PurplePTSD: Analyzing The 2020 Vikings Run Game

Press release from the PurplePTSD:

Cole Smith

2021-08-30

Over a week ago we looked beyond the box score and analyzed the 2020 Minnesota Vikings passing game. This week, I decided to once again dig deeper and look at the Vikings running attack, using the premium stats available over at Pro Football Focus. The unit ranked fifth in the league in 2020, helping once again establish the offensive identity that head coach Mike Zimmer covets. 

Four teams ranked above Minnesota in total rushing in 2020, but for this exercise, we’ll exclude the Ravens and Patriots. Their offensive gameplans relied on mobile quarterbacks to run consistently, and the Vikings won’t be doing that this year. Instead, we’ll compare Minnesota with the Titans (second-ranked rushing offense) and the Browns (third) as they employ more conventional rushing attacks.

Left-Side Runs

To begin, we’ll look at left-side runs that went outside of the tight end. On these runs, the Vikings found most of their production. 71 attempts went for 369 yards (the most yardage of any direction) and four touchdowns (second-most of any direction). Minnesota enjoyed a healthy 5.2 yards-per-carry average on these runs. They also broke off 12 runs of 10-plus yards, the second-highest of any direction.

The Vikings’ runs to the left end were better than the Titans, who ran 71 times for 286 yards and four scores. There’s still room to improve here, however, as they were outdone by the Browns. Cleveland ran this direction 70 times for 442 yards (6.3 ypc) and four touchdowns.

Runs that went off-tackle to the left-side were another story. Likely due to the fact that these runs relied heavily on left tackle Riley Reiff and left guard Dakota Dozier, the Vikings struggled to find success running this direction. Minnesota ran 33 times for only 106 yards (3.2 ypc) and one touchdown. Most astonishing is that the Vikings actually gained 108 yards after contact on these runs. This is a testament to Dalvin Cook’s playmaking ability.

Tennessee, on the other hand, was more efficient running this direction than any other direction. They ran 32 times for 188 yards (5.9 ypc) and one touchdown. Cleveland wasn’t quite as dominant but still churned out 172 yards on 34 carries (5.1 ypc) and two touchdowns. Minnesota may not see improvement at left tackle with Rashod Hill and rookie Christian Darrisaw filling in after Reiff left for Cincinnati. However, they should have much better left guard play as Ezra Cleveland moves into the spot after spending 2020 on the right side of the line. The Vikings can’t get much worse running this direction in 2021, so let’s expect at least modest improvement.

Minnesota’s most efficient runs came off-guard to the left. They ran 44 times for 279 yards (6.3 ypc) and three touchdowns. This also saw the longest run of the season for the team, as Cook took a run 70 yards to the house against the Lions in Week 9. Even without the run, the Vikings still averaged 4.8 yards per attempt on the season. The Titans ran 38 times for 188 yards (4.9 ypc) for one touchdown in this direction while Cleveland ran 39 times for 185 yards (4.7 ypc) and one touchdown.

Runs To the Middle

Over one-third of Minnesota’s touchdowns came on runs that went between their guards. On runs to the middle-left, the Vikings ran 71 times for 317 yards (4.5 ypc) and five touchdowns. The Titans ran 72 times for 292 yards (4.1 ypc) and two scores in this direction. Cleveland ran 56 times for 219 yards (3.9 ypc) and no touchdowns.

The middle-right was just as good for Minnesota. They scored two touchdowns off of 69 carries for 364 yards (5.3 ypc). This was better than both the Titans and Browns once again. Tennessee found more success in this direction, running 69 times for 331 yards (4.8 ypc) and a touchdown. Cleveland wasn’t much better running right, rushing 73 times for 271 yards (3.7 ypc) and two scores.

Still, the middle-right is one of a few spots that Minnesota could still see improvements in 2021. This is one of two directions that Dalvin Cook ran into that he accounted for fewer than 70 percent of the team’s total yardage. His 229 yards on 47 carries (4.9 ypc) accounted for only 63 percent of the team’s production in this direction. In fact, the Vikings as a team ran for 364 yards on 69 carries (5.3 ypc), meaning that Cook was actually less effective running this way than the rest of the team. This is still nitpicking, however, because Cook’s numbers are still great here. Backup Alexander Mattison was efficient here as well, running 16 times for 81 yards (5.1 ypc) and scoring both of his touchdowns going this direction.

Right-Side Runs

Runs to the right side found more success as the season wore on. Over the first five weeks, the Vikings started Pat Elflein at right guard for one game and Dru Samia for the next four. This proved to be a disaster until rookie tackle-turned-guard Ezra Cleveland took over the role. He helped stabilize the spot for the rest of the year as the Vikings found room to run that way.

When running outside of the right guard, Minnesota ran 40 times for 166 yards (4.2 ypc). This was the one direction on conventional runs where they didn’t score any touchdowns. In fact, this was Cook’s most inefficient direction. He ran for 100 yards on 28 carries (3.6 ypc). This accounted for only 60 percent of the team’s rushing total. This, like runs to the middle-right, can likely be counted on to improve in 2021 with the emergence of right guard Oli Udoh taking over the spot.

The Titans, meanwhile, ran 66 times for 321 yards (4.9 ypc) and one score in this direction. Cleveland was even better, running 50 times for 318 yards (6.4 ypc) and two touchdowns.

Runs off-tackle to the right (RT) were dominated by Cook. He accounted for 84 percent of yardage in this direction (his highest of all runs). As a team, the Vikings ran 52 times for 236 yards (4.5 ypc) and a touchdown and Cook had 28 of these carries for 199 yards (5.2 ypc) and the touchdown. Still, this can’t compare with the Titans. They ran 50 times for 312 yards (6.2 ypc) and two touchdowns. The Browns found great success here as well, running 47 times for 247 yards (5.3 ypc) and three scores.

Finally, on runs to the outside of the tight end, the Vikings once again churned out yardage. Behind exceptional right tackle Brian O’Neill, Minnesota ran 54 times for 281 yards (5.2 ypc) and three touchdowns. Cook forced 13 missed tackles running this way, the most of any direction he ran.

Once again, this paled in comparison to Tennessee. Somehow they ran 75 times for 571 yards (7.1 ypc) and nine touchdowns. Cleveland had a more modest total running to the right end, rushing 68 times for 276 yards (4.1 ypc) and four touchdowns.

The Bag of Tricks

One thing that fans hope to see more of now that Klint Kubiak has taken over the offensive coordinator job is for more creativity. This can be in the form of motions, jet sweeps, and end-arounds in the run game. In 2020, the Vikings only ran five of these plays. Two jet sweeps went for a combined 17 yards and three end-arounds resulted in 13 yards. In all, the team only picked up one first down out of these plays.

Tennessee actually ran fewer such plays, running three jet sweeps (with one resulting in a touchdown) resulting in one touchdown. They rely on perhaps an even more conservative approach than the Vikings. Cleveland ran seven of these plays but scored two touchdowns with them. These also extended into the passing game as they used end-arounds and other trick plays to get passes from the likes of Jarvis Landry.

With teams searching for ways to stop the likes of Cook and Justin Jefferson, the Vikings would be wise to get creative in their approach to get these playmakers the football. Other times, they could catch teams off guard by using rookies Ihmir Smith-Marsette and Kene Nwangwu on jet sweeps while all eyes are on the top playmakers.

What This Means for 2021

Like the passing game, the Vikings have an explosive-yet-flawed running game heading into 2021. Dalvin Cook is a special back, and improving on runs off-tackle to the left and off-guard to the right can make for an even more complete rushing attack moving forward. Implementing jet sweeps and end-arounds can help the entire offense as well, and hopefully the youthful Klint Kubiak can embrace this aspect of the game more than his dad. The Vikings will go as far as their running game takes them. It’s time that they search every avenue to ensure that happens every week.

This press release was produced by the PurplePTSD. The views expressed here are the author’s own.