Viktor
Well-known member
- Mar 19, 2019
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It seemed as if my Vikes had a problem stopping the run in two important games, Seahawks and 49ers. What do you think we need to do to remedy that?
— Victor Patterson from Maryland
The Vikings wanted to be better against the run in 2019, bringing back Shamar Stephen to help with that, and generally were, improving from 113.4 (15th in NFL) to 108.0 per game (13th in NFL), but you are correct about the struggles against the run against Seattle and San Francisco.
I think it starts with the fact that both of those teams are really good at running the football. San Fran ranked second in the NFL, and Seattle ranked fourth in rushing yards per game this season.
It seemed like those teams consistently won at the point of attack.
Seattle used an extra tackle for a considerable amount of the game to create a blocking mismatch. San Francisco was able to play the game on its terms because the Niners kept getting runs of 5-6 yards.
I'm sure that the inability to stop the run in those games did not go unnoticed by the coaching staff.
The Vikings will be heading to Seattle again next year, and doing better against the run will be key if Minnesota is to claim its first win there since 2006.
It's possible that changes in personnel, tweaks to scheme/technique and in-game adjustments could all help, as well as building a lead against teams that are at their best when running the ball.
1) How can the Vikings become an elite team if they have to change the coaching staff every year? 2) Looking at the final four teams that were left in the playoffs, their o and d lines are some of the best in the game; any chance of turning this team's lines around in one year.
1) It seems like some amount of change happens every year in the NFL (results were good enough to get noticed and earn a promotion elsewhere or weren't good enough to stick around). The Patriots have reloaded assistants/coordinators multiple times and maintained their status.
Coach Zim' has spoken about wanting to keep as much continuity for the offense as possible, and I'm pretty sure that he'll maintain a fairly high degree of continuity on defense, although one of my favorite moves by him this season was moving Everson Griffen and Danielle Hunter inside against the Saints.
The Vikings were able to improve from 8-7-1 to 10-6, but there is still a ways to go. Hopefully another couple steps forward can get the Vikings over the hump.
2) For all of the attention that skill players get (and how much fun it is to see them do their thing), you are correct about the importance on the line of scrimmage. It seemed like losing at the line was a commonality in Vikings losses this season, and I'm sure that will be a point of emphasis as the coaches begin working on 2020.
I'd say that the defensive line has consistently been one of the best during Zim's tenure. The highest-drafted player by Minnesota along the defensive line is Danielle Hunter (88th overall in the third round of the 2015 draft). Linval Joseph was a second-round pick by the Giants who joined Minnesota in free agency. Even so, the unit has been highly productive.
The o-line is probably built more slowly because of the importance of cohesion within the unit, but the Vikings have drafted an offensive lineman in the first or second round in each of the past two drafts.