Throughout this summer, most of the discussion about the Minnesota Vikings’ new coaching staff has centered on Kevin O’Connell. Rightly so — he’s the head coach, the man with the plan, and hopes to take the team to new heights in just a short time. But a key component in achieving that is Minnesota’s addition of Ed Donatell as defensive coordinator. Let’s not forget, he’s tasked with revamping a Vikings defense that had more holes than Augusta National and morphing it into a powerhouse once again. Donatell may not get the attention he deserves, but he will be one of the biggest reasons for why the Vikings succeed this year, and he is already turning heads in camp.
Now that the pads are on, we are beginning to see how the new defense will take shape. The shift to a 3-4 is an obvious difference from previous seasons, but a lot is going on behind the scenes that will make it even more challenging for opposing offenses. After a recent practice, Kirk Cousins was asked how tough it can be going against a Donatell defense, and he was very complimentary of the new coordinator. “Everything looks the same, and at some point, I stopped trying to figure it out pre-snap,” Cousins said. “I just try to figure it out post-snap because it’s so muddy pre-snap. … I think it’s a point of emphasis for their defense, a big coaching point for them, and they’re getting it done. They’re taking away a lot of explosives.”
One of the biggest reasons opponents struggled so much with Mike Zimmer’s Double-A Gap defense was because they never knew who was blitzing or who was dropping into coverage. Donatell uses similar tactics to disguise defenses and prevent quarterbacks from making pre-snap reads. So far this camp, it almost seems as though the defense has been ahead of the offense, which is encouraging, to say the least.
Another one of Donatell’s contributions, which we have seen throughout camp, is his ability to bring out the best in his players. Outside of the X’s and O’s, he has clearly created ways to adjust his style to his players and ensure their talents are fully utilized. Last week, O’Connell offered up a similar observation, saying, “[Donatell’s] a teacher. He’s an educator. He’s going to provide them with the things they need individually to have success and collectively have success as a group. … This scheme may exist in other places, but this is the Minnesota Vikings version of it, [it’s] is going to be our own, and we’re pretty proud of that.”
Coming from a Vic Fangio-style defense in Denver, Donatell has a clear vision for the Vikings, but they had to embrace it too. So far this camp, Donatell’s “Minnesota Vikings Version” of that scheme has gone over well. Patrick Peterson, who has long been considered a man-defense cornerback, has been forced to transition more toward zone coverage. He has welcomed the change so far this summer, telling the Star Tribune, “It’s definitely taken a lot of stress off my body. The opportunity to see a lot of things unfold versus always having to seem like I’m running for my life almost every play for 60 minutes of a football game.”
Donatell has always been known as a guy who can relate to players, so it comes as no surprise that the players and coaching staff alike are embracing his philosophies. During his press conference on Wednesday, Donatell talked about how great it has been to see the players coming together for one goal. He said, “To have Jordan Hicks come in here and fit in, and have Eric [Kendricks] feel comfortable, it’s special. … I haven’t been around much better.” He went on to talk about how Danielle Hunter and Za’Darius Smith are almost inseparable despite not knowing each other until this spring. Those are the types of things that can make or break a team. It’s apparent the players believe in one another and trust the coaching staff to help them get to the ultimate goal of a championship.
While Donatell might never be the center of attention, he will certainly be a big reason the Vikings’ defense is hopefully improved this season. Watching the defense last season could’ve been considered cruel and unusual punishment for most fans. This year, Donatell gives them a lot of reasons to be excited.
