What Can Kevin O’Connell Do To Reestablish the Run? - Zone Coverage (2024)

Kevin O’Connell is one of the best offensive playcallers in the NFL. He consistently exploits coverages with strong route concepts that offer his quarterbacks the opportunity to push the ball down the field. Last year, he had enough success constructing the passing game to buoy the league’s least explosive rushing offense.

The 2023 Vikings finished 14th in offensive DVOA despite ranking 30th in rushing DVOA. KOC’s offense passed the ball over 62% of the time while leading the league in passing yards and finishing second in 20-plus yard passes despite a rotating cast of quarterbacks.

Contrary to popular belief (although it is shifting), a successful play-action passing game is not dependent on a successful running game. O’Connell called play-action at the highest rate in the NFL and still orchestrated a strong offense. Still, a better run game couldn’t hurt, right?

Jimmys and Joes

Improving the running game was undoubtedly a point of emphasis in the 2024 offseason, as illustrated by Minnesota’s signing of running back Aaron Jones. Still, will any personnel changes be enough to fix the running game?

Minnesota’s entire 2023 starting offensive line returns for 2024. However, Blake Brandel could beat out Dalton Risner for the right guard spot. The only newcomers outside of Jones are receiver Trent Sherfield and tight end Robert Tonyan. Jones will elevate the run game as an upgrade over Alexander Mattison last season, and Ty Chandler will return as the backup after showing flashes in his second year.

Continuity is extremely impactful on offensive line play, so we can expect some internal growth there. Sherfield is a strong blocker for a receiver, but so was K.J. Osborn.

So, what levers can O’Connell and his staff pull?

X’s and O’s

The trick may not be with whom they run but how they run. Perhaps KOC can learn from his mentor, Sean McVay.

For years under McVay, the Los Angeles Rams dominated defenses with a heavy dose of zone runs, a staple of Minnesota’s offenses from Stefanski to the Kubiaks to O’Connell. It wasn’t until a down year in 2022 that he decided to flip the script. The 2023 Rams switched their philosophy to a power running scheme that saw them run “duo” (essentially “power” but without the pulling lineman) 46% of the time, which was a league-high rate. They trailed only the New England Patriots in total man-blocking runs.

The Rams have since begun to shift their personnel to fit the new personality of McVay’s offense. It’s a testament to the common purpose and collaboration of the head coach and general manager, which is also present in Minnesota. L.A. selected north-south running back Kyren Williams in the 2022 draft. They also drafted TCU guard Steve Avila in 2023, made a move for guard Kevin Dotson in that same offseason, and signed guard Jonah Jackson in the 2024 offseason. Avila (338 lbs.) will start at center this year between Dotson (330 lbs.) and Jackson (315 lbs.). That’s a lot of beef, and it shows that we can expect more power running from McVay and the Rams this season.

Minnesota could follow a similar path to resurrecting the running game over the next few seasons. If the running game can improve even marginally, it will only help the play-action passing game and maintain a top-flight passing offense despite more quarterback turnover.

The first domino to fall was Minnesota’s trade of Ezra Cleveland to the Jacksonville Jaguars in favor of the heavier, more stout Risner. By O-line standards, Cleveland is a tall and lanky left guard. Risner or Brandel (both roughly 315 lbs.) provide a stronger anchor despite not being as quick laterally. Minnesota’s 2022 third-round pick, Ed Ingram, is similarly a stronger, more powerful guard. Center Garrett Bradbury is slight and rangey for the position. However, the Vikings only have him signed through 2025, and personnel is only part of the puzzle.

The league’s trends swing like a pendulum, and the smartest coaches know when they are shifting. Perhaps this is one of those windows of time during which the stubborn coaches will miss the trees for the forest. Keep an eye out for how the Vikings run the ball in Week 1, as a shift in offensive philosophy could strengthen the team’s biggest weakness and bolster its greatest strength.