A power struggle between Kubiak and Stefanski
The addition of Gary Kubiak to the Vikings offensive staff on the surface looks like a great move. He is familiar with head coach Mike Zimmer and his strength, running the football, was one of the Vikings biggest struggles a season ago. But what if things don’t go well early in the season, and tempers begin to flare, and egos rear their ugly heads?
If the Minnesota Vikings start the season 2-4 or worse and the offense struggles, things could begin to get hot. There could be push back from the media asking to replace Stefanski with Kubiak. This constant question during every press conference and in the media, in general, could become a huge distraction to the team. The Vikings offense could suffer because of it, as the added pressure will be too much to handle.
There could also be times where Kubiak disagrees with the play calls that Stefanski is making. If he disagrees with a certain play call or even a series of calls that ultimately leads to a loss, tempers could flare. He could unload to his old friend Mike Zimmer about it, and that could cause dissension between him and Stefanski.
So instead of working together, they begin to work against each other as Stefanski does his own thing, and ignores Kubiak’s advice or suggestions. This could lead to a division amongst the players as some could be pro Kubiak, and others pro Stefanksi and the entire offense will struggle because of it. Obviously winning would cure this problem, but if things get ugly quick this whole situation could unravel quickly.