In the Star Tribune, Jim Souhan has a few suggestions for head coach Leslie Frazier and general manager Rick Spielman that might just set the Vikings on course for a playoff berth this year:
1. Transition to Josh Freeman as quickly as possible.
Even when Christian Ponder was at his best, he didn’t take full advantage of defenses crowding the line of scrimmage to stop Adrian Peterson. Matt Cassel, while playing well last week, didn’t even take full advantage because he threw inaccurately on deep routes.
Whatever his flaws, Freeman is willing and able to throw deep, and he is working with quality receivers. If the Vikings can force defenses to choose between stopping Peterson and stopping the deep passing game, the offense could become unstoppable.
2. Keep Peterson on the field.
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3. Find a role for Patterson.
It’s simplistic to say that rookie receiver Cordarrelle Patterson should be on the field all the time. Peterson is most productive when running behind fullback Jerome Felton. Kyle Rudolph is a Pro Bowl tight end. Greg Jennings should be the No. 1 receiver, and Jerome Simpson has made the most of his opportunities this season. Put Patterson on the field, and either Felton, Rudolph or Simpson has to come off.
While playing Patterson for a tremendous number of snaps might not make sense, getting him the ball more often when he takes the field is common sense. At the very least, Patterson should be on the field when Felton is not. Patterson might be the second-most-spectacular athlete on the roster, after Peterson. He should play a larger role.
4. Put Bishop on the field.
Vikings linebackers are having a terrible season as a whole. Desmond Bishop might not be the player he once was, he may not even be an every-down linebacker, but he’s good enough to start for this defense.
5. Put Rhodes on the field.
Josh Robinson should not be starting at cornerback in the NFL. Rookie Xavier Rhodes might make some mistakes if he replaces Robinson as a starter, but he’s a superior athlete who will also make positive plays. Robinson is the weakest link on what has been a mediocre defense.
This is a season of positional turmoil for the Vikings, and some areas where the team has traditionally had solid play are much weaker than anyone expected. The whole defence has taken a few steps back and even the strong individual performers are not as good this year as in previous seasons (Harrison Smith, Chad Greenway, even Jared Allen and Kevin Williams). Cornerback Josh Robinson has been cover-your-eyes awful in coverage … almost everything thrown his way gets caught, and often for big gains. Marcus Sherels, who most people assumed only made the team due to his special team work, has been one of the most efficient defensive backs this year, but he’s one of the few bright spots on the defensive roster. Xavier Rhodes has played hot and cold, but he’s certainly demonstrated that he should be ahead of Robinson on the depth chart. Chris Cook is — all together now — coming back from injury, and it’s not clear if he’ll be healthy soon.
I realize that Leslie Frazier has a strong desire to protect his veteran players and bring rookies up to speed gradually, but Patterson and Rhodes have certainly played well enough so far to earn more playing time. I don’t know that Bishop is as solid, but the linebackers are another group not playing up to expectations … let’s find out if Bishop can return to his earlier form.
