Schedule Preview – Vikings

July 20, 2022

By Noonefromtampa

The Commanders’ week nine matchup will be the return of Kirk Cousins to Fed Ex Field, along with the rest of the Minnesota Vikings. This is Cousins’ first time playing in Washington since departing several seasons ago for big money in Minnesota. The Vikings are now led by Kevin O’Connell, the former Washington offensive coordinator who was not retained by Ron Rivera when Rivera was hired.

Game Details

Opponent: Minnesota Vikings

When: Sunday, November 6, 1:00 P.M.

Where: home game, Fed Ex Field

TV Network: Fox

2021 Vikings

Record: 8-9

Offense: 12^th [passing 11^th, rushing 17^th]

Defense: 30^th [passing 28^th, rushing 26^th]

Points Scored: 14^th

Points Allowed: 24^th

Head-to-Head: 12-10 regular season, 2-3 playoffs

Vikings Coaching

O’Connell replaced Mike Zimmer as head coach this offseason. O’Connell started coaching in 2015 with the Browns as a quarterbacks coach after bouncing around the league for several years after being drafted in the third round in 2008 draft by the Patriots. He got a Super Bowl ring with the Rams in 2021 as their offensive coordinator. He has been a very hot coaching commodity the last few years and his rapid rise to head coach was predicted by NFL followers.

Wes Phillips is the son of long-time NFL coach Wade Phillips and grandson of legendary Oilers head coach Bum Phillips. He was Washington’s tight ends coach from 2014 to 2018. He was tight ends coach and passing game coordinator for the Rams under O’Connell, who hired him for the Vikings. He started coaching in the NFL in 2007 at Dallas where his father was head coach.

Ed Donatell is a long time NFL assistant who previously was the Broncos defensive coordinator from 2019 to 2021. For those with a long memory, Donatall was on Jim Zorn’s 2008 staff in Washington. In his 31-year NFL career, he had been a defensive backs coach or defensive coordinator for eight different teams.

Vikings Schemes

Like most teams with coaching regimes changes, we can only speculated about the schemes they will run until the team takes the field.  The most likely scenario is that the offense will resemble the Gruden/McVay offense run by the Rams for the last several years. Cousins should be familiar with this from his time work with O’Connell in Washington. The Vikings defense will be changing from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4 defense, most likely of the Vic Fangio style who Donatell has worked with several times in his career.

Roster Changes

Key Losses: TE Tyler Conklin (NYJ), C Mason Cole (PIT), S Xavier Woods (CAR), LB Nick Vigil (ARI), LB Anthony Barr (UFA), CB Mackensie Alexander (UFA), DT Sheldon Richardson (UFA), WR Dede Westbrook (UFA), G Rashod Hill (UFA)

Key Additions: LB Za’Darius Smith (GB), DT Harrison Phillips (BUF), LB Jordan Hicks (ARI), G Chris Reed (MIN), T Jesse Davis (MIA), TE Johnny Mundt (LAR), CB Chandon Sullivan (GB), WR Albert Wilson (MIA)

Draft Picks: S Lewis Cine (1-32), CB Andrew Booth (2-42), G Ed Ingram (2-59), LB Brian Asamoah (3-66), DB Akayleb Evans (4-118), DT Esezi Otomewo (5-165), RB Ty Chandler (5-169), OL Vederian Lowe (6-184), WR Jalen Nailor (6-191), TE Nick Muse (7-227)

Key Players Returning: QB Kirk Cousins, WR Justin Jefferson, WR Adam Thielen, RB Dalvin Cook, G Ezra Cleveland, C Garrett Bradbury, T Olisaemeka Udoh, T Christian Darrisaw, S Harrison Smith, CB Patrick Peterson, CB Cameron Dantzler, DE D. J. Wonnum, DL Armon Watts

Conclusions

The Vikings underperformed in 2021 going 8-9 but finishing second in the underwhelming NFC North. The offense should flourish with Cousins back under one of his original mentors, especially with the offensive skills players returning to the team. The defense did not execute effectively last season and ended up as one of the worst in the league. Minnesota’s offseason player moves focused on adding talent on that side of the ball with three key free agent additions and their top two draft picks used on defense. This should put Minnesota is a better position to compete against Green Bay.

Noone’s Prediction

The game against Cousins and the Vikings becomes a shoot-out with Washington winning the game 35-30. Washington fans go home happy that the return of Kirk Cousins was spoiled.