The Vikings Need an Offense-First Coach for One Main Reason
Dustin Baker
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The Minnesota Vikings should target an offensive-minded head coach, and the reasoning isn’t for the glitz of shootouts of fantasy football fascination. In fact, it’s normally the defensive organizations that thrive in the postseason.
An offense-first skipper must be a priority for a very elementary reason — emphasizing the importance of offensive line pass-protection. After that, the rest falls into place on offense, particularly with the Vikings current roster of playmakers in Dalvin Cook, Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, Irv Smith Jr., and Kirk Cousins.
Fostering a culture of offensive-line priority would be “new” for the Vikings. Arguably, since 2010, Minnesota’s pass-protection has struggled. And specifically, in the Mike Zimmer era, the offensive trenches were pitiful via pass-protection. Every season — except 2017, the season of the NFC Championship appearance — the Vikings trenches lagged in the back of the NFL for pass-protecting proficiency.
This is damning and self-evident. It needs repair.
Thankfully, 60% of the OL pieces may already be there for Minnesota. The general manager and coach only really need to fix one or two spots — center and right guard. The others — (LT) Christian Darrisaw, (LG) Ezra Cleveland, (RT) Brian O’Neill — are reliable building blocks. Therefore, rookie or free-agent guards and centers should be sufficient for remedy. Plus, with Brian Daboll, Kellen Moore, Byron Leftwich, etc., the coaching should be more inclined to drag the offensive line to fruition. The Zimmer-Spielman combination could not.
Moreover, who do the Vikings currently showcase at quarterback? Kirk Cousins — a pocket passer. While Cousins is not totally immobile, one valid criticism of his skillset is suspect pocket presence. When the pocket collapses, Cousins is at his worst. He does not have Deshaun Watson or Russell Wilson escapability. So when the trenches flounder to the tune of sixth-worst in the NFL — like the 2021 season — Cousins doesn’t play at optimal form. Sometimes when reflecting, it’s a complete marvel Cousins threw 33 touchdowns and seven picks with putrid protection.
If the Vikings endorse this plan — realizing pass-protection matters — free-agent guards and centers are available. After finagling cap space, men like Ryan Jensen (TB), Brandon Scherff (WAS), Laken Tomlinson (SF), Connor Williams (DAL), and James Daniels (CHI) will be available for negotiation.
For making the playoffs, the correlation between winning and effective trenches is undeniable. Aside from the Washington Football Team, squads with great pass-protection made the dance. This illustration is from the 2021 regular season:
Vikings ownership is interviewing a hodgepodge of offensive and defensive coordinators. But if they want a fast lane to finally fix the pass-protection, hiring an offensive brain will offer the clearest cure.
And nobody would complain.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
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