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November 8, 2006

It hurts to watch the Vikings offense

By Jim Rueda

Painful.

That was the only way to describe what it felt like to watch the Vikings game on Sunday. The fact that the Vikings were unable to mount the winning drive at the end of the game is inconsequential. Even if they had pulled out a 10-9 win, it would not change the fact that Minnesota has one of the most unexciting offenses of any team in the NFL.

Coming out of the preseason I had an inkling this was not going to be a fun offense to watch week in and week out. Even in their victories, there have been few jump-out-of-your chair-with-excitement moments.

Some of the blame, but not all of it, rests with quarterback Brad Johnson. Even in his prime he’s never been a big-play quarterback.

Johnson is more of the methodical, short-to-medium range passer who gets by by making few mistakes. The team seems to do OK between the 20s but has trouble crossing the goal line.

Most of the blame for the team’s offensive woes should be shouldered by its lack of an explosive wideout. When the Vikings drafted Troy Williamson two years ago we thought he would be that guy. Unfortunately, the Vikings front office neglected to tell us that his hands of stone prevent him from catching even a cold.

And bringing in Bethel Johnson was not the answer, either. Like Williamson, Johnson has speed to burn but is simply not an NFL-caliber receiver.

Johnson spent the first three years of his career with the New England Patriots and did nothing as a wideout. If Tom Brady can’t make you into a productive receiver, it’s highly unlikely you’re going to find success anywhere else.

The other receivers — Travis Taylor, Marcus Robinson, Billy McMullen — are good possession-type guys who would probably be doing a lot better if Williamson or Johnson were legitimate threats to go deep.

And while we’re talking about the team’s shortcomings it’s time for someone to admit that Chester Taylor is not a great running back. He’s good, perhaps even above average, but not great. I can’t help thinking that if a Reggie Bush or a Maurice-Jones Drew or a Jerious Norwood were being force-fed the ball as much as Taylor is, they would have some pretty impressive numbers by now.

So what’s the solution? In the short term there is none.

You can’t bench Williamson and Johnson because then you lose your long-ball potential. The dink-and-dunk, throwing-underneath offense can only be successful if the opposing defense has to defend other players down field.

The receiver situation needs to be addressed in the offseason either through free agency or the draft or both. And if the Vikes continue to slide, it might not be a bad move to start allowing rookie quarterback Tarvaris Jackson to get in a few series each game.

Minnesota’s schedule is favorable the next few weeks with games against Green Bay, Miami and Arizona. If the Vikings play the way they did earlier in the year, all three are games they can win.

If they play like they did against San Francisco, all three are games they might lose. And that ... would be especially painful.



Jim Rueda is the Free Press sports editor. To contact him, call 344-6381 or e-mail him at jrueda@mankatofreepress.com.

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