The Minnesota Vikings are 3-0, but they have hardly looked unbeatable for the better part of three games. Week 4 against the 0-3 Miami Dolphins at home looks like a nice get-right opportunity, especially with the Dolphins now down their best offensive player after running back De'Von Achane suffered a torn ACL in Week 3.
Miami will primarily replace Achane with some combination of Ollie Gordon and Jaylen Wright for the rest of the season. Overall, though, there is a big opportunity void left to fill in their offense.
Wide receiver Malik Washington set season-highs for catches (five), targets (10), and yards (56) in Week 3. He also had two carries for five yards, with Gordon left as the only Dolphins running back after Achane exited.
Over his first two seasons, Washington was an underutilized, arguably misused, incredibly low-ADOT receiver.
So far this season, Washington has a 12.0 average depth of target and also leads the Dolphins in air yards with 248. Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis is averaging 10.1 air yards per attempt (third-highest in the league entering Week 4), as Miami has thrown deep 16.3 percent of the time (highest rate in the league).
Minnesota Vikings need to have a plan for Malik Washington
As expected, with how much they are blitzing, the Vikings have allowed some big plays in the passing game over their first three games. It's also not surprising, Denny Carter of Rotoworld noted, that they are allowing the sixth-highest target share to the slot through the first three weeks of the season (33 percent).
Washington lines up in the slot a lot, and he's run the corresponding half of his routes from there so far this season. It's fair to assume he'll keep lining up in the backfield a bit and get a stray carry when he does.
Among wide receivers with at least seven targets this season, Washington ranks 10th in yards after the catch per reception (7.9), according to Pro Football Focus.
Brian Flores' well-established tilt toward blitzing, a lot and from anywhere he can, places demands on multiple players to be able to play effectively in pass coverage. Accounting for Washington, wherever he lines up, will be important this afternoon. That will include everyone, from cornerbacks to safeties to linebackers to an edge rusher like the versatile Andrew Van Ginkel.
Without Achane, the Dolphins' offense will be even more up against it than it has been, but they still have talent on that side of the ball. Washington's opportunities are particularly set for a full uptick, as a new offensive staff has changed his usage profile to include downfield looks.
The Vikings shouldn't have much trouble with Miami's offense today. But they cannot be the full-blown testing ground for everything Washington can do as a versatile weapon in Achane's absence, or they could be in pretty big trouble.
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