Vikings Snag an Uppercut from Anonymous Coach
Ah, yes, the anonymous coach (or executive) commentary. Always fascinating.
Recently, Mike Sando of The Athletic offered a piece doing a compare/contrast of Ben Johnson’s situation in Chicago versus Kevin O’Connell’s situation in Minnesota. Within the article, the Vikings snagged an uppercut, albeit one that’s fairly tepid.
More specifically, there’s a critique of the manner in which Minnesota’s offense is functioning. Or, as the case may be, not functioning. The recently-injured J.J. McCarthy has been playing awful football, leading one coach to describe a situation where open receivers aren’t getting the pigskin.
Vikings Snag Critique from Anonymous Coach
Consider, to get the ball rolling, where the Vikings’ top trio of receivers are statistically:
- Justin Jefferson: 60 catches, 795 yards, 2 touchdowns
- Jordan Addison: 28 catches, 412 yards, 3 touchdowns
- Jalen Nailor: 20 catches, 318 yards, 2 touchdowns
Across the board, the production isn’t good enough. The problem feels particularly acute for Mr. Jefferson since he’s (without exaggerating) someone who puts up historic numbers. Failing to fully unleash the 26-year-old from within his sixth NFL season is a football crime.
Consider some of the groundwork that Sando lays from within the article under consideration.
“O’Connell, 4-6 in his fourth season as the Vikings’ coach and first with J.J. McCarthy as his starter,” Sando writes, “has offered comfort for his quarterback, pushing back against those who suggest these early games foreshadow trouble. After McCarthy struggled again Sunday, missing wide-open receivers with regularity, O’Connell suggested in the most generous terms imaginable that his QB might have failed to maximize opportunities.”
Further from Sando: “When O’Connell does study the tape, he’ll see a frustrated Jefferson failing to reach for a pass so errant, it sailed over the receiver’s head. He’ll also see two Bears defenders so eager to pick off one underthrown ball, they collided with sufficient force to send one of them to the sideline for a stint.”
And then the clincher from the anonymous coach: “‘The receivers are visually frustrated, and they are open all over the tape,’ another opposing coach said heading into Sunday. ‘All of them — (Jalen) Nailor, (Jordan) Addison, (Justin) Jefferson, the tight end (T.J. Hockenson). That should be a Cincinnati offense, but all you hear from Minnesota is about how rosy and great it is there. What I see is a quarterback who feels like he is really frustrating the play caller.'”
Truth be told, T.J. Hockenson hasn’t been excellent. The top receivers, though, have all put together strong seasons but don’t have strong stats to show for it. Mr. McCarthy’s inability to execute the basic functions of NFL quarterbacking is the primary culprit.
Kevin O’Connell tends to be a relentlessly positive person, but the season has been a remarkably frustrating one. A few weeks ago, Jefferson was exasperated on the field, visibly deflating in real time after his kid QB tossed more interceptions. Few, if any, could blame him.
As the coach suggests, the Vikings’ WR1 is getting open but the ball isn’t finding him. A normal game looks something like 4-6 catches alongside 50-60 yards for one of the game’s elite talents. If he’s lucky, Jefferson will score. Moreover, Addison and Nailor are a great pair, so they should be producing far more than what they have been.
On Sunday, the frustrated Vikings will be playing the surging Seahawks. Look for rookie Max Brosmer to earn the start as J.J. McCarthy recovers from his concussion.
