Tuesday Reflections: The Minnesota Vikings’ Offseason Plan is Faltering

Courtesy of Vikings.com

At 6-7, the Minnesota Vikings face an uphill battle to get into the playoffs. It’s worth keeping in mind that if it weren’t for an expanded format, the Vikings wouldn’t even be in the playoff conversation. Nevertheless, seven teams will make the playoffs, and the Vikings are in the eighth spot in the NFC. If they’re going to snag that final spot, the Minnesota Vikings will need to actualize their offseason plan.

The Minnesota Vikings’ Offseason Plan

Everyone knew that things were going to be a little dicey on defense. Gone were stalwarts like Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes, Everson Griffen, and Linval Joseph. The solution, given their snug salary cap, rested in bringing in plenty of young talent. The Vikings, quite evidently, felt confident that these young players could make enough progress for the defense to end up being above average. Unfortunately, the defensive line lost elite options, the linebackers have been decimated by injury, and the starting two corners have been injured for most of the year.

Even with the defensive issues, the Vikings must have believed that having a top-10 offense and top-10 special teams would be enough to compete in the NFC. The offense has been up and down, but they’ve largely held up their end of the bargain. The special teams, in contrast, failed to hold up their end of the bargain.

As we’ve discussed, the Vikings have invested a considerable amount on their special teams. The team’s leadership felt that the special teams could consistently put the offense/defense in favorable positions, which is why they chose to compensate their kicker & punter, draft a returner, and keep several players strictly for their coverage abilities. It was a logical plan, but it just hasn’t worked out. It’s hard to envision a scenario where the Vikings retain Marwan Maalouf in the offseason.

The Logjam at DE

Danielle Hunter is the only elite DE in Minnesota. Unfortunately, Hunter has been unavailable for the year.

One of the benefits of losing Hunter has been the development of the other defensive ends. Ifeadi Odenigbo, Jalyn Holmes, Hercules Mata’afa, D.J. Wonnum, and Jordan Brailford have all had their moments. It’s encouraging that the Vikings have been able to develop solid depth, but one wonders what this team will do in the offseason. All of these players are young, inexpensive options who can contribute. Bringing Hunter back into the fold, though, means the Vikings have six defensive ends. Keep in mind that they’ll likely add options during the draft and/or free agency. There is also Kenny Willekes, the rookie DE who has missed the entire season due to injury.

In other words, the competition at defensive end is going to be fierce heading into the 2021 season. There are more competent options than there are roster spots.

Using The Receivers More

This is something that I’ve already addressed, but I feel compelled to spill a little more digital ink on this topic. Minnesota was down by two scores for the entire second half on Sunday. Even still, Adam Thielen only saw four targets all game. He finished with a measly 3 catches for 39 yards. For context, C.J. Ham had 3 catches for 22 yards.

Gary Kubiak, I don’t think you’re reading, but if you are, please heed these words: this offense is big enough for multiple playmakers. Dalvin Cook can get his fair share of touches and Adam Thielen can also be a priority. Ditto for Justin Jefferson and Irv Smith Jr. Minnesota desperately needs to lean into their roster’s strengths (after all, there aren’t too many, so we need to emphasize what we have). Indeed, the Minnesota Vikings ought to plan on featuring their various skill players far more in the next three weeks. Doing so might just get them into the playoffs.

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