The Obvious Tweak Vikings Must Make on Offense in 2022
In 2021, the Minnesota Vikings employed one of the best utilizers of playaction offense in quarterback Kirk Cousins — but didn’t use playaction play calls all that frequently.
The 2021 campaign was stuffed full of bizarre transgressions — like an unforgivable amount of points allowed by the defense at the end of the 2nd and 4th quarters — so underutilization of playaction play-calls on offense simply flew under the radar. Minnesota was a mediocre football team, so nobody cared.
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Now, though, the Vikings are equipped to surpass mediocrity — that’s the goal, anyway — as a new offense-first head coach was hired in February. He’s Kevin O’Connell, the offensive coordinator from the 2021 Super Bowl-winning Los Angeles Rams.
And if he wants to maximize Cousins’ best traits, O’Connell should implement playaction play-calls like the Golden State Warriors shooting threes.
Here’s some statistical context.
Translation: the Vikings told Cousins to drop back and pass (not in Shotgun) without a play-fake to an RB more than anyone.
Since 2019, these are Cousins’ numbers via playaction:
- 364 Attempts
- 69.2% Comp Pct
- 3,628 yards
- 33 Passing TDs
- 8 INTs
- 122.4 Passer Rating
During Mike Zimmer’s final campaign, the Vikings asked Cousins to throw with playaction just 20% of the time:
If Cousins is at the zenith of his ability using playaction, why rank near the bottom of the NFL for the tactic? Should the 1980s Oakland Athletics have preferred fewer stolen base attempts for Ricky Henderson? Probably not. It’s silly not to play to a man’s strengths.
The good part? Well, the fix is simple. Dial-up more playaction in 2022. Rest on proven laurels. This is one of the perks of hiring an offensive-minded skipper. This guy is a madman with playaction; maybe we should call playaction plays — can be a straightforward remedy.
It’s not like Cousins would be asked to do something outside of his comfort zone — like tucking-and-running 15 times per game. This is proof-in-the-pudding stuff.
For some reason, the aforementioned Zimmer and former OC Klint Kubiak didn’t call for much playaction in 2021. They don’t work in Eagan anymore, the Vikings decided to keep the QB1 in the building, and a new coach was onboarded to maximize the offense.
More playaction — as in, coming out of their purple ears — should be on the menu in September.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. 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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