Post by Purple Pain on Jan 10, 2019 12:42:32 GMT -6
The five biggest problems Kevin Stefanski has to solve as Vikings’ new OC by Matthew Coller
Also:
*Dalvin Cook averaged 21.3 touches per game in 2017 and 15.7 per game last year
*The offensive line will still needed schematic help
*Opponents will look to take away Diggs/Thielen on third down
Rest at the link:
www.1500espn.com/vikings-2/2019/01/five-biggest-problems-kevin-stefanski-solve-vikings-new-oc/
The Vikings averaged the lowest yards per completion in the NFL
With issues protecting Kirk Cousins, the Vikings threw a large number of quick passes without much success. Of 606 attempts, Cousins threw 425 under 10 yards through the air and averaged just 5.2 yards per attempt on throws behind the line of scrimmage and 5.9 yards per attempt on throws that traveled between 1-10 yards, according to ESPN splits. In comparison, Case Keenum picked up 5.7 and 6.2 YPA, respectively, in 2017.
The difference isn’t massive, but it’s telling. One of the reasons for the boom in passing stats is that the best offensive minds have figured out ways to make the most out of short throws. In Sean McVay’s system in Los Angeles, Jared Goff is picking up 6.2 and 6.9 yards per attempt on attempts behind the line and between 1-10 yards.
There are a number of ways the short passing game can be improved, starting with the use of Dalvin Cook and the screen pass game. In 2017, Jerick McKinnon averaged 8.3 yards per reception. The Vikings could get even more out of Cook if they commit to more short throws in his direction.
Also over the final three games, Kyle Rudolph caught 16 passes on 17 targets. He is known as a red zone threat, but he also averaged 7.6 yards per target on first-and-10 and gained six first downs on eight targets on third or fourth-and-short. Tweaking his usage might help Cousins find success in the short passing game.
Another element might simply be the Vikings finding another playmaker at receiver or tight end.
The Vikings tied for 16th in turnovers after four straight years of ranking top 10
One of Mike Zimmer’s core beliefs is that his team can’t win if they turn the ball over. While turnovers may be random in many cases, it’s clear from the numbers between 2014 and 2017 that Zimmer’s teams did not give the ball away. This year was different. Not only did the Vikings give it away more often, they also tacked on 35 points to the opponent’s scoring with pick-sixes and fumbles returned for touchdowns.
Considering the fact that Cousins has always struggled with fumbles, there might not be huge changes the Vikings can make to fix his turnover issue, but they can avoid asking him to drop back well over 600 times. Pro Football Focus studied how outside vs. inside pressure impacts quarterbacks and found that outside pressure causes more game-changing plays — as you might expect — so the focus for Stefanski may be to find ways to move Cousins in the pocket to mitigate some outside pressure.
With issues protecting Kirk Cousins, the Vikings threw a large number of quick passes without much success. Of 606 attempts, Cousins threw 425 under 10 yards through the air and averaged just 5.2 yards per attempt on throws behind the line of scrimmage and 5.9 yards per attempt on throws that traveled between 1-10 yards, according to ESPN splits. In comparison, Case Keenum picked up 5.7 and 6.2 YPA, respectively, in 2017.
The difference isn’t massive, but it’s telling. One of the reasons for the boom in passing stats is that the best offensive minds have figured out ways to make the most out of short throws. In Sean McVay’s system in Los Angeles, Jared Goff is picking up 6.2 and 6.9 yards per attempt on attempts behind the line and between 1-10 yards.
There are a number of ways the short passing game can be improved, starting with the use of Dalvin Cook and the screen pass game. In 2017, Jerick McKinnon averaged 8.3 yards per reception. The Vikings could get even more out of Cook if they commit to more short throws in his direction.
Also over the final three games, Kyle Rudolph caught 16 passes on 17 targets. He is known as a red zone threat, but he also averaged 7.6 yards per target on first-and-10 and gained six first downs on eight targets on third or fourth-and-short. Tweaking his usage might help Cousins find success in the short passing game.
Another element might simply be the Vikings finding another playmaker at receiver or tight end.
The Vikings tied for 16th in turnovers after four straight years of ranking top 10
One of Mike Zimmer’s core beliefs is that his team can’t win if they turn the ball over. While turnovers may be random in many cases, it’s clear from the numbers between 2014 and 2017 that Zimmer’s teams did not give the ball away. This year was different. Not only did the Vikings give it away more often, they also tacked on 35 points to the opponent’s scoring with pick-sixes and fumbles returned for touchdowns.
Considering the fact that Cousins has always struggled with fumbles, there might not be huge changes the Vikings can make to fix his turnover issue, but they can avoid asking him to drop back well over 600 times. Pro Football Focus studied how outside vs. inside pressure impacts quarterbacks and found that outside pressure causes more game-changing plays — as you might expect — so the focus for Stefanski may be to find ways to move Cousins in the pocket to mitigate some outside pressure.
*Dalvin Cook averaged 21.3 touches per game in 2017 and 15.7 per game last year
*The offensive line will still needed schematic help
*Opponents will look to take away Diggs/Thielen on third down
Rest at the link:
www.1500espn.com/vikings-2/2019/01/five-biggest-problems-kevin-stefanski-solve-vikings-new-oc/
... and neither is this Chris guy.