the opposing team that they’d like to run the ball. Their strategy must be adjusted.

Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen are both elite options. Olabisi Johnson and Chad Beebe are solid depth receivers. Kyle Rudolph and Irv Smith Jr. are among the best TE pairings in the NFL. Heck, C.J. Ham has done a really nice job when given the opportunity. While there is legitimate reason to be concerned about other areas of the Minnesota Vikings’ roster, the offense boasts an embarrassment of riches.

As a result, Minnesota’s coaching staff would be wise to let Kirk Cousins lean on his array of pass catchers. They’ve done a great job of assembling several options on offense, so it’s time to let their franchise QB use these weapons. Doing so will only make life easier for Cook.

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