Viktor
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- Mar 19, 2019
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Strib's Scoggins calls for Vikings to make OL an offseason priority
Minnesota was outplayed in the trenches at San Francisco.
To be fair, the Vikings played a dynamic, physical 49ers front four that was coming off 13 days of rest compared to just six. But Minnesota's offensive line – which has been built around an athletic run-blocking scheme – did not hold up against the likes of Dee Ford, Arik Armstead, DeForest Buckner and Joey Bosa.
Minnesota's run game never got off the ground, and Vikings QB Kirk Cousins faced pressure early on. He was sacked six times, which tied a season-high (Week 4 at Chicago).
Worth noting is that the Vikings offensive line did improve from 2018 to 2019, allowing 12 fewer sacks of Cousins in his second season in Purple. But in games that he was under duress, the quarterback struggled.
Chip Scoggins of the Star Tribune recently delved into Minnesota's offensive line situation and argued that the unit should be addressed this offseason. He wrote:
This is not another rebuke of Cousins' aptitude. It's become abundantly clear by now that he has undeniable strengths and undeniable weaknesses, and making something out of nothing will never be his calling card.
Give him adequate protection and Cousins can torch defenses. Put him under duress and what happened Saturday in the Bay Area often is the result. Houdini, he's not.
Scoggins said that the Vikings "slammed into an immovable wall" at San Francisco that "nullified" the team's pass and run.
Problem is, in the biggest game of the season, Cook had zero impact because he kept getting hit and tackled at the line. The 49ers geared their game plan to stop him, and it worked.
The offensive line needs to be overhauled with a minimum of two new starters, perhaps three.
Scoggins reassured that Minnesota is not a "mess."
This isn't about cleaning up an utter mess. The Vikings won a playoff game and finished eighth in the NFL in scoring. The focus, as Zimmer said Monday, is figuring out how to "get over this hump" of being good but not championship-caliber.
Building a strong offensive line is the first step.