Mike Zimmer and Pat Shurmur to focus on Minnesota Vikings run game
By Adam Carlson
Focusing on the run will be one of the priorities this offseason for Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer and offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur.
Fans of the Minnesota Vikings may be looking forward to the combine, free agency and the draft, but the coaching staff and front office have a lot of work to do before those big events become a reality.
One of the major topics of discussion is the run game of the Vikings, which threatened to be one of the worst in NFL history until bouncing back a little toward the end of the season. Now, Head coach Mike Zimmer will need to work closely with offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur to turn that struggle into a strength.
Recently, an article on the official Vikings website discussed the problems the run game had during the 2017 season and how the two men are planning to attack the issue.
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"“I think that was the heart of the problem; we had way too many negative-yardage runs,” Zimmer said. “We have to run the football better this year.”"
There were far too many times that a Vikings running back was unable to get out of the backfield or was met at the line of scrimmage by a defender. Being more consistent with gains will go a long way in being a consistent offense, and that’s something Zimmer and Shurmur definitely want to do heading into the 2017 NFL season.
"“Pat and I have a good relationship as far as our communication, and I think we have a healthy respect for [each other’s] ideas,” Zimmer said before adding that he wants to see the offense be more effective with the run than it was in 2016.”"
Next: Should the Vikings want Adrian Peterson back in 2017?
The big question mark for 2017 involves star running back Adrian Peterson and whether or not he will be part of the team. However. even if the team moves on from the prolific runner, the Minnesota Vikings will continue to work hard to balance the offense out going forward.