How The Vikings Can Replicate The Bengals and Rams
You’ve probably heard that it’s a copy cat league. In many ways, that’s absolutely true. Just watch what happens once a defense figures out a strategy that slows down a QB. Every defense for the next several weeks will try something similar. In many ways, the overall direction of a team isn’t that different. One thing we’ll see during the offseason is franchises trying to replicate the current Super Bowl teams, and Minnesota will likely be no different. Are there ways that the Vikings can mirror the Bengals and/or Rams?
Copying The Bengals
Let’s begin with obvious: Joe Burrow is already a far better QB than Kirk Cousins. Minnesota gets average to really good play at QB. The Bengals have gotten elite play. Burrow has been able to mask many of his team’s flaws, such as the deficiencies along the offensive line.
Where Minnesota can replicate the Bengals rests in the skill positions. Ja’Marr Chase is already an excellent NFL WR, and yet he isn’t as good as Justin Jefferson. Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins are very, very underrated. One could argue that Cincinnati’s WR trio is better than Minnesota’s. Even still, the Vikings do have an elite WR trio.
Toss in Irv Smith Jr. and Dalvin Cook. The Vikings’ five main skill players are, collectively, as good or better than Cincinnati’s. In this sense, the team can certainly replicate that reliance on an unusually skilled collection of RBs, TEs, and WRs.
The Vikings ought to hope that their OL continues to develop. If so, then the offense could really put something together. It’s plausible that a free agent addition or two could push the Vikings’ OL into “pretty good” territory.
Cincinnati is far from elite on defense. In 2020, the Bengals had the 22nd ranked defense in terms of points allowed: 26.5 per game. They improved in 2021; they only allowed 22.1 points per game. Far from elite, but still a sizeable improvement. The team added Trey Hendrickson, Mike Hilton, and B.J. Hill. It turns out that more talent – especially along the DL and at corner – can really help matters.
The Vikings would be wise to pursue a similar strategy in free agency.
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Copying The Rams
Again, let’s begin with the obvious. The Vikings are, in all likelihood, hiring the Rams OC, something that can’t be said for the Bengals comparison. For this reason, it’s entirely plausible that the Vikings’ offensive identity really mirrors what the LA Rams are doing.
Now, the danger here is trying to make an exact copy of the Rams. There’s no way that’s possible. Just look at all those Belichick coaches who tried to bring the so-called Patriot Way to a different team. Rather than try to make a carbon copy, K/O ought to bring over the principles that can apply in Minnesota’s setting.
One such principle ought to involve how to re-tool the defense. Invest heavily at corner and DL. LA’s defense works because they have excellent defensive linemen – Aaron Donald, Von Miller, Leonard Floyd, A’Shawn Robinson, Ogbonnia Okoronkwo (I know some of these players are LBs since it’s a 3/4, but the point remains) – and then Jalen Ramsey. Ramsey can match up with the team’s opposing WR1; the pass rushers can get home quickly. Folks, I can’t emphasize how important that is. Slowing a team’s main receiving threat is incredibly important; disrupting the QB on a consistent basis is similarly crucial.
Currently, Minnesota doesn’t have a CB1. It’s unlikely they’ll be able to remedy that problem this offseason, though it’s one area that needs work.
Like the Bengals and Vikings, the Rams have some elite weapons on offense. One could argue that Minnesota is even deeper, though. Cooper Kupp, without question, was this season’s best WR. Jefferson isn’t too far behind. The aforementioned purple skill players really push Minnesota’s group over the top.
What’s even more encouraging is that Cousins is in the same tier as Matthew Stafford. Not elite, but good. Stafford proves that Tier 2 QBs can have a ton of success with the right coaching and roster. Hopefully, Cousins will similarly show these things in the not-too-distant future.
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