Last Year
Under Mike Tice, the Vikings had been a team that started their seasons hot and finished cold. In 2005, the opposite proved true as Minnesota slumped early on its way to rock-bottom before re-asserting themselves with a six-game win streak. Daunte Culpepper, Randy Moss, Mike Tice, and the sex boat scandal — which Mewelde Moore still knows nothing about — are all history as the team searches for a new identity under head coach Brad Childress.
What We Learned From Last Year
There were few bigger frauds in the NFL last season than the 9-7 Minnesota Vikings.
Exhibit A:
Record against winning teams: 2-6.
And one of those wins came against Chicago in Week 17, when the Bears rested most of their roster.
Their 1-4 start is the telling tale.
Their problems started in the offseason, when it became clear that Pro Bowl center Matt Birk would not be able to participate in the coming season.
Tice previously had a background as an offensive line coach and during his time in Minnesota, the front five was decent.
Last year, it crumbled from the inside out and it all started with the loss of Birk. The Vikings tried to plug in Cory Withrow and Melvin Fowler, but both players failed. Compounding the issue, both guard positions were weak and left tackle Bryant McKinnie had a down season.
This was bad new for Culpepper right from the get go, who was sacked at a David Carr-like pace, 31 times in seven games.
The offense was crippled with a porous line, but the secondary factor was the ripple effect of losing Randy Moss.
The Vikes had taken him for granted somewhat. Without him on the field, they saw many more eight-man boxes and safeties played closer to the line of scrimmage than ever before.
The small, speedy running backs had needed that extra space that Moss helped provide to squeak through lanes, but with such a crowd up front now, it was pretty hard to move the ball on the ground.
Everyone is quick to point out that veteran Brad Johnson stepped in and made lemonade out of the lemons, but keep in mind he faced the soft part of the schedule.
Excluding the Carolina game in which the Culpepper was hurt and the final game of the season, where the Bears rested their starters, take a look at the difference of opponents the two QB's faced:
Culpepper's opponents were TB, @CIN, NO, @ATL, @CHI, GB (four of which finished with non-losing records) had a combined winning percentage of .500.
Johnson's opponents were DET, @NYG, @GB, CLE, @DET, PIT, @BAL (five of which finished with losing records) had a combined winning percentage of .421.
Johnson was a caretaker when he cracked the lineup. He didn't dazzle, and he didn't razzle, all he did was avoid turnovers.
On defense, the Vikings didn't exactly overwhelm, either.
By using two of its last three first-round picks on defensive ends, it was expected that Kenechi Udeze and Erasmus James would anchor both spots in the coming years. Udeze was limited to five games and one sack last year while James had a productive rookie year, with four sacks.
Defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell toyed with the 3-4 defense at times, switching back and forth. Pat Williams helped anchor the nose tackle position and even though the Vikings seemingly didn't have the personnel for the switch, they played better as a whole in the 3-4.
With Fred Smoot, Antoine Winfield, and Brian Williams manning the corners, the Vikings looked to have one of the better units in the league. But Williams, who was the lowest-paid, was the best starter. Winfield and Smoot had uncharacteristically poor seasons.
On the flipside, safety Darren Sharper was a stellar find. The Vikings helped themselves and weakened a division rival and the Packers sorely missed him.
Minnesota is stocked with a lot of good talented players on defense and is blessed with a strong offensive line. That alone should get them to the .500 mark, but their offense is still a few bricks short of a load.
This Year
For the first time in nearly 10 years, the Vikings will not be looking to the offense to carry the team on their shoulders.
Without anymore explosive weapons, the offense will be pretty basic.
After experiencing a season with faulty front lines, the first order of business was to secure the front line.
Both guard positions were vastly upgraded when Steve Hutchinson was signed from Seattle and Artis Hicks was acquired from Philadelphia. Hutchinson is as good as it gets at left guard while Hicks, who was a left guard before, will have to get used to the right side. With Birk returning from injury and McKinnie returning from a down season, this starting five will be much stronger.
With soon to be 38-year-old Brad Johnson starting at quarterback, they have to be.
Since Mewelde Moore and Ciatrick Fason essentially duplicate each other and are not capable of handling 20-25 carries per week, the Vikings sought out a running back who could.
The answer they came up with was Chester Taylor, but it's unclear if he can be a solution. He's really a vanilla running back without breakaway speed and he's never handled a full-time role in the NFL. But he hits the hole well, is somewhat elusive, and has a good pair of hands as a receiver. Behind this offensive line, he should be above average.
The passing game will also have a much different look. Johnson will be the oldest starting quarterback in the NFL this season and while he played janitor well in a “can't lose,” no pressure situation last season, his task becomes more difficult now that he is being relied upon for wins. At this age, concerns of fragility and effectiveness will persist throughout the whole season.
There is talent to throw to at the wideout position, but consistency is a different story.
Koren Robinson had a Pro Bowl season as a special teams returner and was slated to be the top target until he had an alcohol relapse. It is unlikely he'll have any major role as a receiver this season.
Last year's top receiver, Travis Taylor, performed similar to how he did in Baltimore, teasing here and there, but not good enough to be a starter. Another question mark is 2005 first-round pick Troy Williamson. He will undoubtedly take strides forward this season, but considering he totaled 24 catches and 372 yards, that's not saying much.
If Childress' offense looks similar as it did in Philadelphia, the Vikings should be able to move the ball. The wideouts on this team are decent route-runners and if that's the focus within the 10-15 yard range, although they will be somewhat compact, they will move the chains.
The offense does not have much big-play capability and although that figures to be the Achilles heel, with a savvy veteran as their quarterback, they likely won't put their defense into difficult situations.
Mike Tomlin takes over as the team's defensive coordinator and he brings with him the Cover 2 scheme. Not too many players on this defense have experience with the scheme, so there figures to be an adjustment period.
Dwight Smith, who takes over at strong safety for the injured Tank Williams, has played in this system in Tampa Bay and his role along with Darren Sharper will be vital.
The biggest question mark remains among the linebackers, where the Vikings will be without first-round pick Chad Greenway. He was drafted specifically for this scheme and his ability excel in pass coverage would have immediately planted him as a starter. Without him, the Vikings are left with E.J. Henderson, Napolean Harris, Dontarrious Thomas, and Ben Leber, none of which shine in pass coverage.
It is fairly unlikely that Fred Smoot and Antoine Winfield, two of the games premier cornerbacks, will have depressing seasons once again. Winfield's vigor in run defense should be a plus for this scheme.
For the Vikings to be very successful this season, they will need their young starting ends to blossom. Udeze was on that pace, notching five sacks in his rookie season, before injuries cut his season short last year. James is an explosive rusher and should take another step forward this year.
The Cover 2 scheme places an emphasis on lighter, faster defensive linemen, so Pat Williams may not exactly fit the mold. He will still be effective in running situations, but he is not as nearly well-rounded as starting partner Kevin Williams.
The Vikings figure to be a decent team with a limited ceiling this season. They probably won't beat themselves often and will be stout defensively for the most part, but they don't really overwhelm in any one aspect of their game.
Over/Under: 8
The Vikings might give the Bears a little bit of a push for the division, but their offense looks far too limited to knock them off the top spot. With a sexy prospect in Tarvaris Jackson, if the team struggles at any point, they might sacrifice this season in order to start his development. They play: @WAS, CAR, CHI, @BUF, DET, @SEA, NE, @SF, GB, @MIA, ARZ, @CHI, @DET, NYJ, @GB, and STL.
Fantasy Sleeper
Chester Taylor may only have average skills as a runner, but behind this stout offensive line, he should be productive. With an aging quarterback and limited targets, the Vikings figure to be more run-oriented on offense. He may not be flashy, but he will be good for 1,000 yards.
This is the fourth consecutive season of comprehensive NFL previews by Dave Golokhov. Stay tuned as he brings you previews for all 32 NFL teams! He can be reached at [email protected].
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