MINNESOTA VIKINGS
2021 Record - 8-9-0
Head Coach - Kevin O' Connell
New Additions - Za'Darius Smith (LB), Jordan Hicks (LB), Jesse Davis (OL), Chandon Sullivan (DB), Nate Hairston (DB), Jesse Davis (OL), Johnny Mundt (TE), Harrison Phillips (DL), Austin Schlottmann (OL)
Offensive Rank in 2021 - 12th (363 YPG); Scoring - 14th (25.0 PPG)
Defensive rank in 2021 - 30th (384 YPG); Scoring - 24th (25.1 PPG)
Quarterback Kirk Cousins passed for 4,221 yards last season with 33 touchdowns and seven interceptions. The running game has Dalvin Cook back again for 2022 after rushing for 1,159 yards (4.7 YPC average) and six touchdowns. Alexander Mattison is an adequate backup as he went for 491 yards (3.7 YPC) and three scores last year. Justin Jefferson (108 receptions, 1,616 yards, ten TD) headlines the wide receiving corps and is flanked by Adam Thielen (67, 726, ten TD) and K.J. Osborn (50, 655, seven TD). The tight ends are Irv Smith, Jr. and Johnny Mundt.
Armon Watts and Dalvin Tomlinson anchor the front line on the defense and linebackers D.J. Wonnum (eight QB sacks), Danielle Hunter (six sacks), Eric Kendricks (143 tackles), Jordan Hicks (four sacks with Arizona) and Za'Darius Smith, formerly of the Green Bay Packers, will be on hand as well. The secondary has Patrick Peterson at one corner spot and rookie Andrew Booth, Jr. (Clemson) likely the other starter. The safeties are Harrison Smith (114 tackles) and likely Lewis Cine, another rookie (from Georgia) as well as free agents Nate Hairston and Chandon Sullivan, who had three interceptions with Green Bay last season.
Outlook for 2022 season - Following a bizarre 2021 season, the Vikings have moved on from Mike Zimmer and now have Kevin O' Connell as the new Head Coach. The team will look to get back to the playoffs this season after missing them the last two seasons. For that to happen, the defense has to pick up the slack after finishing in the lower end of the league in total defense and scoring.
The offense has many weapons, especially the one-two tandem of Jefferson and Thielen at wide receiver and with running back Dalvin Cook, who continues to put up solid numbers year after year. Kirk Cousins has been criticized as a player who puts up very good statistics, but doesn't win enough to get his team over the hump. Eight of the Vikings' nine losses last year were one score games. That does say a lot.
If this team wants to get to the playoffs once again and have a deep run, they need to adjust on defense, where they piled up turnovers (plus-11 last year) and had 51 sacks, which was second best in the NFL. However, they gave up far too many points, especially late in games which led to their below .500 record. If they can get it together on both sides of the football, perhaps they can get a playoff spot. A lot will depend on the new system with the new coaching staff and the team coming through in crunch time.
TEAM SCHEDULE
Week One - vs. Green Bay
Week Two - at Philadelphia
Week Three - vs. Detroit
Week Four - vs. New Orleans (in London, England)
Week Five - vs. Chicago
Week Six - at Miami
Week Seven - BYE
Week Eight - vs. Arizona
Week Nine - at Washington
Week Ten - at Buffalo
Week Eleven - vs. Dallas
Week Twelve - vs. New England
Week Thirteen - vs. N.Y. Jets
Week Fourteen - at Detroit
Week Fifteen - vs. Indianapolis
Week Sixteen - vs. N.Y. Giants
Week Seventeen - at Green Bay
Week Eighteen - at Chicago
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