Red zone offense and defense were the focal point at Vikings OTAs this week as both units worked on this critical area that is a major factor in wins and losses.
The starting defense was most impressive in these drills which is not surprising since they have 10 returning starters (with Shamar Stephen expected to replace the departed Sheldon Richardson at defensive tackle). The Minnesota D also has the advantage of operating under the same Mike Zimmer system that has been in place for six years as opposed to a significantly changed offense that is being installed by coordinator Kevin Stefanski (with the assistance of offensive advisor Gary Kubiak).
Cornerback Trae Waynes and linebacker Eric Kendricks were among the defenders breaking up end zone pass plays during the drills. With number one tight end Kyle Rudolph absent to attend a charity golf event, second round pick Irv Smith Jr. stepped up and made an excellent touchdown catch from quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Stefanski said of Smith, "He understands he has a ton of work to do in the run game and the pass game and certainly we thought enough of him to go get him up there. You could see we just kind of put him in some spots where he can go make a play."
Vikings defensive end Stephen Weatherly spoke of the red zone emphasis in saying, "We're battling back and forth with our offense and I'm excited to see what we look like when we go against someone else. We had lots of red zone work in 7 on 7s and full team periods. The offense is about not settling for field goals and getting touchdowns and for the defense it's the exact opposite--we'll take a field goal or if we can get them out of field goal range with a sack or a turnover, we're definitely shooting for that too."
The Vikings top two running backs--third year man Dalvin Cook and rookie third rounder Alexander Mattison both looked quick and explosive in the red zone work and other practice drills. It will be exciting to see what appears to be a potentially terrific one-two punch as both backs are effective runners and receivers.
Diggs returns:
Other OTA Observations:
1. In team drills, Cousins launched a perfect deep pass to Adam Thielen that the Pro Bowler made a terrific finger-tip grab for a touchdown against the starting secondary.
2. Free agent wide receiver Jordan Taylor, a fourth year man who played under Kubiak in Denver, made several nice catches and has injected himself into the battle for the third, fourth and fifth receiver spots on the roster. This is shaping up as perhaps the most interesting area of players fighting to make the team with a bunch of talented receivers in the mix. Special teams ability will play a role in who emerges.
3. Speaking of special teams, returning kicker Dan Bailey had an impressive session in which he made all six of his field goal attempts. Bailey is now working with new part-time coach Nate Kaeding, a nine year NFL veteran kicker. Kaeding was a two-time Pro Bowler and he will assist special teams coach Marwan Maalouf as they seek to improve the Vikings kicking game. Having Bailey in camp from the start and working regularly with holder Matt Wile and snapper Kevin McDermott (or rookie snapper Austin Cutting) with Kaeding's input should pay dividends in the season ahead.
Around the NFL Observations:
While the defending NFC North champion Bears have plenty of prognosticators in their corner for the upcoming season, the Vikings also have their supporters including one of the lead writers for the CBS Sports website, Jason La Canfora, who picks Minnesota to win the division. He wrote "Mike Zimmer knows the bar must be set higher on the defensive side of the ball and I expect them to be more consistent and menacing. Give Cousins a few more leads, and good things happen. I have serious concerns about the new power structure in Green Bay and the Aaron Rodgers/Matt LaFleur coupling could be perilous, and the Bears are the poster boys for 2019 regression to me."