‘Kubiak And Cook’ Making 2019 Vikings Something Special Two guys made for each other.

When the Minnesota Vikings signed Gary Kubiak, and in turn, Rick Dennison to revamp their offense, a young running back named Dalvin Cook must have smiled.

With all due respect to the Minnesota Vikings new offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski, let’s put him aside for a moment and discuss the offense that assistant head coach Gary Kubiak and offensive line coach Rick Dennison have installed here.

The 2019 Minnesota Vikings are, of course, running to set up the pass. This is a successful formula that is as old as the league itself. However, this specific ‘plan’ isn’t out of the days of leather helmets and cigars on the sidelines. It’s a scheme only decades old, born out of the college ranks and perfected by one Gary Kubiak and Mike Shanahan on the professional field.

The crucial variables to this offensive blueprint have always been talented running backs and an athletic offensive line.

What has ‘happened’ to this stratagem for the Minnesota Vikings in 2019 is one Dalvin Cook, a player who has made Kubiak’s zone-run rubric seem almost revolutionary in 2019.

Tough Sledding

To illustrate just how unbalanced –and unsuccessful–the Vikings were last year as an offense, let’s compare their numbers to the 2017 season.

In 2018, the Vikings ranked 27th in rushing attempts and 30th in yards on the ground. By way of the passing game, they ranked 6th in attempts and 13th in yards. That’s 1493 rushing (4.2 average), and 4036 passing.

They ended the season 8-7-1 and missed the playoffs.

In 2017, the Vikings ranked 2nd in rushing attempts and 7th in yards. By the pass, they were 21st in attempts and 11th in yards. That’s 1957 on the ground (3.9 average) and 3753 in the air.

The Minnesota Vikings were 13-3 and one game away from the Super Bowl.

How does this happen? The 2018 team had a better rushing average than 2017, the quarterback clearly threw for more yards, and the Minnesota defense, while taking a dip, remained one of the league’s best.

The answer begins on third down. While that credible Viking defense remained at number one in opponent third-down conversion from 2017 to 2018, the Minnesota offense went from 3rd in the NFL in 2017 to 26th in 2018.

That means the Viking offense found itself–time and time again–in third and long situations when it needed to create and sustain offensive drives.

Zone Blocking: Not Rocket Science

In a zone-blocking or wide-zone run scheme, the offensive line usually moves as a unit laterally, with each lineman blocking an area (a zone) instead of just a designated defender. This creates seams or gaps in the defensive line and formation.

The running back is then responsible in “seeing” a gap, making his cut and getting north into the second level of the defense. Coaches do not need to have the talent of Marcus Allen to be successful, they just need to follow their blocks and their instincts.

All things in order, when a unique athlete comes along, an over-powering wide-zone run scheme changes the ratio for success for the entire offense.

Enter one Florida State Seminole.

Cook Becomes A Chef

Kubiak and Dennison saw Dalvin Cook as a unique athlete from the first time they watched him on tape as a college back in Tallahassee.

He has sound physical and mental traits to fuel a zone running attack and the rare ability to break a game open with nearly every open seam he spies. Cook also has great value in the power game, as he runs extremely well in tight places, a talent not all backs possess.

It’s possible that Kubiak and Dennison saw Latavius Murray as a bit of a square peg in their offensive round holes, as Murray has a tendency to run high as a back. Kubiak doesn’t mind big backs (see Arian Foster), but what he covets most is quick feet, quick decisions, and a standard turbo button.

That’s three boxes checked for Dalvin.

In 25 professional games to date, Cook now has 410 carries, 1920 yards, 14 touchdowns and a per-carry rush average of 4.9 yards.

991 of those rush yards have come in 2019 alone.