The Minnesota Vikings are looking to show some consistency in their ground game in Week 3 of the preseason, particularly with their offensive line in flux. Will the first team offense gives Viking fans something to look forward to?
Preseason game 3: The game that usually showcases starters for the coming regular season. What will we see–and learn–about the Minnesota Vikings in this Friday game against Seattle?
The Vikings must establish the run this year. Everything depends on it. In the first preseason game against the Denver Broncos, Vikings running back Latavius Murray tore off two consecutive runs for 42 yards on Minnesota’s first drive which ended in a short first-quarter touchdown pass from quarterback Kirk Cousins to wideout Stefon Diggs.
In fact, Cousins went 4-4 for 42 yards and a QB rating of 150.
The run game set up the pass, just as the coaches like to write it up.
However, in the second game against Jacksonville, Murray ran 6 times for 12 yards, fumbled twice, and turned the ball over once.
Cousins went 3-8 for 12 yards and had a QB rating of 45.8.
So what’s the reality of the Minnesota Vikings run offense going into this week 3 preseason game, and more importantly, going into week 1 at home against the San Francisco 49ers on September 9th?
The truth is, to speculate on that reality, we have to see Vikings’ running back Dalvin Cook play. If he does, I believe you will be able to decipher the pulse of the Vikings potential success in the running game, and subsequently, on its effect on the passing attack.
If Cook sees gateways off-tackle like Murray did in the week one matchup against Denver, then it is highly likely we will be watching a prancing purple number 33 all during next week on media outlets across every platform.
The pundits will call the Vikings’ offense almost unstoppable, etc., etc.
If Cook does not see such apertures in the Seahawk defense and is held to either poor or pedestrian numbers, the opposite may occur, depending on how Kirk Cousins and his receivers perform.
Either way, there should be enough to see what this much-maligned Minnseota Vikings offensive line has cooking for the 2018 season.
What I mean is, it may not be too much, but it may be enough.
Play Action Passing
Dalvin Cook doesn’t have a lot of tackle-breaking power. What he does have is the ability to follow the crack of the offensive line block and often make something out of nothing with his unique burst, balance and superior agility.
He’s a very special talent that the Vikings are going to need this year.
Remember that teams have four downs to get ten yards for a first down. Last year, Dalvin Cook averaged just about five yards a carry.
The math is pretty easy on that, and lends itself to optimism in regard to Cook’s value in the run and play-action passing game.
If the Minnesota Vikings are looking at field situations like second-and-five and third-and-one with Cook in the backfield, then Kirk Cousins, considered one of the NFL’s best play-action passers, should make serious hay out of them.
In addition, with Cook being a short-passing option after the play-action fact, he often increases his offensive threat in the open field.
On Friday night, during a much-anticipated ‘Preseason Game 3’, there are plenty of Viking fans that want to see Cousins connect successfully–and in rhythm–with receivers Adam Thielen, Laquon Treadwell and Kyle Rudolph during this game.
But first things first.
Let’s hope that Dalvin Cook appears in the contest, puts a few Seahawk defenders on ice-skates and hits a hole or two, setting up several run-fake passing plays.
In the process, Kirk Cousins dices up the former Legion of Boom with a reasonable display of the Vikings’ vertical passing game.
With a little luck and head coach Mike Zimmer’s blessing, we’ll see number 33 take a few snaps and show what a difference he makes to this Viking team.
Zimmer shouldn’t be able to keep his not-so-secret secret weapon under wraps for another two weeks.
It wouldn’t be fair to us.