Vikings

The Vikings Could Pull Out the Reverse Card In 2023

Photo Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

The 2022 Minnesota Vikings had a successful season by most measures. Most teams would probably just make a few tweaks here and there and run it back. But there are three big areas the Vikings could go in a completely opposite direction this season compared to last. In some ways, it might be a total gamble. In other ways, the complete opposite might be just what the team needs — cough cough — like defensively.

For the past 15 years, the Vikings have had a workhorse running back who could put the entire run game on their back. Between Adrian Peterson and Dalvin Cook, Minnesota has gone against the NFL trend of playing a running back by committee. In some ways, they were lucky to have such talent at that position. However, keeping that talent isn’t cheap, and increasingly more teams have gone away from paying running backs crazy money. With rumors that Cook is unwilling to take a pay cut, there could be a real chance he isn’t on the roster this fall. And without another obvious star running back on the team, there is a really good possibility the team finally joins the rest of the NFL and adopts a committee plan at the position.

If Alexander Mattison returns, he could form a solid trio alongside Kene Nwangwu and Ty Chandler. They might not have the same excitement that Cook brought to the game, but there’s potential that, together, they could get results and move the chains. Besides, do they really need to be paying Cook all that money for him to run up against the back of Ezra Cleveland for no gain 15 times a game? To move on from a captain and great teammate would be hard, but last season’s run game wasn’t anything to write home about. It would be quite a shock to the system for most Vikings fans not to have a star back, but it may be the best choice for the team moving forward.

Defensively, the Ed Donatell experiment didn’t work, and fans have been clamoring for a more aggressive play style. Wish granted. By hiring Brian Flores, the Vikings’ defense will look incredibly different this season, regardless of personnel. While it’s widely believed this could be a one-and-done hire, Flores will still give a jolt of excitement back into the defense.

Last season, the Vikings blitzed only 19% of the time, the 24th most in the league. In Flores’ three years with the Miami Dolphins, they blitzed about 36% of the time on average. In his most recent stop, the Pittsburgh Steelers blitzed nearly 32% of the time, sixth-most in the NFL for 2022. This shapes up to be a very different-looking defense than fans were tortured with last year. It seems unbelievable, but the Vikings could easily go from one of the least aggressive teams to one of the most in only one season. While aggression certainly involves more risk, at least it’s entertaining. Expect significant personnel changes as well, but Flores’ scheme will most definitely give fans more of what they desired through the slog that was 2022.

Another big reversal could be from head coach Kevin O’Connell himself. He performed admirably as a rookie coach last year. He took the team to the top of the division and exceeded most expectations. However, O’Connell often didn’t make the difficult decisions that were required. He arguably should have brought in some competition during Greg Joseph’s slump. There’s no harm in trying to light a fire under a player or, in the worst case, finding out that there’s someone else better suited for the job.

O’Connell also might admit behind closed doors that he should’ve let Donatell go during the season. Maybe it was due to some sunk cost fallacy he had about the coordinator or some other reason. But there was really no reason to allow him to remain on staff during that cruel and unusual punishment fans were forced to watch. This sophomore season could be a good stepping stone in O’Connell’s career, where he can still maintain a positive culture but also make the tough calls necessary for the team to perform at its best. The success of the Vikings will depend on him getting his hands a little dirty.

Despite their success, the Vikings will all but certainly look very different next season. Players will change, but beyond that, the team’s core fundamentals will also. To get to the next level, the team will need to make some changes, and just because some of those changes are the exact opposite of the previous plan doesn’t mean it’s the worst thing in the world.

Vikings
Finalizing the Roster: New Signings, Contracts, and Draft Day Rumors
By Matt Johnson - Mar 28, 2024
Vikings
Did the Vikings Ultimately Come Out Ahead In Free Agency?
By Arif Hasan - Mar 28, 2024
Vikings

There's Joy To Be Found In This Tumultuous Transition Period In Vikings History

Photo Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

Going into this offseason, we knew that the Minnesota Vikings would face several decisions that would significantly impact the franchise’s direction. They could re-sign the core of […]

Continue Reading