KC Wolf
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- Mar 19, 2019
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After a sluggish start to the season, Minnesota’s offense has improved dramatically. The team’s offensive coordinator tried to explain the spike in production on Thursday.
“I think we’ve looked at it and pulled it apart and it’s maybe not as simple an answer as we all would like,” Kevin Stefanski told reporters. “I think each game calls for a different game plan. Each quarter of the season reflects different opponents and different schemes and different things like that. I don’t know that there’s one good answer to why we had success the last four weeks like that.”
Quarterback Kirk Cousins has played well enough to be named the NFC’s offensive player of the month for October, but Stefanski explained that credit for the honor extends far beyond Cousins.
“I think it’s a great individual honor, but I think even Kirk would tell you, it reflects on your teammates,” Stefanski said. “Somebody has to catch those balls. Somebody is protecting for him. I know he would tell you that. Proud of him and I think he earned that, but that’s really as much as it is an individual honor, I think the rest of the offensive players can take pride in that achievement.”
The offensive line perhaps can take the most pride in that achievement. The guys who get plenty of blame when things go poorly often become overlooked and forgotten when things go well.
“[W]ith any offensive line, the more reps and plays and games you get to play together, and we had a couple guys in and out of the lineup so the communication that has to occur between those guys, I think we’re just getting to a place where those five guys up front are playing as one, which is really what you need,” Stefanski said.
The Vikings’ offense will face stiff tests over the next two weeks at Kansas City and at Dallas. If the offensive line can continue to play as one, the Vikings could possibly emerge with two wins that will keep them in the conversation for the best teams in the NFC.