Fansided

Here’s what the Minnesota Vikings can do so this doesn’t happen again in 2019

By Brad Berreman

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - DECEMBER 30: Kirk Cousins #8 of the Minnesota Vikings on the sideline in the fourth quarter of the game against the Chicago Bears at U.S. Bank Stadium on December 30, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - DECEMBER 30: Kirk Cousins #8 of the Minnesota Vikings on the sideline in the fourth quarter of the game against the Chicago Bears at U.S. Bank Stadium on December 30, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
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Mandatory Credit: Amy Lemus-Getty Images
Mandatory Credit: Amy Lemus-Getty Images /

2. Get The Offensive Coordinator Hire Right

This one is on head coach Mike Zimmer. To his credit, he knew what he didn’t know when he became Vikings head coach and hired Norv Turner to be his offensive coordinator. But as a 5-0 start began to fade to an 8-8 finish in 2016, Turner resigned under the idea of “philosophical differences.” Pat Shurmur took over from there, and procured the magic he authored with Keenum as the quarterback in his full season as the coordinator in 2017 into the head coaching job with the New York Giants.

John DeFilippo then came in to replace Shurmur as offensive coordinator, after serving as quarterbacks coach for the Super Bowl champion Eagles. But things went off the rails, as DeFilippo may have been trying to showcase himself as an innovative offensive mind for head coaching opportunities and Zimmer lamented a lack of commitment to the ground game for weeks, and DeFilippo was fired after a dismal loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 14. Quarterbacks coach Kevin Stefanski stepped in as interim offensive coordinator for the final three games of the season, and he’s presumably an option for the permanent post now.

In the span of three seasons now, the Vikings have had four offensive play callers. Zimmer has to get the offensive coordinator hire right this offseason, even if it means just taking the interim label off Stefanski, or his own future with the Vikings will come into further question.

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