Minnesota Vikings 2019 Offseason: The plan for the running backs

In 2018, the Minnesota Vikings didn’t run the ball as well as they did in 2017. Could the Vikings roll with the same group or add some new talent in 2019?

The Minnesota Vikings offense got off to a hot start in 2018. With Kirk Cousins slinging the ball to Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen, the Vikings were able to keep themselves in just about every game they played (sans a Week 3 matchup with the Buffalo Bills) and were ranked toward the top of the league in most offensive categories.

As the season winded along, the Vikings found themselves in a rut. Defenses eventually adapted to stop Diggs and Thielen and the offensive line found themselves overwhelmed by teams pinning their ears back and going after Cousins. This triggered a cratering on the offensive end and sent Minnesota home without a playoff appearance for the third time in the past five seasons.

While the reasons above are certainly to blame, Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer pin-pointed the problem on the lack of a running game.

In 2017, Minnesota had one of the top rushing attacks in the league, ranking second in attempts (501) and seventh in yardage (1,957). But those numbers dropped to 27th in attempts (357) and 30th in yardage (1,493) in 2018.

So far, the Vikings have tried to jumpstart their running game by adding offensive consultant Gary Kubiak and offensive line coach Rick Dennison, but they will also need the horses in order to execute that scheme. That plan should include a return to health for Dalvin Cook and possibly an emergence of some of the younger running backs on the team.