The Viking Age
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Minnesota Vikings projected to have a top 10 offense in 2018

By Adam Patrick

PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 17: C.J. Ham #30 of the Minnesota Vikings celebrates with Kyle Rudolph #82 after rushing for a 1-yard touchdown in the third quarter during the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field on September 17, 2017 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 17: C.J. Ham #30 of the Minnesota Vikings celebrates with Kyle Rudolph #82 after rushing for a 1-yard touchdown in the third quarter during the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field on September 17, 2017 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /
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Thanks in part to the addition of Kirk Cousins this year, NFL Media’s Chris Wesseling included the Minnesota Vikings in his recent list of the NFL’s top 10 offenses.

Led by the play-calling of offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, the Minnesota Vikings were able to finish with a top 10 scoring offense last season. Before 2017, the Vikings have not had an offense end a season ranked among the NFL’s top 10 in points per game since 2009 when a certain gunslinging, Hall of Famer was their starting quarterback.

With the signing of Kirk Cousins this offseason, some believe that Minnesota could remain as one of the league’s 10 best offenses for the second year in a row.

One of those believers is NFL Media’s Chris Wesseling, who recently listed his top 10 offenses heading into the 2018 season. Wesseling slotted the Vikings’ offense at number nine.

Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings /

Minnesota Vikings

Ahead of Minnesota on the list are the New Orleans Saints (1), New England Patriots (2), Pittsburgh Steelers (3), Atlanta Falcons (4), Los Angeles Chargers (5), Green Bay Packers (6), Philadelphia Eagles (7), and Los Angeles Rams (8). The Detroit Lions rounded out the list at number 10 just behind the Vikings.

Wesseling also assigned letter grades for each of Minnesota’s offensive position groups. He gave the Vikings’ quarterbacks a B, their backfield a B, their receiving corps an A-, and their offensive line a B-.

Last year, the Washington Redskins were able to average 21.4 points per game (16th-best) with Cousins as their quarterback.

With him now in Minnesota and having better weapons to use like Adam Thielen, Stefon Diggs, Dalvin Cook, and Kyle Rudolph, there’s a good chance that Cousins could be in for one of his most productive seasons ever since entering the NFL in 2012.

Next: Grading the Vikings' 2018 offseason

Even with Shurmur no longer the offensive coordinator, the Vikings are expected to run a similar offense in 2018 to the one they ran last season. Combine their success from 2017 with the addition of Cousins and Cook returning from a torn ACL, Minnesota has a shot to be one of the league’s most explosive offenses in 2018.

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