Tag: Josh Oliver

Zulgad: Vikings’ reliance on Alexander Mattison in run game raises questions

The Vikings reliance on Alexander Mattison in the running game raises some major questions writes Judd Zulgad

The Minnesota Vikings’ offseason pivot at running back included rewarding running back Alexander Mattison with a two-year, $7 million contract after the decision was made to move on from veteran Dalvin Cook.

Cook was nearing the end of a five-year, $63 million contract and the assumption was the Vikings wanted to flip to more of a running back by committee situation. That would start with Mattison but not require him to be a bellcow in the backfield.

The likely scenario as training camp opened was that Mattison would be the lead back (1A) and Ty Chandler and Kene Nwangwu would battle for the job as the 1B running back.

But during the Vikings’ 2-4 start little has gone as expected and the running back situation is one of them. The Vikings are 30th in the NFL in rushing, averaging 75 yards per game, and they join the Pittsburgh Steelers as one of two teams without a rushing touchdown this season.

So what’s gone wrong?

Vikings PFF grades on offense through 6 games

The Vikings offense has some standouts and the Pro Football Focus grades showcase that

The Minnesota Vikings are a fascinating team.

Despite a 2-4 start, the Vikings have good underlying metrics and Pro Football Focus has the offensive line as one of the best units in the National Football League.

As we head into week seven, here are the PFF grades for each member of the Vikings offense starting units in 11 and 12 personnel.

Breaking down all 3 Vikings touchdowns with the all-22

The Vikings scored three touchdowns against the Chargers and @TheRealForno breaks each one down with the All-22

The Minnesota Vikings offense was the star of the show against the Los Angeles Chargers. Yes, they lost by a score of 28-24, but three touchdowns from the unit was impressive.

With the Vikings’ 0-3 start, morale among the fanbase is really low. Who can blame them? A negative seven turnover differential and massive regression from last year isn’t fun, but this team is still good.

The offense is notably really good. They are playing at a very high level with Kirk Cousins leading the NFL in passing yards and Justin Jefferson leads the NFL in receiving yards.

The offense found the end zone three times on Sunday with three different concepts. We broke them down with the all-22.

WATCH Vikings TE Josh Oliver score first TD in purple

Great effort from Josh Oliver to find the endzone for the first time in purple

The Minnesota Vikings are on the board with Josh Oliver scoring his first touchdown in the purple and gold.

Oliver capped off a five-play, 75-yard drive that featured the Minnesota passing game getting going.

Oliver’s touchdown was a great throw from Kirk Cousins as he has started off hot again today going seven-for-eight for 81 yards and that touchdown.

That drive was a bounce-back for the offense that had yet another drive stalled by a lost fumble to start the game.

After trying to establish the run, O’Connell and company decided to feature more of the passing game, including two deep crossers to superstar Justin Jefferson.

The Vikings are going to have to keep up with this Chargers offense that has Justin Herbert firing on all cylinders. Herbert has started the game 18-of-22 for 116 yards and the Chargers only touchdown.

With both offenses starting to get into a rhythm, this could become the shootout that everyone is expecting sooner rather than later.

Stay tuned in with Vikings Wire for more live updates.

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Vikings showcase changed offensive approach in preseason opener

The Vikings will likely play with two tight ends more often. @TheKevinFielder breaks down how the change impacted the preseason opener.

The Minnesota Vikings are undergoing an offensive makeover, but it might not be obvious.

It’s not quite as drastic as the defense’s shift, which goes from a zone-heavy scheme to one that prides itself on playing aggressive man coverage, but it’s one the Vikings are likely hoping provides more stability and consistency to the unit.

This shift began in free agency when the Vikings signed tight end Josh Oliver to a three-year contract. At the time, the move provided some confusion. The Vikings chose to pursue tight end T.J. Hockenson at the trade deadline, offering the offense a reliable secondary pass-catcher to pair with Justin Jefferson, and it seemed like the Vikings had their long-term answer at tight end.

To immediately follow that up with Oliver left the Vikings offense with more questions than answers that could be offered during the off-season.

After just one preseason game, though, it seems we have the answer. Josh Oliver’s signing was never about Hockenson; instead, it was about trying to build an offense that might offer more versatility in the run game.

Vikings 90-man roster player profile: TE Josh Oliver

The Minnesota Vikings surprised everyone by giving tight end Josh Oliver a major free agent contract in March. How does he project in 2023?

Welcome to the beginning of our 2023 season preview content!

Over the next few weeks, we will be looking at each player on the roster in-depth with backgrounds and how they currently project forward on the Minnesota Vikings roster.

What is the best-case scenario? What is the worst-case scenario? What should we expect from them during the preseason and beyond? We will break all of that down here.

As a staff, all of us at Vikings Wire ranked the entire 90-man roster 1-90 and will be releasing player profiles in reverse order.

Madden ratings for every Vikings tight end

T.J. Hockenson received a high amount of respoect with his ranking. How did the rest of the Minnesota Viking tight end room fare?

On Monday, the first batch of Madden 24 rankings and the first 99 overall in this year’s game were released.

They are currently releasing two position groups per day and started with wide receivers and safeties. On Tuesday, they released edge rushers and defensive tackles. On Wednesday, they ranked the offensive lineman and the running backs. Here are the tight end rankings

5 under-the-radar Vikings players to watch on offense at training camp

As the Minnesota Vikings approach training camp, these five players could make an impact while flying under-the-radar.

The Minnesota Vikings will see their rookies report to training camp on July 23rd with veterans reporting on July 25th. Training camp will be very interesting one for the Vikings this year, as it will be about building upon a 13-4 2022 season.

Kevin O’Connell won’t have to install his offense this season and there is a lot of continuity within the unit. After the starting unit, there is a lot of intrigue as to what we are going to see in 2023.

Going into training camp, we identified five offensive players that are flying under the radar that could make some noise this August.

Vikings 2023 training camp: One burning question at each position on offense

With training camp less than two weeks away, we identified one burning question from each position on the Minnesota Vikings offense.

After finishing 13-4 in the 2022 season, the Minnesota Vikings are entering a pivotal year in their competitive rebuild. They have jettisoned numerous veterans and younger players are being asked to step up in major roles.

As we continue to look forward to the 2023 season, the offense is coming off of a really solid season where they went 11-0 in one-score games.

Going into training camp, we identified one burning question from each offensive position.

State of the tight end room: The Real Forno Show

On the latest episode of The Real Forno Show, we take a look at the tight end room.

We are now less that three weeks from the beginning of training camp, which means our season preview series is starting to ramp up.

Up next is the tight end position. There is a lot to talk about with this group. Last October, the Minnesota Vikings traded for T.J. Hockenson to support their struggling wide receiver group outside of Justin Jefferson. He came in and made a huge impact. How will his presence impact the Vikings in 2023? Will he sign a contract extension?

Along with Hockenson, there is more talent in the room that will make an impact.

  • How will Josh Oliver be used with the Vikings?
  • How much will Johnny Mundt and Nick Muse play?
  • Will they keep four tight ends with a shift to more 12 personnel?

All of that and more on the latest episode of The Real Forno Show, airing Monday and Wednesday nights at 6 pm central on the Vikings 1st & SKOL YouTube channel.

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