Questions Answered: O’Connell as the Brainchild, It’s Skylar Thompson in Week 6, Bullard
Dustin Baker
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The following questions are about current Minnesota Vikings topics, answered by PurplePTSD. Today is the October 12th edition, addressed in a from-the-hip fashion. If you have questions, please email them to [email protected].
Also, please note: These are opinion-based responses. Some answers will be incorrect from time to time. But we’ll try to keep that to a minimum.
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Q: Do you believe Kevin O’Connell was the mastermind of the 2021 Rams offense all along?
A: While it’s tempting to believe that because the Rams are struggling in 2022, Los Angeles boasted a good offense before O’Connell arrived in Tinseltown — and will “figure it out” without him. That’s what Sean McVay does.
However, there may be an acclimation phase of learning the “new way” without O’Connell. Perhaps he did more for the Rams offense than folks cared to admit.
Ultimately, this is McVay we’re talking about here, and his offense won’t be stifled for very long. Eventually, Matthew Stafford will get back on track, and they’ll be fine. But Los Angeles should be concerned about digging the hole too deep at 2-3.
Q: Will the Vikings have fits with Skylar Thompson in Miami this weekend?
A: They shouldn’t.
For a relatively slow guy, Thompson is quite mobile with the football, and mobile quarterbacks tend to give the Vikings fits. It’s why Justin Fields has authored his two best career games against the Vikings. Plus, defensive coordinator Ed Donatell notoriously comes up short versus mobile passers.
We shall see. The Vikings have won their last six games against teams led by rookie quarterbacks. The last rookie to defeat Minnesota was Josh Allen in 2018.
Q: Will Jonathan Bullard ever get benched?
A: No, not yet, anyway.
Bullard has a 60.9 grade from Pro Football Focus, and his skillset is more geared toward stopping the run (a 68.1 run defense score). The Vikings need all the run-stopping help they can get, as that aspect of defense has been a problem through five weeks of the season.
The alternative to Bullard is Ross Blacklock, and his PFF grade is 48.6 in limited action.
It will be Bullard for the foreseeable future — or a free agent if they ever pull the trigger on a player like Ndamukong Suh or Sheldon Richardson.
Purple PTSD Also Read: Questions Answered: Vikings Injury Report, Getting Danielle Hunter Right, Khyiris Tonga
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).