3 Reasons Why The NFL Should Be Nervous About The Vikings
K. Joudry
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Recently, the Vikings haven’t presented too much of a challenge for the rest of the NFL.
Two years ago, the Vikings missed the playoffs with a 7-9 record. There was an awful lot of explaining away that humble finish – including from yours truly – as being part of Zimmer’s one-good-year, one-bad-year pattern. Last season was supposed to be far better, and yet the team found itself in a disappointingly similar finish. 8-9 is no one’s idea of success.
The team now enters 2022 with a brand new leadership group. The roster, for the most part, looks similar to past ones. The most notable changes are on defense. Xavier Woods, Anthony Barr, Michael Pierce, Bashaud Breeland, and Mackensie Alexander (among others) are all playing elsewhere. The team will be relying on some combination of Lewis Cine, Za’Darius Smith, Harrison Phillips, Andrew Booth Jr., and Jordan Hicks to replace them.
Can a somewhat different group of players partner with the new leadership to create a different outcome in 2022?
The NFL, The Vikings, and 3 Reasons for Purple Optimism
1) Tremendous Skill
Don’t let misguided evaluations of the wide receiver group fool you, Minnesota really does have one of the most impressive collections of skill in the NFL.
Common football wisdom suggests that the game is won in the trenches. There’s a ton of truth in that sentiment. There ought to be some concern about how the Vikings’ OL will matchup with the rest of the NFL. Nevertheless, it’s important to remember that having tremendous skill makes life easier for the lines. If players consistently get open with ease, the OL will need to block for less time. If the RB can make a man miss and/or outrace someone to the edge, then the blockers look a lot better.
In an ideal world, Minnesota can marry strong play along the line with great skill. Even if that doesn’t occur, though, we ought to remember that the skill guys will impact everything else on the team. Needing to find a way to slow down Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, K.J. Osborn, Irv Smith Jr., and Dalvin Cook is an unenviable task. Minnesota ought to be one of the toughest offenses to slow down.
2) High Ceiling Edge Rushers
More can be done to address the depth, but the starting two look really impressive.
The reports suggest that Danielle Hunter and Za’Darius Smith are forming a strong a bond. Kevin O’Connell noted that Hunter was trying to recruit Smith before the former Packer signed with Minnesota: “Long before we really got going, when we were bringing Za’Darius in to potentially sign him, I know Danielle and him had been in communication.” K/O then notes that the edge rusher “room is as close-knit as any position group on our team for a reason.”
In a perfect world, the two vets will stay healthy for a full 17-game season (and beyond). Teams will then need to choose between devoting resources toward one of the two dynamic edge rushers. Per PFR, the last time both were healthy for a full year, Hunter and Smith combined to put together 27 sacks.
3) New Schemes
Vikings fans will enjoy seeing the Donatell scheme in action, one of the trendiest NFL defenses. Partnering a much-improved defense with the aforementioned skill will make Minnesota really difficult to overcome.
The Smith & Hunter pass rusher pair could be the engine that makes this entire defense go. Provided they’re as excellent as we expect, everything else ought to fall into place defensively. They demand so much attention the iDL ought to get favorable matchups. The LBs should be able to roam relatively unencumbered, and the secondary will need to cover for less time. Expect Donatell to find ways of using his top two pass rushers to allow the rest of the defense to thrive.
On the other side of things is Kirk Cousins and the offense. The QB1 has been in the NFL for a while and has had an awful lot of offensive coordinators in his time. If K/O turns into the perfect fit that can stick around for several years, perhaps we finally see #8 take the next step. Previously, Donatell referred to the “cutting edge schemes and formations” that K/O is implementing on Minnesota’s offense. If the old DC is right in his evaluation, Minnesota ought to improve on an offense that was merely average in 2021.
Combining great skill, sensational edge rushers, and innovative schemes can be a recipe for football success. The onus falls on the players and staff to bring it all together during the offseason so that the 2022 season leads to a far different outcome than previous years.
Purple PTSD Also Read: How Adam Thielen Earned His Spot in Minnesota
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