Associated Press
EDEN PRAIRIE —
Minnesota¹s offense has a simple focus: Adrian Peterson. The
Vikings aren¹t scheming to surprise opponents with, suddenly, 50 passes per
game.
Offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave, however, still has plenty to work on.
Just because the Vikings have a straight-forward, no-frills style doesn¹t
mean Musgrave hasn¹t had to dig deep in the playbook to find combinations,
alignments and calls that work to keep the attack balanced and the defense
guessing at least some of the time.
Coaches and players have credited Musgrave for his ingenuity, particularly
over the last month as the Vikings won four straight games to force a
rematch Saturday with Green Bay in the playoffs. In last Sunday¹s win over
the Packers, Musgrave unveiled several wrinkles that proved effective.
In the second quarter, wide receiver Jarius Wright lined up as a fullback in
front of Peterson before running to the flat and snagging an 8-yard
touchdown pass. In the third quarter, fullback Jerome Felton, who had two
receptions and no carries over the first 15 games, lined up as a receiver
and was wide open for a 17-yard reception during a drive that reached the
end zone.
"As the ball was in the air I was like, `Hold on, is that coming to me?' "
Felton said.
The Vikings accumulated a season-high 444 yards against the Packers. Coach
Leslie Frazier credited Musgrave and the other offensive assistants for the
plan.
"He¹s so intelligent and so creative in what he does, and obviously with
Adrian there are only so many runs you can create and do, but he still finds
new ways to get him the ball and obviously that¹s working," quarterback
Christian Ponder said. "In the passing game, finding ways to get guys open
and create different throws and play actions and all these different things.
He has such a great understanding of defenses. I think that¹s the biggest
thing that impresses me."
Musgrave¹s system hasn¹t always worked so smoothly. The Vikings netted 120
or fewer yards passing six times this season, though they won four of those
games. As the offense sputtered early in their worst loss of 2012 ‹ a 36-17
setback at home against Tampa Bay ‹ one agitated and inebriated fan started
yelling toward the coaches¹ box, "Hey Musgrave! Three and out! Three and
out! Three and out!" (Musgrave stands on the sideline during games, so the
rant was misdirected.)
Wide receiver Percy Harvin acknowledged earlier this season that his
frustration with the organization, expressed publicly during minicamp,
stemmed from a lack of clarity about his role and said the communication
from Musgrave last year wasn¹t consistent. One of the reasons Frazier hired
Musgrave in 2011 was the work he did in Atlanta with quarterback Matt Ryan,
the 2008 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, but Ponder regressed at midseason
and looked lost until last month.
After that first game in Green Bay, when Ponder threw two costly
interceptions deep in Packers territory, Musgrave tried to take some of the
mounting pressure on the quarterback, asking him to make throws the next two
games that were even safer than usual. With a couple of important victories
to help Ponder¹s confidence recover, he played more assertively the last two
weeks.
"As players we go out there and execute and actually make it happen, but you
need coaches to put you in positions to be successful," center John Sullivan
said. "I think Bill¹s done a great job of that."
Musgrave is as soft-spoken as coaches come, holding pleasant but unrevealing
news conferences each week with reporters and rarely showing emotion on the
sideline during games. There¹s a mad scientist at work in that mind of his,
though. He wrote a quarterback¹s handbook years ago, with 100 rules to live
by for those playing the position at all levels, based on his own insight,
beliefs and experience. Musgrave said earlier this season that Ryan
memorized it his rookie year with the Falcons.
In training camp this year, after a lethargic practice, Musgrave tried to
motivate his group by putting a bunch of leaves and sticks on a table during
a meeting and lighting it on fire, visual evidence of the offense¹s
responsibility to be the spark of the team. He had a garbage can of water
nearby to safely extinguish the flames.
Now, five months later, and Musgrave is still finding ways to ignite the
Vikings.
"He tries to put us in the best position possible to make plays," wide
receiver Michael Jenkins said. "You¹re pretty excited to see what¹s in the
playbook when you come in for the next week. It¹s a fun offense to play in."
