The general manager and coach of the Vikings are staring at the sun.
Josh Dobbs, a journeyman quarterback, returned to the scene unsurprisingly. It was only a matter of time until Dobbs reminded people why he was available so frequently this season. Players are backups for a reason. The unexpected aspect of this current situation is that, despite the Vikings using assets to acquire the short-term loaner, coach Kevin O’Connell has already shown his indecision after three starts.
That speaks more about Minnesota General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah than it does about O’Connell, but let’s focus on the coach for a moment.
Jordan Jefferson, an All-Pro receiver, is expected to return following the bye week, and O’Connell stated that the starting quarterback will be determined by how well they can use Jefferson.
O’Connell stated, “Justin’s role in our offense has always been very, very significant—really from Day 1 since we arrived here.” “There will be ways to not only get Justin going and make sure he has a critical impact on the football game—[and] the quarterback position absolutely plays into that—anytime you can reintroduce the best receiver in football into your offense.
We want to make sure that the quarterback, whoever he or she may be, knows and comprehends the play calling when Justin is the primary receiver or, depending on the coverage and defensive alignment, how to get to the ball spot quickly and effectively. Ultimately, rhythm, timing, and an awareness that the defense can and will take some things away are what make up the NFL passing game. All of this is done while maintaining a steady rhythm.
It’s difficult to understand what the hell O’Connell is doing, even in this context. Even before Kirk Cousins suffered a season-ending achilles injury, the head coach in his second year was having trouble with his follow-up to his debut campaign, and now it appears that things could get out of control.
After the bye week, backup quarterbacks Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall will join Jefferson in recovering from injuries. Nevertheless, no one has thrown a pass to the star receiver, so it’s impossible to determine which signal caller can fully utilize him. It sounds like O’Connell was trying to sound intelligent by reciting a bunch of football jargon.
That kind of soundbite usually precedes a very dumb decision, so we’ll see how that turns out. Though starting that quarterback may not be ideal for Jefferson’s stat line, you would think a coach would start the player who gives the team the best chance to win, isn’t that what’s best for the team’s success?
Even though Jefferson has talked a lot about his contract extension, would the team really change their strategy to appease him before negotiations? That seems over the top.
The fundamental problem in Minnesota stems from Adofo-Mensah’s attempt, since coming to the Twin Cities, to eliminate Cousins through attrition. I claimed earlier in the season that the general manager had this roster set up to be entirely dependent on Cousins, which is why he selected Jordan Addisson instead of Dalvin Cook. Unfortunately, the team’s starting quarterback suffered an injury that may have permanently halted this season’s plans.
I’m not sure what Adofo-Mansah was thinking when he traded for Dobbs, but the last two weeks have demonstrated to Skol fans that you can do a lot worse than Captain Kirk. Was it to prove to detractors that Cousins was a hindrance to the team? In his first two games, Dobbs did lead the Vikes to victories before collapsing under a barrage of turnovers.
Or did the general manager believe that even without Cousins, a postseason run was still feasible? If that were the case, why not use the offseason to strengthen and sustain the running game? Although the defense is a lot better than it was in 2022 and indicates that some of Adofo-Mensah’s strategies were effective, I’m not sure what’s going on in Minnesota.
