The Early Frontrunner for The Vikings Coaching Position
K. Joudry
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NFL fans far and wide are expressing some dismay over Todd Bowles’s decision to send a six-man blitz at the end of the Rams/Bucs game. There’s no doubt it was a gamble, and it’s now safe to say it didn’t pay off. Despite this widespread criticism, Bowles looks like an early frontrunner for the Vikings coaching position.
A recent tweet from SI‘s Will Ragatz suggests that Bowles did well in his opening interview:
In a previous piece covering the coaching candidates, I suggested that Bowles was a strong candidate for the Vikings head coaching position. He is also highly-ranked in the head coach power rankings.
Now, the thing that everyone has on their mind is that final play. Looking back, it was a brutal call. Imagine if the pressure got home, though. We’d all be praising Bowles for making such a gutsy call in a critical moment. Plus, it’s notable that the players didn’t execute the play properly. Apparently, there was a player or two who didn’t blitz. Perhaps the right execution of the play would have worked.
Keep in mind that Bowles has a long history of coaching in the NFL. His coaching experience goes back to the mid-90s when he was in his early thirties (he’s now 58). He has been in Green Bay, New York (Jets), Cleveland, Dallas, Miami, Philadelphia, Arizona, and Tampa Bay. He has been a defensive coordinator for several seasons. He was head coach of the Jets for four years. He was briefly the head coach for Miami.
In the end, I’ll still be surprised if a defensive-minded candidate lands the Vikings coaching position. There can be little debate that offensive coaches provide a greater chance of continuity because DCs don’t get hired at the same rate at OCs. Alas, my opinion means essentially nothing in this coaching search.
More than anything else, the Vikings need to hire a tremendous leader. Doing so will allow the team to get back to relevance sooner rather than later.
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