4 reasons why it’s time for the Minnesota Vikings to panic
By Dean Jones
Minnesota is woeful on offense
There is no sugar-coating this one. The Vikings look absolutely woeful on offense so far.
Kirk Cousins will get the blame, as he often does. He is the proverbial punching bag who critics cannot wait to get on the signal-caller following a bad game. But there is more to these struggles than simply pinning it all on the quarterback.
Losing offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski is a blow that is already being felt. The current Cleveland Browns head coach got the very most out of the weapons available in Minnesota last season, which is something that cannot be said for Gary Kubiak at the present time.
Everything just seems so out of sync. Kubiak was around the organization in an advisory role in 2019, so unfamiliarity with his scheme is a moot point. There doesn’t seem to be the right balance and if Cousins cannot get Thielen wide open, then he doesn’t appear confident that anyone else can come up with a big play.
Stefon Diggs’ departure is another factor that shouldn’t be overlooked. His petulant attitude aside, the wideout is a sensational deep playmaker and the Vikings lost this which has impacted their ability to gain substantial yards on play-action so far.
How Kubiak is using Dalvin Cook is another major talking point. The running back should be the focal point from this point on and if he cannot set the tempo in the coming weeks, then things could turn stormy real quick.