The surest sign that preseason football is both largely meaningless and prone to overreaction came in the anemic showing put forth by the Vikings offense that stirred up consternation in these parts.
Vikings' success or failure will be determined by things we don't know about yet
There was so much we didn't see during the brutal preseason that it's too early to draw too many conclusions.
September 9, 2021 at 4:46PM
Visions of doom and gloom appeared after watching the offense muster only two touchdowns in 34 possessions in three preseason losses.
Brutal, yes, except how can one accurately judge the offense's readiness for this season when its two best players — Dalvin Cook and Justin Jefferson — didn't play a single snap in the preseason and quarterback Kirk Cousins and Adam Thielen barely broke a sweat?
That's like judging a singing contest after the top contenders drop out because of laryngitis.
All we know for sure is that the Vikings' backups — or guys who didn't survive final cuts — aren't very good.
Let's reserve judgment until Sunday when Cook, Jefferson and the full ensemble are on the field in a game that actually matters. If the operation looks clunky against the Cincinnati Bengals, feel free to panic. Or least question whether a unit blessed with high-end skill players can elevate from good to great.
Mike Zimmer used his influence to repair his defense by filling every position with veterans he trusts. The defense, on paper, looks demonstrably improved from last season's debacle. As Zimmer voiced Wednesday, the roster's overall depth is a real concern, but the first-team defense isn't an eyesore anymore.
Zimmer felt reasonably satisfied enough with his offense's 2020 performance that things stayed mostly intact. The challenge now is to find a way to squeeze more out of it. Consider these superlatives from last season:
- Cousins threw a career-high 35 touchdown passes and posted the second-highest passer rating in his career.
- Cook finished second in the league in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns.
- Jefferson emerged as a star and one of the NFL's most productive receivers as a rookie.
- Thielen finished third in the league in touchdown catches.
All that, and the Vikings finished 11th in the NFL in scoring.
Again, that's good but not elite. Can they get there?
"I'm as confident as I can be in this group," Cook said. "We returned a lot of core guys that know what it takes to get it done."
That part is true for skill players. Zimmer also talked this week about the "unknowns" on his team, and the offense offers three that deserve close attention.
The seemingly season-ending injury to tight end Irv Smith Jr. is a doozy because he appeared primed for a breakout season as the third-best receiving option. Thielen mentioned "all hands on deck" in filling that void.
Another "unknown" — well, you know. Same as always.
The Vikings tweaked their personnel along the offensive line, but nobody can say definitively that the chronic weak link will be any better than previous versions.
After all, they have question marks at left tackle, left guard, center and right guard. Other than that …
Pro Football Focus graded the Vikings 29th in pass blocking last season. Cousins was pressured on 38.6% of his dropbacks, the third-highest rate in the league.
Line play will determine good or great, particularly as it relates to Cousins being able to maximize his strengths. Improvisation under duress will never be his forte.
"This is the most excited I've been about an offensive line here," said right tackle Brian O'Neill, the one "known" cog who signed a massive contract extension Wednesday. "Hopefully we'll be able to see the results, but we've got to go out and prove it."
That same mandate applies to first-year coordinator, first-time play-caller Klint Kubiak. He undoubtedly carries valuable knowledge and lessons learned from his father, but he's sitting in the hot seat now. He's responsible for game plans, in-game adjustments, play calls, the scheme.
The 34-year-old coordinator works for a head coach who wants things done a certain way. Whether that allows for new philosophical ideas remains to be seen.
"He trusts that we have a lot of guys that can make plays," Thielen said.
Thielen, Cook, Jefferson — bet on it. Nobody needs preseason action to figure that out. How the rest comes together, the unknowns, will decide the offense's ceiling.
Mike Conley was in Minneapolis, where he sounded the Gjallarhorn at the Vikings game, on Sunday during the robbery.
