5 reasons the Minnesota Vikings can save 2016 season without Norv Turner

4. A Change In Offensive Play-Calling That Did Not Work

During the aforementioned, solid, efficient, but largely unspectacular start to the season offensively, Bradford was operating a system that had West Coast offense principles centered on quick, short passes that most kept the quarterback clean.

That kind of play-calling is a direct contradiction to the “Air Coryell” offense Turner favors, which is predicated on a strong running game, play action and downfield passes. The Vikings have the league’s worst rush offense right now, so that renders play-action mostly useless.

But over the last two games, coincidentally or not coming off a bye week, Turner’s play calling went back to deeper drops for Bradford and slower developing routes for pass catchers. The Jake Long-T.J. Clemmings dual turnstiles at offensive tackle don’t allow for that to work consistently, or at all really.

Turner inexplicably changed his play calling, and went almost all the way back to what worked for him years ago. That kind of coaching is short-sighted and exceedingly old school, so Turner needed to go.