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They had a great running game with Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor toting the ball, but an anemic passing game with Tavaris Jackson throwing the ball to a receiving corps that could charitably be described as mediocre.
They had a great run defense, but a porous pass defense.
Those are the types of things that add up to an 8-8 record — in other words, an average NFC team. The kind of team that is interesting to watch, but not the kind of team that worries teams like Green Bay or Dallas.
Judging by how the Vikings spent their offseason that may be about to change.
Minnesota coach Brad Childress and the team’s vice president of player personnel, Rick Spielman, saw that by addressing two positions via free agency the Vikings could go from playoff afterthought to serious playoff contender.
First they needed to address the pass defense. Their best way to upgrade here is to focus on the front end — the defensive line.
Not only does a dominating pass rush rattle QBs, it’s a dream come true for defensive backs. Pressure up front means DBs don’t have to cover as long and there are going to be more errant throws, which lead to interceptions, which lead to new contracts and big bonuses. The old adage “a pass rush is a DB’s best friend” still rings true today.
So the Vikings opened their checkbook and introduced their defensive backs to their new best friend: Jared Allen. Minnesota’s acquisition of last year’s NFL sack leader is exactly what the doctor ordered for a defense that has to face Green Bay’s prolific passing attack and Detroit’s dangerous duo of Roy Williams and Calvin Johnson twice a year.
On offense Peterson garners most of the attention, from fans as well as opposing defenses. In order for the second-year superstar to flourish the Vikings had to find a way to combat the eight- and nine-man fronts that defenses were using to slow down Peterson.
Most offenses relish the opportunity to face those kinds of defensive fronts because that means their receivers are getting man-to-man coverage on the outside. This is a matchup the receiver should win every time.
Last year’s starting wide receivers, Troy Williamson and Bobby Wade, were not winning enough of those battles — hence the decision to sign free agent speedster Bernard Berrian away from Chicago. The fact that the Vikings had to turn to the Bears to find an explosive receiver demonstrates the dire condition of this group.
Berrian’s value to the Vikings’ offense is more than just the fact that he is a reliable vertical threat for QB Tarvaris Jackson (something the Vikings have lacked since Randy Moss was shipped out of town). His presence on the field forces teams to re-think putting so many defenders in the box for fear of having him beat them deep, which in turn should lead to much more running room for Peterson. It’s the kind of “pick your poison” situation that offensive coordinators dream about.
What isn’t the stuff that OCs dream about is losing your left tackle to suspension for four weeks. And that is exactly the position the behaviorally-challenged Bryant McKinnie has placed this team in.
Due to McKinnie’s most recent run-in with the law (night club brawling) the mammoth tackle will be protecting his sofa rather that Jackson’s blind side for the first month of the season. While not a deathblow to the Vikings’ playoff aspirations, it is the type of setback that could easily cost them a shot at a division title.
