Vikings midseason report: Still searching for identity, stability and consistency

The Vikings are just over halfway through their 2021 schedule at 4-5. Leading up to Sunday's game against Green Bay, we'll break down how they've fared so far.

OFFENSE

Preseason expectations
The Vikings opted for stability after offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak's retirement, promoting his son Klint from quarterbacks coach and betting on the younger Kubiak's development as a first-time play-caller. They drafted Christian Darrisaw to be their left tackle and anchor a line full of homegrown players, while counting on tight end Irv Smith to play a larger role after releasing Kyle Rudolph.

Where they are
A year after they ranked 11th in the league in points and fourth in yards, the Vikings have dropped to 14th in points and seventh in yards while mired in a prolonged search for their offensive identity. They took a more aggressive approach last week against the Chargers, and have emphasized the same before this week's game against the Packers, but will still need Kirk Cousins to play with the assertiveness he showed last week while finding Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen more often. Darrisaw has stepped in as the left tackle after missing the first three games following his second groin surgery of the year, but penalties have been a consistent issue for the Vikings' offensive line. Smith, though, was lost for the season after sustaining a knee injury in late August.

Player to watch
Jefferson. His 143 yards against the Chargers were his most since Week 6 last season, and served as a reminder of why he needs to be a focal point of the Vikings' game plans going forward, and it's worth watching how they try to involve him the rest of the way. His two 27-yard catches against Los Angeles underscored how good he is at making contested catches; when he's in man coverage, he rarely should be counted out to win a one-on-one matchup. Teams will certainly try to take Jefferson away as an option in the passing game, but his ability to beat press coverage, route-running skills, size and speed mean the Vikings should be able to find ways to get him the ball in spite of extra attention.

One big question
Will the Vikings' offensive line require further work? After the team took Darrisaw 23rd overall in the spring and drafted Ohio State's Wyatt Davis in the third round, it appeared the Vikings could finally have consistency on the line, with a group of young draft picks occupying all five spots after years of attempts to patch the line with free agents. But Davis hasn't done enough to see the field in Year 1, and former sixth-round pick Oli Udoh (starting in the right guard spot where Davis could play) leads the league with 11 holding penalties. The Vikings' future at center is also worth watching, with 2019 first-round pick Garrett Bradbury in the middle of another underwhelming season and trying to fend off Mason Cole before the team has to make a decision on Bradbury's fifth-year option this spring.

— BEN GOESSLING

DEFENSE

Preseason expectations
A revitalized depth chart with a full offseason together – from OTAs to preseason – was expected to bring Mike Zimmer's side of the ball back to the standard set with five straight top-10 scoring defenses from 2015-2019. They got their top defensive lineman, Danielle Hunter, and a top cornerback, Patrick Peterson, back in the mix. The additions of Michael Pierce, Dalvin Tomlinson and Sheldon Richardson were expected to fortify their case for a top defensive line. Linebacker Anthony Barr, a Zimmer favorite, returned after missing most of last season. Refigured corners, including Mackensie Alexander and Bashaud Breeland, were going to stabilize 2020's vulnerable pass defense.

Where they are
The depth chart is weathered. Again. Hunter, Pierce and Peterson have spent time on injured reserve, with only Peterson expected to be available soon. Barr has played in just four of nine games. Harrison Smith has missed the past two games after contracting COVID-19. The results, predictably, have been uneven. Situational excellence – red zone, third downs, two-minute – is the Zimmer mantra, and while the Vikings are seventh in opponent third-down percentage, they've been vulnerable once an offense reaches the red zone or final minutes of a half. They've also had stretches of poor tackling and blown coverages. Neither were issues in Los Angeles, where linebacker Eric Kendricks led the season's most impressive defensive performance. Without Pierce, Hunter and sometimes Barr, the run defense is an ongoing concern. An effective pass rush is tied for the league high with 29 sacks and a top-five pressure rate, led by seven games from Hunter, Everson Griffen's resurgence, and a well-coached blitz package.

Player to watch
Griffen. The coaching staff's initial plan of limiting the 33-year-old Pro Bowler to 30-35 snaps per game went out the window quickly. Griffen first immediately became the best option off the bench, before replacing Wonnum as a starter. He's now the Vikings' top pass rusher after Hunter's season-ending injury. His production has also been slowed without Hunter. Griffen will continue attracting the extra blockers, obstructing his path to quarterbacks. The Vikings need him to keep up this incredible comeback even as the playing time and attention ramp up.

One big question
Can they break through? Just three defenders — Hunter, Griffen and Kendricks — have more than two tackles for losses through nine games. The defense's collective inability to break through the line and tackle ball carriers is reflected in their 4.7 yards per carry allowed (t-29th), a total bloated despite them allowing just three carries over 20 yards (t-4th). Winning individual matchups on the line of scrimmage is the quickest path to the backfield, and that has been hard for the Vikings without Hunter and Pierce, who combined for eight TFLs in their 11 starts. The defense's 30 tackles for losses would be their lowest per-game rate under Zimmer.

— ANDREW KRAMMER

SPECIAL TEAMS

Preseason expectations
Longtime assistant Ryan Ficken got a fairly clean slate while replacing Marwan Maalouf as special teams coordinator. General manager Rick Spielman flipped philosophies at kicker, investing little in the competition between journeyman Greg Joseph and undrafted rookie Riley Patterson, a contrast to the resources spent on draft pick Daniel Carlson and veteran Dan Bailey. The same approach was taken at punter, where veteran Britton Colquitt took a pa ycut to return and Andrew DePaola competed with undrafted rookie Turner Bernard. Spielman made two draft picks – running back Kene Nwangwu and receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette – with an eye on the return games. Dede Westbrook, the ex-Jaguars receiver, was eventually signed in camp to bolster the punt return unit.

Where they are
There have been ups and downs, but Vikings special teams have improved from the below-average units they fielded in 2020. Nwangwu brings juice to the kick return game. Westbrook has steadily improved, returning a 45-yard punt return against the Chargers for the franchise's longest since 2018. Reserve linebackers Troy Dye, Blake Lynch and Ryan Connelly have been reliable tacklers in coverage. Joseph has rebounded well after early misses. He's made 14 straight attempts – field goals and extra points – since missing a potential game-winning field goal at the end in Carolina. Punter Jordan Berry, signed on the eve of the regular season to replace Colquitt, has been inconsistent. But the Vikings have kept opponent return yardage to a minimum, allowing a season long of just 26 yards. Coaching became more aggressive as the losses mounted, with fake punts called in back-to-back weeks against the Ravens and Chargers.

Player to watch
Nwangwu. The speedy fourth-round pick out of Iowa St. burst onto the scene with the 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and fake punt conversion in Baltimore. His NFL debut was sidetracked by a hyperextended knee in the preseason, but he's since returned to fulfill some of the potential that made him a mid-round pick. The Vikings hadn't had a kickoff returned for a touchdown since Cordarrelle Patterson in 2016, and Nwangwu brings a similar explosiveness that might also want to be utilized on offense. Until then, he'll likely remain the focal point on special teams.

One big question
Can Joseph keep it up? Only one other NFL kicker – the Patriots' Nick Folk – has made more field goals than Joseph's 19 through nine games for Minnesota. And if there's one certainty about the 2021 season, it's that the Vikings will be in close games. All but one contest so far – the 30-17 win over Seattle – has been a one-score finish. The spotlight will eventually turn back to Joseph's leg, which will probably need to win them a game or two to stay in a tight NFC playoff race.

COACHES

Preseason expectations
The game plan for a quick turnaround included a heavy infusion of veteran defensive players who not only could return respectability to that side of the ball but also give Zimmer more time and energy to shape two first-time coordinators in Kubiak and Ficken. While outside expectations were skeptical, inside expectations believed the continuity of Kubiaks from Gary to son Klint would prove to be better than hiring an experienced outsider to take control of the league's fourth-ranked offense from a year ago. Ficken's promotion to replace the fired Maalouf was hailed as a way to improve the special teams by simplifying the schemes and allowing players to play faster.

Where they are
Like their players, the coaches also have had good, bad and ugly moments. Offensively, the notion of the Kubiaks being anything close to interchangeable parts gave way to the reality that Gary is 60 and a Super Bowl-winning play-caller while Klint is 34 and had never called a play in his life. The son, understandably, is a work in progress at a time when jobs could be on the line. He's scripted a league-best seven-game streak of first-drive scores (five touchdowns, two field goals). But he's also had too many games in which his offense has disappeared in a flurry of quiet three-and-outs before Cousins takes control in a frantic finish. Zimmer's defense, hamstrung once again by injuries, is good on third downs (seventh), bad in the red zone (25^th), middle of the pack in points allowed (16^th) and downright ugly in allowing 56 points in the final two minutes of the first half. Ficken's special teams have been a surprising strength with crisp schemes and bright young talent.

Coach to watch
Zimmer. He's the only head coach in the league to have led every game by at least seven points. Fantastic. But he's lost that lead five times in nine games. Not so fantastic. He routed his nemesis Seahawks and has played every other team to a one-score decision. Great to see his players fight. But he's 3-5 in one-score games. Not so great to see his players fail to finish. Zimmer knew in August how big a job this season would be without Gary Kubiak to lean on. He tinkered again with the idea of giving up his defensive play-calling duties but couldn't do it and has shown signs of being stretched too thin from an overall game-management standpoint. A shining example came in the closing minute of the Cowboys game when he drew a delay-of-game penalty for calling back-to-back timeouts after forgetting he had called the first one. That put Dallas in the red zone and contributed to the embarrassing home loss to Cowboys backup quarterback Cooper Rush.

One big question
Can Zimmer wiggle his way off the hot seat? There hasn't been a peep from above that Zimmer's job is in jeopardy. But anyone who has followed this league for any length of time knows it would greatly behoove the eighth-year head coach of the Vikings to make the playoffs if he wants to become the ninth-year head coach of the Vikings. The social media buzzards have been circling and squawking for some time. Some complaints are warranted. Others, such as the notion Zimmer has lost the locker room, would be hard to justify based on how consistently hard the team has played and what it did to Justin Herbert and the Chargers' prolific passing attack on the road last week. The Vikings are only a half game shy of the NFC's last playoff spot. If Zimmer stays aggressive – and makes sure Klint and Kirk don't forget about Jefferson again – he has a good shot of wiggling free from his hot seat. If he can't turn things around, well, even he probably would admit he's in trouble.

—MARK CRAIG