After a stretch of disappointing offensive performances, the Minnesota Vikings parted ways with John DeFilippo. Did they make the right decision?
Sometimes, the best cure for a struggling NFL team is to blow some things up and make some changes. That’s what the Minnesota Vikings were hoping for by firing offensive coordinator John DeFilippo, and that bold decision might have paid off.
The Vikings had lost back-to-back games heading into Sunday to the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks. In those two games, the Vikings scored just a combined 17 points, leading to the firing of their offensive coordinator.
It was a bold move given the fact that the Vikings are still very much alive in the NFC playoff hunt. However, with so many teams still in the race, the Vikings needed their offense to provide a spark to help them stay in control of their own destiny.
Fortunately, that decision payed off quickly against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.
On the first three drives, the Vikings scored three touchdowns to go up 21-0 and stay firmly in the driver’s seat. The Vikings had a noticeably stronger focus on the running game, with Dalvin Cook running five times for 61 yards and a touchdown in the first quarter.
With the Vikings firmly committed to their quarterback in a fully-guaranteed deal, something needs to change quickly for Minnesota’s offense to return to form. Although the offensive line is still a work in progress, there is a ton of talent at the skill positions with the likes of Cook, Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs.
Needless to say, the Vikings offense is capable of making plays.
Of course, analysts everywhere (including yours truly) are so quick to say that the Vikings are fixed because DeFilippo is gone, but there’s obviously more to it than just that. The offense has some extra motivation, and defenses don’t have the ability to predict new OC Kevin Stefanski’s tendencies given the fact this is his first time calling plays.
Defenses could start to figure out Stefanski’s gameplan in the next couple weeks, but in his debut as the offensive coordinator, the Vikings looked like a significantly more dangerous team.
There are still a couple of weeks left in the season, but if the Vikings offense can stay hot, they could wind up being a dangerous wild card team coming out of the NFC.