New Coaching Regime Expected To Bring Excitement Back To Minnesota Vikings Offense

SportsMoney New Coaching Regime Expected To Bring Excitement Back To Minnesota Vikings Offense Steve Silverman Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. I have been covering the NFL for more than 30 years New! Follow this author to improve your content experience. Got it! Jun 26, 2022, 04:09pm EDT | Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Justin Jefferson expects big things out of the Vikings offense in 2022.

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[+] Foslien/Getty Images) Getty Images When the Minnesota Vikings decided that the Mike Zimmer era had to come to an end and a new coach was needed to reignite the team, few Vikings observers and fans could argue against the decision. Zimmer, perhaps the top defensive mind in the NFL when he was hired in 2014, had run his course. Zimmer’s abilities as a defensive innovator were not overstated, but he had carried a “woe is me” persona since Minnesota’s 10-9 wild-card loss to the Seattle Seahawks at frigid (-6 degrees Fahrenheit) TCF Bank Stadium following the 2015 regular season.

The Vikings were poised to beat the Seahawks when Blair Walsh lined up for what should have been a 27-yard game-winning field goal with 26 seconds remaining, but the kicker gagged and the Vikings lost. Nobody was more stunned than Zimmer, and it seemed the cold slap of that loss never left the coach’s consciousness throughout his tenure. New head coach Kevin O’Connell has none of Zimmer’s defensive credentials.

He was an offensive coordinator for the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams last season, and while that was an impressive title, the reality of the situation was that he was head coach Sean McVay’s right hand. O’Connell did not set the offensive tone for that creative team, because that was McVay’s specialty. That doesn’t mean he is an unqualified leader.

He has had a chance to learn from one of the most forward-thinking offensive minds in the game. MORE FOR YOU WWE Extreme Rules 2021 Results: Winners, News And Notes As Roman Reigns Beats The Demon The World’s Highest-Paid Soccer Players 2021: Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo Reclaims Top Spot From PSG’s Lionel Messi The Good, Bad And Ugly From The Green Bay Packers’ Win Over The San Francisco 49ers He has to change the tone and feel of a Minnesota offense that rarely played complete games in 2021. The Vikings would generally play one good quarter in most games last year, but once opposing defenses recognized the thrust of the gameplan, the team was unable to sustain its success.

McVay and the Rams did not have that problem, and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is counting on O’Connell to fix this issue in 2022. This seems to be one of the most likely developments that Vikings fans can expect. The Vikings have dynamic talent at the skill positions, and O’Connell is going to attack with Kirk Cousins, Dalvin Cook, Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen and Irv Smith Jr.

in a much different way than the previous regime. Instead of building off of Cook’s special running skills, the Vikings are going to attack with their receiving crew. Thielen may have the route-running skills and dependable hands, but it is Jefferson who has the ability to dominate with his big-play ability.

He has been a special player in his first two seasons, catching 88-1,400-7 in his rookie season and 108-1,616-10 in 2021. The Vikings are going to join the vast majority of the 32 teams in the NFL and allow the passing game to dictate the pace of the game. That has become apparent to Jefferson, who is thrilled to have an offensive-minded head coach.

“He is the kind of coach who relates well to his players,” Jefferson said . “He wants to attack and it feels great. He is a laid back guy but he wants to change the whole program around.

He wants to get us back on that winning stage and everybody is excited. With Jefferson’s ability to break big plays, Thielen’s talent at making plays in the red zone (24 TDs in the last two seasons) and Smith’s talent at using his big body to screen out defensive backs, Cook should have plenty of opportunities to make explosive plays when the Vikings go to a more enhanced version of the running game. Cook, is a brilliant pass catcher in addition to his dominance as a traditional running back and look for O’Connell to get more out of him as a receiver than the Vikings have been able to in the past.

The previous administration wanted to employ the traditional run-to-set-up-the-pass philosophy while playing excellent defense. The offense became easy to figure out and the defense fell apart. The 2022 season will come down to execution by the players.

The coaching staff will do its part to give the team a fighting chance to become a contender in the NFC by changing the offensive attack, but it is all about the players taking advantage of their new opportunities. Follow me on Twitter . Check out my website .

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