How Dennison and Kubiak should help (and could hurt) the Vikings

By adding Gary Kubiak and Rick Dennison to staff, the Minnesota Vikings will have significantly deeper NFL experience on the sideline for 2019 than they did in 2018, especially on the offensive side of the ball.

The Minnesota Vikings have certainly been busy hiring coaches this off-season.

With the sudden death of Tony Sparano at the end of training camp and the quick coaching fix that failed on the Vikings’ offensive line, the disappointing debut of OC John DeFilippo (and QB Kirk Cousins), and the far-from-impressive performance of the special teams unit that culminated in a thoroughly disagreeable 8-7-1 2018 season, Minnesota decided to hit the “reset button” in a largely administrative fashion.

They began by bringing in Gary Kubiak, a guy who needs little introduction. As a player, NFL assistant and head coach with numerous Super Bowl rings in his collection, he will be an invaluable asset to Mike Zimmer and this Viking football team.

Then, in front-office action this week, Minnesota finally brought aboard their official offensive line and “run game” coordinator, Rick Dennison.

Who Is Rick Dennison?

Well, let’s get the bad press out of the way. Dennison was fired from his last two jobs; in Buffalo as the OC in 2017, and in New York last season as their offensive line coach.

A few statistics in regard to these coaching performances. Since Dennison is now the Vikings “run game” coordinator (a little ham-handed if you ask me), it would be nice to see some recent results in that department.

In 2017, the Bills’ were ranked 6th in the league in rushing. Vic Carlucci of The Blitz has written that this high ranking was “thanks mainly to the remarkable talents of LeSean McCoy”, but looking at the numbers suggests that Carlucci should do some research and toss a little credit around, as McCoy, in 16 games, had 1,138 yards and a less-than-remarkable 4.0 average.

QB Tyrod Taylor was the big augment to the Bills’ run attack, rushing 84 times in the season for a 5.1 average.

The Bills passing offense was putrid of course, (that’s what happens when you employ a running back to play quarterback), but considering the Bills went to the playoffs, something was going right on offense in Buffalo, as the defense ranked 29th in passing yards allowed and 20th in rushing.

The Bills lost in the wildcard round, 10-3 in Jacksonville, a game that came down to its last seconds–and Dennison got the ax as the Buffalo OC.

In 2018, the Bills then ranked 30th in total offense and went 6-10.

The grass isn’t always greener.

In 2018, with Dennison taking a job as offensive line coach in New York, the Jets were a pitiful offense and running team, ranking in the basement in nearly all categories. Little wonder, considering they ran out a rookie QB with little running back nor receiving talent, and first-time (and most likely last time), offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates.

Everybody got fired in New York after a 4-12 season. The Jets recently hired Adam Gase, (another NFL head coaching offensive mastermind), whose Miami Dolphins teams were ranked 17th, 28th, and 26th in total offense in his three seasons.

You know, sometimes it doesn’t sound so crazy when a guy at the bar says he could do better.

Dynamic Duo?

Without washing the place down in further stats, the one thing that became clear in Rick Dennison’s career is the success of his partnerships with Gary Kubiak.

With team talent, the two have shown results not only in the upper echelons of the NFL but also standing side-by-side on a grandstand under a blizzard of confetti and lifting the Lombardi Trophy over their heads after winning Super Bowl 50 with the Denver Broncos.

To be frank, this author would have liked to see Rick Dennison become the Vikings’ offensive coordinator over Kevin Stefanski. If Kubiak is going to play the part of “consultant” and, in some role, executive producer of this offense, offering advice and tactics for gameplans in 2019, he shouldn’t be “getting to know” a young guy who has zero track record in running a successful NFL offense, he should be talking to a guy he has a winning rapport with.

Stefanski, who has been an NFL assistant and assistant coach with this team since 2006 without distinguishing himself as capable to be the OC, will now have to take the role of that office under the eyes of Mike Zimmer, Kubiak, and undoubtedly, Dennison.

Sounds like one, too many cooks in the kitchen, and two, the recipe of a potentially mediated neutering of a young coach.

But let’s get back to Dennison and Kubiak for a second–and yes, a few stats.

In Houston, from 2010-2013, the two coaches used a young explosive running back named Arian Foster and made the Texan running game a juggernaut. Behind a zone-blocking scheme that the two coaches have centered their gameplans upon for decades, Houston ran like crazy to success.

Unfortunately, Foster fell apart, was replaced by the likes of Alfred Blue and Ben Tate, and the party was over.

But here’s a thing, Vikings fans: Dalvin Cook is as good, if not better than Arian Foster, and the music might just be coming back on in Minnesota.

In 2015, Kubiak and Dennison, again as head coach and offensive coordinator respectively, showed they were no one-trick pony when it came to making teams go. They won Super Bowl with complete mediocrity at the quarterback position (Peyton Manning and Brock Osweiler) and the running back position (Ronnie Hillman and C.J. Anderson).

How? With one of the NFL’s best defenses–and one great defensive mind in DC Wade Phillips.

Back To The Future

This is indeed the big reason that Kubiak and Dennison are here. Whoever made the executive decision to move them in, the Wilfs’, Rick Spielman or Zimmer, it is a vivid projection that these three men can turn the clock back on this team to 2017 and reap a 2019 reward.

The only question to this endeavor is one that concerns Stefanski. It’s obvious that this 36-year-old fellow wants to be a head coach in this league (a notion that seems preposterous to me at this point), and may be eyeing another greater opportunity–much like Pat Shurmur did last season–that got the Vikings into the John DeFilippo/Mike Zimmer fiasco.

It is indeed ironic how success can lead to failure rather quickly in this league.

Dennison, much Stefanski’s elder, may also see the opportunity to ascend in rank and salary soon enough. The window of his potential head coaching days may or may not be behind him, and grabbing title as the Vikings’ next OC (if Stefanski departs) is altogether possible if Dalvin Cook and the Vikings’ run game has the season we’ve all been waiting for.

Nobody wants to mention politics in football, but they exist. None of these guys are above the fray of ambition.

So for now, let us think of puppy dogs and coaches meetings. Of lollipops and draft boards. A training camp where hearty handshakes are abundant.

In 2019, winning, as well as losing, will create changes in this Minnesota Vikings team. Let us all hope then that winning enables success to be shared at a career level rather than watching losing disintegrate relationships essential and imperative to the ultimate team goal, an NFL championship.