Post by Purple Pain on Oct 5, 2021 10:25:26 GMT -6
Besides firing Zimmer and Spielman (seriously, that gets so old in every thread), what would you like to see?
Zone Coverage: Vikings have the ability to shake things up with critical juncture upcoming by Sam Ekstrom
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Link:
purpleinsider.substack.com/p/vikings-have-the-ability-to-shake
Zone Coverage: Vikings have the ability to shake things up with critical juncture upcoming by Sam Ekstrom
Even though the new 17-game season throws the season’s usual checkpoints out of whack, four games can still serve as a good quarter-pole benchmark. A chance for teams to evaluate what’s working, or perhaps more importantly, who is working.
The 1-3 Vikings have some glaring weak links through four weeks, and despite the head coach’s insistence that his team is “pretty darn good,” they are running out of time to right the ship with a gauntlet of a schedule coming up after the bye week.
While there may not be desperation heading into Week 5, the Vikings need to show some urgency. That urgency could come in the form of three personnel moves that the team has at its disposable, assuming the Vikings are willing to shake things up. Currently, they have three starters that are in the bottom three at their position, per Pro Football Focus.
Considering these deficiencies are occurring at left tackle, defensive end and cornerback — some of the most important positions in football — the Vikings shouldn’t be shy about making moves. Doubly so if Zimmer strongly feels he has a good team on his hands.
The 1-3 Vikings have some glaring weak links through four weeks, and despite the head coach’s insistence that his team is “pretty darn good,” they are running out of time to right the ship with a gauntlet of a schedule coming up after the bye week.
While there may not be desperation heading into Week 5, the Vikings need to show some urgency. That urgency could come in the form of three personnel moves that the team has at its disposable, assuming the Vikings are willing to shake things up. Currently, they have three starters that are in the bottom three at their position, per Pro Football Focus.
Considering these deficiencies are occurring at left tackle, defensive end and cornerback — some of the most important positions in football — the Vikings shouldn’t be shy about making moves. Doubly so if Zimmer strongly feels he has a good team on his hands.
Move 1 could be giving Cameron Dantzler back the full-time cornerback job when he’s able to return from the Reserve/COVID-19 list.
Through four games, Bashaud Breeland is ranked last out of all qualified cornerbacks with four touchdowns allowed and a 157.2 passer rating in coverage.
Through four games, Bashaud Breeland is ranked last out of all qualified cornerbacks with four touchdowns allowed and a 157.2 passer rating in coverage.
Moving to the trenches, the Vikings have a decision to make at defensive end.
The eye test would indicate that Everson Griffen is the team’s second-best edge rusher, and the data would support it too.
Griffen has 10 pressures and two sacks this season in his backup role, playing in only three games due to a concussion before Week 2. PFF ranks him 24th in pass-rushing productivity in the NFL, while starter D.J. Wonnum clocks in 105th out of 111. Wonnum has just four pressures in 108 pass-rush snaps.
After being acquired in late August, Griffen and his coaches have insisted that getting back up to speed is a process, and co-defensive coordinator Andre Patterson said last week his objective with Griffen is to not “wear him out” because of the length of the season.
But now that Griffen has sacks in back-to-back games and has seen an uptick in snaps each week, the team is considering an expansion of his role.
“We’re talking about that now,” Zimmer said. “I mean, he’s playing really well and doing a lot of good things, so we’re talking about how we can continue to use him and still kind of be fresh for the rest of the year as well.”
Griffen played 64 percent of snaps in Week 3 and 55 percent of snaps in Week 4, so there’s still meat on the bone if the Vikings want to increase his workload. Unlike the Dantzler situation, though, they’d be reducing the role of their second-year draft pick instead of increasing it. That’s not always the right play long-term, but the difference between Griffen and Wonnum at the moment is night and day, and Griffen can still improve as his stamina returns.
“You got to think this is probably like what my 15th practice,” Griffen said last week, “so I’m still getting adjusted getting used to it learning my new role. … It’s only going to get better from here.’’
The Breeland-Dantzler and Wonnum-Griffen moves are fairly obvious because we’ve gotten a chance to see with our eyes that the backup is better than the starter in actual gameplay. The third move available is more of a crapshoot, but it may contain the greatest possibility of reward.
Before the Browns game, Klint Kubiak declared that Rashod Hill “is our guy,” but Hill’s 10 pressures allowed against Myles Garrett could change the Vikings’ tune. Hill ranks 58th out of 60 qualified tackles through Sunday’s games, and he’s not compensating for poor pass blocking with much success in the run game, where he ranks 57th out of 60.
Christian Darrisaw waits in the wings after getting his first special teams rep on Sunday following a full week of practice. The Vikings have understandably slow-played it with the first-round pick after he missed most of the offseason with a core muscle injury and eventual surgery. His health is one thing, but his scheme knowledge is another.
While there’s a risk of Darrisaw getting overwhelmed by playing too quickly, the team also has to weigh whether they’re saving any face by sticking with Hill.
The eye test would indicate that Everson Griffen is the team’s second-best edge rusher, and the data would support it too.
Griffen has 10 pressures and two sacks this season in his backup role, playing in only three games due to a concussion before Week 2. PFF ranks him 24th in pass-rushing productivity in the NFL, while starter D.J. Wonnum clocks in 105th out of 111. Wonnum has just four pressures in 108 pass-rush snaps.
After being acquired in late August, Griffen and his coaches have insisted that getting back up to speed is a process, and co-defensive coordinator Andre Patterson said last week his objective with Griffen is to not “wear him out” because of the length of the season.
But now that Griffen has sacks in back-to-back games and has seen an uptick in snaps each week, the team is considering an expansion of his role.
“We’re talking about that now,” Zimmer said. “I mean, he’s playing really well and doing a lot of good things, so we’re talking about how we can continue to use him and still kind of be fresh for the rest of the year as well.”
Griffen played 64 percent of snaps in Week 3 and 55 percent of snaps in Week 4, so there’s still meat on the bone if the Vikings want to increase his workload. Unlike the Dantzler situation, though, they’d be reducing the role of their second-year draft pick instead of increasing it. That’s not always the right play long-term, but the difference between Griffen and Wonnum at the moment is night and day, and Griffen can still improve as his stamina returns.
“You got to think this is probably like what my 15th practice,” Griffen said last week, “so I’m still getting adjusted getting used to it learning my new role. … It’s only going to get better from here.’’
The Breeland-Dantzler and Wonnum-Griffen moves are fairly obvious because we’ve gotten a chance to see with our eyes that the backup is better than the starter in actual gameplay. The third move available is more of a crapshoot, but it may contain the greatest possibility of reward.
Before the Browns game, Klint Kubiak declared that Rashod Hill “is our guy,” but Hill’s 10 pressures allowed against Myles Garrett could change the Vikings’ tune. Hill ranks 58th out of 60 qualified tackles through Sunday’s games, and he’s not compensating for poor pass blocking with much success in the run game, where he ranks 57th out of 60.
Christian Darrisaw waits in the wings after getting his first special teams rep on Sunday following a full week of practice. The Vikings have understandably slow-played it with the first-round pick after he missed most of the offseason with a core muscle injury and eventual surgery. His health is one thing, but his scheme knowledge is another.
While there’s a risk of Darrisaw getting overwhelmed by playing too quickly, the team also has to weigh whether they’re saving any face by sticking with Hill.
Hill currently has a 39.3 PFF grade, which is lower than any rookie offensive tackle in 15 years of data. In other words, it’s unlikely Darrisaw is going to be a downgrade if he plays.
The same could be said about our other two suggested replacements.
Zimmer is adamant that he likes his team, but there are moves he can still make that could get the Vikings past their ‘So close’ laments.
The same could be said about our other two suggested replacements.
Zimmer is adamant that he likes his team, but there are moves he can still make that could get the Vikings past their ‘So close’ laments.
purpleinsider.substack.com/p/vikings-have-the-ability-to-shake
... and neither is this Chris guy.