The Minnesota Vikings offense is still a work in progress but they have come up big when it mattered the most.
Throughout the season, the Vikings have shown elements of being great but haven’t been able to utilize them with any form of consistency.
The Chicago Bears are 2-2 on the season but they aren’t a very talented team which the Vikings can take advantage of in a big way.
Here are four keys for the Vikings offense to take advantage of the Bears defense and get the win on Sunday.
Win at the catch point
The Minnesota Vikings have struggled to win at the catch point this season. They are last in the NFL with contested catches having only caught 2/15. The Bears only have five pass break ups so this week could provide opportunities, especially with Jaylon Johnson potentially out, to take some calculated chances down the field giving your talented receivers the ability to win down the field.
Keep the defense guessing with jet motion
One of the things that head coach Kevin O’Connell has prioritized is utilizing motion at the snap, specifically jet motion. They haven’t run many jet sweeps but they did score a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints with one.
Constant jet motion sets up this easy touchdown pic.twitter.com/K5rJZoiw3t
— Tyler Forness (@TheRealForno) October 5, 2022
Jet motion gets the defense moving at the snap which can be a tell for what the defense is doing. It can also open up running lanes on the edge due to having to account for a jet sweep. Utilizing this concept more often will make a difference in offensive success.
Protect Kirk Cousins
When Cousins is comfortable in the pocket, he is at his absolute best. A confident Cousins can be a calculated killer in the passing game. The issue is that he can get rattled and thrown off of his game. Immense pressure and turnovers have thrown him off in the past. Keeping him in a groove and confident is a recipe for success.
Use play action
Play-action has been the bread and butter for Cousins throughout his career. This season is no different, as he has been excellent in utilizing play-action. This season, Cousins is completing 68.8% of his passes for 355 yards and four touchdowns on the season. All four interceptions have come on non-play action concepts. Getting Cousins in a groove and attacking down the field is a great strategy from by the Vikings.
