From the moment Kevin O’Connell was hired, everyone wanted to know how he was going to fix the Minnesota Vikings. With a solid quarterback, one of the league’s best receiver duos, and a blossoming tight end, a shift to a pass-centric offense seemed like a formality. But all eyes should remain in the backfield in Sunday’s season-opener against the Green Bay Packers.
At first glance, that seems preposterous. The Vikings ranked in the top 10 in rushing attempts five times during Mike Zimmer’s eight seasons in Minnesota. They ranked first in rushing attempts last season. That wasn’t enough to keep Zimmer from demanding more, and his desire to run the ball was almost dictatorial.
It held back an offense that featured Justin Jefferson, Kirk Cousins, and Adam Thielen. It also set up that offense to rank 12th in total yardage and 14th in points. If anything, it was one of the biggest reasons Zimmer was fired. But it would be just as crazy if O’Connell decides to run an air-raid offense.
That’s because the Vikings have Dalvin Cook.
O’Connell has never had anything like Cook in three seasons as an offensive coordinator. Even with the league’s shift in philosophy toward running backs, Cook still stands to be a reason why this offense can sneak into the top 10.
When the Washington Commanders promoted O’Connell to offensive coordinator in 2019, the franchise running back was still in style. Ezekiel Elliott (fourth overall, 2016), Leonard Fournette (fourth overall, 2017), and Saquon Barkley (second overall, 2018) became instant superstars. Washington followed the trend and used a second-round pick on Derrius Guice.
Guice flamed out after back-to-back knee injuries and a domestic abuse charge. The Commanders tried to use a 34-year-old Adrian Peterson to soften the blow, but they never got on track and ranked 22nd in rushing offense. They fired Jay Gruden after five games and let O’Connell go following a 3-13 season.
He made his way to the Los Angeles Rams and learned under Sean McVay. Once there, he saw a plethora of options in the backfield but never found his bell-cow back.
The Rams drafted Cam Akers in the second round in 2020, but a torn Achilles sapped him of his explosiveness. Darrell Henderson and Malcolm Brown filled in to produce a top-10 rushing offense in 2020, but the Rams slipped to 24th on their way to the Super Bowl last season.
If you’re keeping track at home, O’Connell has seen his share of journeymen runners. At no point has he ever had a superstar running back. Now he’s inherited his first by taking the job in Minnesota.
To prove it, we have to go back to 2017. McVay oversaw a similar underachieving mess in Los Angeles, yet he coaxed them to an 11-win season. Some of it was getting the most out of a young quarterback in Jared Goff, but it also had to do with a superstar in the backfield named Todd Gurley.
Gurley was a freak athlete taken 10th-overall by the Rams in the 2015 NFL draft. While Jeff Fisher could never find a way to maximize his talents, McVay fueled the best two seasons of his career and turned him into a two-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro selection.
Between the 2017 and 2018 seasons, Gurley ran for 2,556 yards and 30 touchdowns. He was also a weapon in the passing game, catching 123 passes for 1,368 yards. The Rams used this to win 11 games in 2017 and go all the way to the Super Bowl in 2018.
Although Gurley’s knees caught up with him, it’s a reminder of what an elite back can do in this offense. And there just so happens to be reminders everywhere.
Zac Taylor was a McVay disciple and landed a job with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2019. He teamed with Joe Mixon and helped develop him into one of the league’s top running backs. Last season was a career year for the 25-year-old, who ran for 1,205 yards and 13 touchdowns as the Bengals made their way to the Super Bowl.
Brandon Staley had a similar realization with the Los Angeles Chargers. Austin Ekeler was one of the top running backs in the league and hit a new level with Staley. Although he missed a handful of games due to injury, Ekeler set a career-high with 992 rushing yards and caught 70 passes to nearly lead the Chargers to the playoffs.
Then there is Matt LeFleur, who will be standing on the opposite sideline on Sunday. LeFleur used a two-back system with Derrick Henry and Dion Lewis and instituted the same principles in Green Bay. Since LeFleur arrived in 2019, Aaron Jones ranks sixth among running backs (min. 300 carries) with 4.9 yards per attempt, and A.J. Dillon has 4.5 yards per attempt in his first two seasons.
Not only does Cook have a blueprint for success this season, but it’s also a game plan against the Packers. Green Bay has opted to play in nickel, which results in six-man boxes that have yielded 4.5 yards per rushing attempt since 2019 (T-ninth in the NFL).
The Vikings will throw the ball more in 2022, but they’ll also need balance to keep a defense honest. Cook may not have the gaudy volume he received in the past two seasons, but he may be just as effective if the Vikings use him this way.
Cook’s not the focal point of the offense that everyone has grown to expect, but he could help the Vikings reach another level this season.
