The 2021 NFL season has quickly gone from bad to worse over the last few weeks for the Minnesota Vikings. Coming out of their Week 7 bye week, the Vikings knew they would be faced with a tough schedule out of the break in play which could make or break their season. Now going into Week 10 of the regular season, Minnesota is coming off of two straight winnable games that ended in defeat, dropping the team to 3-5 overall with a few tough games coming up in the next few weeks. With the season starting to get out of hand for the Vikings, many are wondering what has gone wrong and who to blame for the disappointing start. Among the multiple things that have gone wrong with the team to this point in the year, there is one glaring concern that can’t wait to be addressed as Minnesota aims to try and get things back on track to try and fight for a playoff spot. That biggest concern comes at offensive coordinator and first-year play-caller Klint Kubiak, who might quickly be finding his way out of Minnesota.
Klint Kubiak Should Be Out As Minnesota Vikings Offensive Coordinator
Kubiak took over as offensive coordinator last off-season after the departure of his dad, Gary Kubiak, who held the play-calling duties before retiring following the 2020 season. The elder Kubiak did a nice job in leading a talented Vikings offense, with many believing his son would be able to pick up where his dad left off. That hasn’t been the case, however, and Minnesota should look to cut ties with Klint Kubiak before the season officially spirals out of control.
Too Much Talent Wasted
Over the last few years and once again during this season, Minnesota’s offense showed the capability to be one of the more high-powered groups that could put up points with ease. With the type of players in every aspect of the offense, it’s easy to understand why. The Vikings have a ton of talent on that side of the ball.
Look at every aspect of Minnesota’s offense and you find a difference-maker in that area. Start with veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins leading the passing game along with receivers Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson, two wideouts that form one of the more dominant pass-catching duos in the NFL. Then go to the running game led by star Dalvin Cook, who has been one of the top rushers in the league since he was drafted.
That talent alone, not to mention some of the depth pieces that fill in behind them, should be enough to feature one of the more high-powered offenses on an annual basis. The Vikings should be putting up large numbers offensively with that talent, but it’s being wasted by the play-calling and schemes put in place by the coaching staff. Klint Kubiak should be able to thrive with play-calling duties with this offense, but he has failed to get the most out of the Vikings offense and is wasting what is currently present on that side of the ball in Minnesota.
[pickup_prop id=”14972″]
Offense Taking a Step Back
During the 2020 campaign, Minnesota’s offense ranked near the top of the league in multiple categories, both in the passing attack and on the ground. Entering Week 10 of the regular season this year, it’s clear that group has taken a step back and hasn’t been as impressive to this point in the season.
In 2020, the Vikings offense ranked fourth in the NFL in total yards and 11th in points per game. Along with those marks, Minnesota ranked 12th in passing yards, tied for fourth in passing touchdowns, fifth in rushing yards and tied for sixth in rushing touchdowns.
So far in 2021, basically the same offensive unit ranks ninth in the NFL in total yards, 17th in points per game, 20th in passing yards, seventh in passing touchdowns, 11th in rushing yards and last in rushing touchdowns. With the same group offensively returning year-over-year, Minnesota’s talented offense has taken a step back. It’s growing more and more apparent that it’s no longer a player issue for the lack of success to this point, but the coach at the top of it all calling the plays and holding that unit back.
Where To Go From Here?
Over the last few years, Minnesota has gone through a few different offensive coordinators under Mike Zimmer at the helm, with arguably the best coach to hold the position being Kevin Stefanski, who ended up leaving the Vikings to take over as head coach of the Cleveland Browns.
With that constant turnover, many think it would be a bad idea for Minnesota to start fresh once again with a new play-caller on offense. But given the performance and schemes drawn up that we’ve seen to this point in the year, along with the talent that is being wasted in what might be another lost season, it’s time to move on from Kubiak.
If the Vikings do indeed move on from Klint Kubiak, there could be a few options already on the coaching staff to look toward as replacements. Minnesota could look to senior offensive advisor Rick Dennison, quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko, or wide receivers coach Keenen McCardell to take over the role for at least the rest of the regular season. Those are just internal options, without looking externally at the moment. The trial of inserting Kubiak into the offensive coordinator position has failed midway through the regular season in Minnesota. And it’s time to move on from Kubiak and start fresh once again before it’s too late.
Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images
