Vikings Proclaim Themselves Ready To “Show Up to a Fight” While Being “The Last One Standing”
Vikings General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has been consistent on this point: the offseason roster additions have largely been driven by the desire to create a team that can win in multiple ways.
On Tuesday, Adofo-Mensah chatted with the media alongside Kevin O’Connell. Yet again, the team’s top executive was clear about his goal, insisting that Minnesota is preparing to win a fight no matter what the opponent throws at his team: “It’s the type of team that can show up to a fight, not knowing what the fight’s going to be, and be the last one standing. The different types of game you can play obviously in an NFL season, but in a single-elimination playoff situation, you might have to play a certain type of game. And so we just want to build the type of team that’s versatile and can win different ways.”
Vikings Looking to Win the Fight
On a basic level, one might define the Vikings’ identity as being built on sophisticated aggression. Skill aplenty, yes, but skill that gets asked to do a lot of heavy lifting on the mental side of things while also often being tasked with being aggressive.
Both of Kevin O’Connell and Brian Flores ask a lot of their players from an intellectual level. Several have noted that O’Connell’s scheme contains a ton of information and isn’t easy to corral. Meanwhile, Flores allows his defenders to adjust in real time based on what they’re seeing, meaning his players need to be strong communicators who can shift responsibilities very quickly.
Throughout all of that, O’Connell and Flores are putting together plays that ask the players to be aggressive. Throwing and blitzing so much are merely a couple ways of pursuing that approach.
A lot of the time, the Vikings have been successful. One thinks of the playoffs, however, when things have gone poorly.
At first, the issue seemed to rest primarily with Ed Donatell’s horribly drab and overmatched defense. Allowing Daniel Jones to march into U.S. Bank Stadium only to drop 31 points isn’t anyone’s idea of a good day defensively. Flores has been a huge improvement, but his defense still struggled in the playoffs.
A major part of the defensive issue, though, is that the offense didn’t play well. Indeed, poor offense feeds directly into poor defense (and vice versa). Flores’ defenders look pretty formidable if they’re not overburdened with being on the field for 35+ minutes of the game. Defend an elite QB by keeping him on the bench; a clock-killing, possession offense can do that, folks.
Consider, for instance, what occurred against the Rams. Minnesota possessed the ball for 32:18 — a healthy time — but the rushing output was a modest 22 carries for 106 scoreless yards. A pair of turnovers really hurt the Vikings and so, too, did WR1 Justin Jefferson turning his 8 targets into 5 catches for 58 yards and zero scores.
Fans with a bit of a memory will recall that Sam Darnold was hit early and often, getting sacked a stunning 9 times. How could things be different now?
For starters, the offensive line should be more rugged, less likely to allow penetration with such ease. But then there’s the added ability to run the football. Aaron Jones now has strong support in Jordan Mason. In theory, these two should make a major difference.
Yes, the high-end skill is now being complemented by a physical, ruggedness that ought to keep a team from teeing off on Minnesota’s new QB1, J.J. McCarthy.
Meanwhile, Flores may now have the ability to be more multiple. Adding Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen into the mix is meant to give the DC the ability to get pressure with just four defenders. Lining up all of Jonathan Greenard, Hargrave, Allen, and Andrew Van Ginkel on 3rd and long is an intimidating challenge for the other team. Now, that’s not to say that there aren’t going to be blitzes — again, sophisticated aggression — but simply an insistence that the DC has more options.
At the end of the day, that’s what Kwesi Adofo-Mensah wanted to build. A Vikings team with enhanced ruggedness and versatility will not only allow for greater regular season success but also some postseason success, too.
The Vikings are 0-2 in the playoffs under the leadership of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell. Obviously, the team’s top leaders are looking to change that basic reality sooner rather than later.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this piece.
