Should 1 Game Determine Ed Donatell’s Fate?
Ted Schwerzler
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The Minnesota Vikings are set to square off against the New York Giants on Sunday for a Wildcard round playoff matchup. Minnesota is looking to beat New York for the second time in a month, and they would prefer to do so without needing a last-second field goal this time around. Can the defense help them out?
All season long, the Vikings greatest deficiency has been their collective defensive unit. From a stretch in which the pass rush couldn’t get home to periods where the secondary looked worse than swiss cheese, the defense has left Minnesota begging for more. First-year head coach Kevin O’Connell has done a masterful job of working around the positions his defense has left him in, but should Sunday determine Ed Donatell’s fate?
Should 1 Game Determine Ed Donatell’s Fate?
Coming into the season, O’Connell hired Donatell to lead a defense that had been Mike Zimmer’s calling card. Minnesota had trended downwards on that side of the ball in recent seasons, and there wasn’t time for a true overhaul of talent. Despite selecting players like Andrew Booth Jr. and Lewis Cine high in the draft, both contributed very little during their rookie seasons.
When the dust settled on the regular season, the Vikings found themselves better than only the Detroit Lions on yards allowed per game basis. That is not a place any good team wants to be, and managing to win 13 games despite that ineptitude is shocking. With the playoffs representing a new, shorter season, the Vikings need a much better showing in the games that matter most.
Donatell has already schemed against Brian Daboll’s offense once. When the Giants came to U.S. Bank Stadium on Christmas Eve, they put up nearly 450 yards on Minnesota. Daniel Jones found wide receivers open early and often while Saquon Barkley gashed the group on the ground. Despite leading for much of the game and ultimately winning it, there were a few key turnovers that bailed out what otherwise was a lackluster performance.
Given that Minnesota is hosting this playoff matchup and that they are favored to beat New York for the second time in a row, it would be beyond disheartening to see the Vikings be one-and-done. If the offense can’t move the ball on Sunday because Kirk Cousins is under pressure behind a line just getting Garret Bradbury back and still missing Brian O’Neill, that may be understandable. If the defense allows ample opportunity from a controllable offense and never allows the team a chance, then the door should be open for Donatell.
Had the season gone differently in the win-loss column, it’s hard to imagine Donatell still employed by the Vikings. A defense as poor as this one should not have so little ability to change things around and look for ways to improve. Donatell has provided plenty of lip service along the way about how things may look different, but we’ve yet to see much of it manifest on Sunday. Wanting to make a deep run in the playoffs will require a full team effort, and this is where Donatell can find his unit making an impact.
Regardless of when the Vikings season ends, evaluations will occur before everyone leaves the building. It remains to be seen whether Donatell will be allowed back in, but he, indeed, should be coaching for his fate starting this weekend.
Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes weekly for Twins Daily. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.
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