At 0-2, the Minnesota Vikings are not where they want to be in what could very well be the last year of the Kirk Cousins era. But they're not giving up just yet.
On Wednesday, the Vikings agreed to a trade with the Los Angeles Rams that brings Cam Akers into the fold, a needed reinforcement to the team's abysmal run game.
While that adjustment should, on its own, help get the Vikings on track, reducing these player and coaching roles on the team would also do them well after bad starts.
RG Ed Ingram
Truth be told, every member of the starting offensive line but right tackle Brian O'Neill might deserve to be on this list. Kirk Cousins has taken a league-leading 15 hits through two games, a pace that puts him on track for 127 hits this year.
Last season, Cousins took a league-leading 84 quarterback hits.
Protect the man, guys!
While the committee needs to be reprimanded, Ed Ingram might be the candidate most ready for a spot on the bench. He's given up a sack and also taken a penalty, the only player on the line to have at least one negative mark in both categories.
Blake Brandle is a tackle fans have been clamoring to see more of for some time, and at this point, it won't hurt to try to sub him in for Ingram. Brandle has yet to see an offensive snap.
Looking at the run game and the sheer pressure Cousins has taken in the pocket, the offensive line is a huge issue that needs to be addressed. Ingram is the easiest place to start.
RB Alexander Mattison
Don't worry, y'all. This one appears to be en route to happening, anyway. The Vikings completed a trade for Cam Akers on Wednesday night which paves the way for Alexander Mattison to get far fewer snaps, a necessary adjustment.
So far in 2023, the Vikings have amassed just 69 yards on the ground, a league-low. Along with that they have the third-worst yards per carry. Their longest run has been nine yards.
As detailed on the previous slide, the offensive line has to take some of the blame here as well. Trouble with the pocket and an abysmal run game happening simultaneously is indicative of line issues. But the Vikings' production out of the run game can't all be attributed to blocking. Mattison has to shoulder some, too.
Mattison is putting up a career-worst 3.3 yards per attempt. Compared to last season, Mattison's attempts increased by 116 percent, but his yards per game have increased by just 86.7 percent. The production has simply not paced with the increased opportunity.
Recall, the Vikings cut ties with Dalvin Cook this offseason, and never really backfilled his role on the roster. With Akers now in the fold, Mattison will relegate to an RB2 role that better suits his abilities.
Head coach Kevin O'Connell
Looking at the production out of Minnesota thus far and the schemes they're running, it's really hard to wrap one's head around what's going on. Recall that the run game and blocking have been extremely bad. To re-emphasize a stat we already detailed: The Vikings have fewer than 70 rushing yards total through their first two games.
This team is clearly not a threat to run. Opposing defenses surely know that. Yet, Kirk Cousins has run play action more than any other quarterback in the league.
We have to extend some grace to the offensive play-calling, because clearly the personell isn't good. But that much play action from a team that is obviously ill equipped in the run game feels like a poor use of the playbook.
Despite the title of the article, I'm not quite advocating for firing Kevin O'Connell at this stage of the season, however, I will go ahead and suggest he get "benched."
While firing him would be a massive early overreaction for a team that has scored in the top 10 so far this season, maybe it's time for him to pass play-calling duties off to Wes Phillips, the offensive coordinator.
The Vikings clearly have plenty to figure out offensively, and O'Connell has his back against the wall to prove he can prepare this team better for Week 3 and onward. Lucky for him, he has a shiny new toy in Cam Akers to prove what this team can do after leading them to a top-10 in yards and points last season.
