Position Groups That Could be the Vikings Downfall in 2020
Kirby O'Connor
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The Minnesota Vikings are coming off a good year where they went 10-6 with a wild card berth and a playoff victory. However, success one year does not guarantee it the next, as Vikings fans are all to familiar with.
In 2018, the Vikings finished 8-7-1 and missed the playoffs after an abysmal loss to the one-hit wonder Chicago Bears. That loss came just a year after Minnesota went to the NFC Championship on the Minneapolis Miracle. Granted, they were easily handled by the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, but it was still a successful season.
Reaching back farther, the Vikings of 2009 again made the NFC Championship on the back of Vikings legend Brett Favre. The next year, the Metrodome collapsed and Favre’s back, knees, shoulder, and various other body parts finally gave out as a result of the pounding he had taken the year before by the New Orleans Saints, while the refs conveniently looked the other way.
Often after one year of success, especially one that is somewhat of a surprise, a team regresses. This happens mostly because of roster turnover, injury, and age. Now, the Vikings are extremely young again this season, something I have written about before, but they are relying on a number of new players, or roster turnover. Here are the Vikings position groups that are the most likely candidates to ruin the 2020 season.
Offensive Guard
A lot was made at the time of the NFL Draft about Rick Spielman fixing the Vikings offensive line issues by drafting Ezra Cleveland out of Boise State. Cleveland is supposed to be our savior, a guy who can play inside while we wait for him to come around to being the starting left tackle.
However, now that training camp is here, he is nowhere near ready to improve the Vikings offensive line. Cleveland has yet to solidify himself ahead of either Aviante Collins or Dakota Dozier for the left guard position, even falling so as to be taking third team reps. Although former Vikings head coach, and part of the Purple Territory Media, Mike Tice thinks Cleveland could still be the starting left guard by seasons start.
Even if Cleveland does end up as the starting left guard, there is still the problem of Pat Elflein. Last season, with the arrival of first round pick Garret Bradbury, Elflein was moved from center to left guard, his more natural position, or so we were told. The transition did not help and Elflein was manhandled week after week against defensive tackles.
Now this year, we are led to believe that moving him to the right side of the line will fix his problems. Now, I understand some of the logic. Having him next to Brian O’Neill, the best offensive lineman on the team, has some merit. It also mostly moves him away from the best pass rushers coming from the offense’s left side.
Mostly though, I think it is a band-aid until either Oli Udoh or Dru Samia are ready to step up into one of the guard positions. Keep Elflein in front of Kirk Cousins can see when the rush is getting past him. This should, hopefully, help Cousins from getting blindsided and fumbling, something that was a big problem in 2018.
Cornerbacks
The Minnesota Vikings 2019 defense bacfield had some of, if not the most, continuity of any in the NFL. Xavier Rhodes, Mackensie Alexander, Trae Waynes, Harrison Smith, and Anthony Harris had all played together for multiple seasons. However, this wasn’t really enough to stop them from being lackluster most of the time, and downright awful at others.
This season, that defensive backfield, with the exception of Harrison Smith and Anthony Harris, is almost completely revamped. Role players like Holton Hill and Mike Hughes are, presumably, now going to be relied upon as full time starters and the Vikings huge rookie class is going to be asked to do something that Mike Zimmer doesn’t seem to want his rookies to do, play.
That’s not to say that the defensive backfield will be terrible. In truth, it could be the best secondary we’ve ever seen. Certainly the potential and talent is there and under Mike Zimmer’s tutelage, and the watchful eyes of the best safety duo in the NFL, it could be great. However, more likely than not the 2020 season will be a rough one for the cornerbacks and there is likely to be growing pains.
Mike Zimmer’s system is known to be complex and with the COVID-19 pandemic throwing a wrench into preseason, it’s really anybody’s guess as to how the rookies will perform. Unfortunately for fans, the defense is likely to get worse before it gets better. Here’s Mike Hughes shutting down Justin Jefferson to cheer you up.
Wide Receivers
This is one group that I genuinely think could be the best on the team, or perhaps, one of the worst. After moving Stefon Diggs, essentially straight up for Justin Jefferson, the Vikings only established number one receiver is Adam Thielen who is coming off a year where he lost his first significant time to injury.
If we assume that everybody stays healthy, and plays close to their potential, the receivers should have another great year. Justin Jefferson should have a shot at rookie of the year, and put to bed any fear of losing Diggs. Thielen should be a pro-bowler again, though hopefully he’ll be too busy prepping for his game the following week.
However, if Thielen is hurt again, or loses a step due to his previous injury or age, and Jefferson isn’t all he’s cracked up to be, the Vikings are in some trouble. Sure, they have plenty of talent and potential behind those two, but nothing solid in the way of star power.
Tajae Sharpe put together a few solid seasons in Tennessee, but nothing that will set the world on fire. Olabisi Johnson should see growth and be a decent option, but isn’t a sure-fire condidate to become a number one receiver.
After that, you’re left hoping that another rookie or second year man works out. I think it is the least likely position group of these three to be bad, but if it is, it will severely limit the Vikings star quarterback and put a ton more pressure on Dalvin Cook, something that he really doesn’t need more of in a contract year.