Minnesota Vikings: Is it time to bench Mike Wallace?

The Minnesota Vikings aren’t getting much production out of Mike Wallace, so does that mean Charles Johnson should get some of his snaps?

The numbers have been ugly the past few weeks for Mike Wallace.

Over the last four games, Wallace has just two catches for 26 yards. Against Green Bay he caught zero passes and had one key drop that helped stymie an early drive.

The only yardage Wallace managed to gain against the Packers was on a jet-sweep that he took upfield for six yards.

Despite Wallace’s alarming lack of production there has been no indication that the Vikings are looking to scale back his role in the offense. Wallace was on the field for 52 snaps against Green Bay, second to Stefon Diggs among receivers (via StarTribune).

By contrast, Charles Johnson was on the field for only nine snaps against Green Bay.

A lot of fans are probably asking why Wallace continues to get on the field the majority of the time when his production has basically been non-existent.

Why not get Charles Johnson on the field more with Wallace struggling?

The obvious answer is money. Wallace is making over $9 million this year and Johnson is only making $510,000.

The contract is a big reason why the Vikings are hesitant to bench Wallace, but I don’t think that’s the whole story.

Despite the lack of production, Wallace still brings considerable value to the Vikings on the field.

Though Wallace isn’t making plays, he still has deep speed that teams respect. When Wallace is on the field he draws attention from defenses and that can open up other things.

Right now Wallace is being used as a decoy, and he has seemingly been an effective one.

Despite Wallace gaining zero receiving yards, Teddy Bridgewater was still able to throw for nearly 300 against the Packers. Bridgewater found Kyle Rudolph for over 100 yards and added another 116 throwing to Jarius Wright and Stefon Diggs.

Wallace may not be getting the ball but teams are still accounting for him in their game planning and this appears to be freeing things up short and over the middle.

All due respect to Charles Johnson but teams simply do not fear him the same way they fear Wallace.

As long as teams continue to respect Wallace’s speed and reputed down-field ability, Wallace will remain a key part of Norv Turner’s game plan.

That being said, it’s still bothersome to look at Wallace’s stat line and see all those goose-eggs.

You have to wonder what is really going on here. Is this simply a case of Bridgewater and Wallace lacking chemistry? Is the lack of pass protection preventing Bridgewater from working the ball down the field to Wallace as much as he would like?

There have been times when Bridgewater has simply been unable to get the ball to Wallace at any level, deep or shallow. A few weeks ago against the Rams, Bridgewater missed a wide-open Wallace several times on relatively short throws.

How much of this is on Bridgewater and how much is on Wallace? Though Wallace has had big years in the past, he has never been known as a precise route-runner.

Wallace has been known to get frustrated when he isn’t receiving the ball, but there has thus far been no public sign that he is upset with his role.

Of course it’s tough for Wallace to get too upset when he himself keeps compounding his issues with drops. Wallace had a big drop early against Green Bay and it’s no surprise that Bridgewater stopped looking his way after that.

Whatever the cause, there’s no question that right now Bridgewater and Wallace just aren’t clicking.

The apparent lack of chemistry between Bridgwater and Wallace has a lot of people clamoring for Charles Johnson to have more of a role.

Johnson himself hasn’t had that good of a year but he has shown good rapport with Bridgewater in the past, and against the Bears he made a huge play down the field late that seemed to demonstrate Bridgewater’s trust in him.

But again, Johnson simply doesn’t have that Wallace speed or reputation. Norv Turner’s offense demands a speedy Y receiver who can get down the field and at least threaten the defense.

Right now, Turner clearly believes that Wallace’s presence on the field is too valuable to lose, even if the numbers haven’t been there.