The Minnesota Vikings have sent plenty of messages about what Kevin O’Connell wants his team to look like entering the 2026 season. One of the biggest is a renewed emphasis on the running game, but it comes with a brutal catch: New coaches and a more physical scheme may not matter unless O’Connell changes how he utilizes it.
O’Connell brought up his running game unprompted during an interview with Dan Patrick last month and the opening week of training camp has featured a more physical approach for the offensive line led by new OL coach Keith Carter.
Kevin O’Connell must fully commit to the Minnesota Vikings’ run-game overhaul
With Frank Smith also coming over as the assistant head coach after spending the last four years as offensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins, O’Connell believes the latest additions will bring new life to a running game that seems to have been forgotten during his tenure with the Vikings.
“He’s got a great understanding of what it’s supposed to look like, but most importantly what it’s supposed to feel like,” O’Connell said of Carter during an interview with KFXN’s Dan Barreiro on Monday.
“...So that’s the starting point. I would look at Keith as really the engine behind that element. And then Frank Smith, as a guy I wanted to bring in, working four years for a good friend of mine in Mike McDaniel. I really value Frank’s ability to come in here and after four years.
"Sometimes you need somebody to pop the hood and just take an overall assessment and then apply some of the things that they’ve acquired in a totally different time and space that they can then come in here … and really think tank the best way to get back to the true nature of what I believe efficient football is, which is running the football at a level that you can then impact some decision making out of the defense.”
The idea of adding a more physical approach from Carter and using Smith’s influence on the scheme feels like great ideas. But like many things with the Vikings, it may not matter if O’Connell isn’t willing to adjust his own views on how the running game is utilized.
O’Connell hasn’t trusted the run game during his tenure
While the Vikings’ passing offense has taken off under O’Connell, the running game has been underwhelming. The Vikings ranked no higher than 24th in yards per attempt in O’Connell’s first three years as head coach but showed signs of life by finishing 11th with 4.5 yards per attempt last season.
Minnesota’s rushing attempts also share the same patterns. After ranking 28th in each of O’Connell’s first two years, the Vikings ranked 14th in rushing attempts in 2024, largely playing with a lead. With the offense stuck in the mud last season, the Vikings finished 27th in rushing attempts last season, but saw an uptick with 28.4 attempts in the final five games compared to 21.5 attempts in the first 12.
The reason was J.J. McCarthy's struggles, which convinced O’Connell to water down his offense over the final five games. But it’s also notable that the Vikings won all five of those games, which may have led O’Connell to seek answers to get more out of his run game.
The efficiency is a good sign and Smith should help after designing a scheme that allowed De’Von Achane to lead the NFL with 5.7 yards per attempt last season. A tougher approach under Carter should also allow the Vikings to finish runs and the installation of more outside zone runs could create more explosive plays.
This could not only increase the efficiency on the ground but also open things up for play-action. While the Vikings have not run the ball with mass quantities, they have used play action a lot, with each starting quarterback ranking no lower than 13th in play action dropbacks during the O’Connell era per Pro Football Focus.
- 2022: Kirk Cousins 28.5% (9th)
- 2023: Kirk Cousins 31.1% (3rd)
- 2024: Sam Darnold 28.1% (13th)
- 2025: J.J. McCarthy 28.5% (7th)
Vikings need the running game to unlock their offense in 2026
When O’Connell talks about “marrying the run and the pass” or the “illusion of complexity,” he's striving for increased efficiency in the running game. But as has been frequently said during the offseason, it doesn’t matter if O’Connell isn’t willing to use it.
That makes it important to note that this is not the first time they’ve tried to improve the running game. Dalvin Cook was released after the 2022 season in part because his explosive runs were mixed in with plenty of carries for a couple of yards or a loss. Josh Oliver was brought in as a blocking tight end in 2023. DeWayne McBride and Ty Chandler were brought in and became failed draft picks and even the addition of Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason in previous years hasn't unleashed the running game.
The long list of hyped additions that haven’t made an impact may be the reason why O’Connell hasn’t run the ball as much as some of his peers. But it’s also important that the Vikings keep trying to run the ball instead of pivoting to a Justin-Jefferson’s-down-there-somewhere approach.
If the Vikings run the ball more efficiently, the rest of the offense should follow. But if that section of the playbook remains covered in dust, it may not matter what tweaks or new faces the Vikings bring in to fulfill its potential.
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