The Vikings have spent the early stretch of training camp sending a clear signal: the run game is supposed to matter again.
Kevin O’Connell has made sure of that. He brought it up on his own in an interview with Dan Patrick last month, and this week’s work has reflected a more physical tone up front under new offensive line coach Keith Carter. Add in Frank Smith, who arrived as assistant head coach after four years as the Miami Dolphins’ offensive coordinator, and O’Connell believes the staff additions can breathe life into a ground game that has too often felt like an afterthought.
“He’s got a great understanding of what it’s supposed to look like, but most importantly what it’s supposed to feel like,” O’Connell said of Carter during an interview with KFXN’s Dan Barreiro on Monday.
“... So that’s the starting point.
I would look at Keith as really the engine behind that element. And then Frank Smith, as a guy I wanted to bring in, working four years for a good friend of mine in Mike McDaniel.
I really value Frank’s ability to come in here and after four years.
"Sometimes you need somebody to pop the hood and just take an overall assessment and then apply some of the things that they’ve acquired in a totally different time and space that they can then come in here … and really think tank the best way to get back to the true nature of what I believe efficient football is, which is running the football at a level that you can then impact some decision making out of the defense.”
That sounds like a blueprint. But the catch is obvious: the staff can only do so much if O’Connell doesn’t fully commit to using the run game differently.
For most of his time in Minnesota, he hasn’t leaned on it much. The Vikings’ rushing attack ranked no better than 24th in yards per attempt in O’Connell’s first three seasons as head coach before improving to 11th at 4.5 yards per carry last year.
The volume tells a similar story. Minnesota finished 28th in rushing attempts in each of O’Connell’s first two seasons, jumped to 14th in 2024 when the offense often played with a lead, then slid back to 27th last season.
Even then, there was a late push: the Vikings averaged 28.4 rushing attempts over their final five games, up from 21.5 in the first 12.
That shift came after J.J. McCarthy struggled, which pushed O’Connell to simplify the offense over the final stretch. Minnesota won all five of those games, though, and that may have reinforced the idea that more balance could help unlock the offense.
There are reasons to think the pieces fit better now. Smith helped design a Dolphins scheme that saw De’Von Achane lead the NFL with 5.7 yards per attempt last season.
Carter brings the promise of a tougher, more physical front. And more outside zone could create more explosive runs while helping Minnesota finish plays instead of just surviving them.
That matters because the run game isn’t only about the run game. It feeds play-action, and the Vikings have already lived there plenty under O’Connell. During his tenure, each starting quarterback has ranked no lower than 13th in play-action dropbacks, according to Pro Football Focus.
Still, the bigger question remains the same one that has hovered over this offense for years: will O’Connell actually lean into it?
The Vikings have tried plenty of fixes. Dalvin Cook was released after the 2022 season in part because the big gains came with too many dead runs.
Josh Oliver arrived in 2023 as a blocking tight end. DeWayne McBride and Ty Chandler came in and didn’t become the answers.
Even with Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason added in previous years, the ground game never truly took off.
That history may explain some of the hesitation. But it also makes the next step simple for Minnesota: keep trying, and keep giving the run game real weight instead of drifting back to a Justin-Jefferson’s-down-there-somewhere approach.
If the Vikings can finally run it efficiently, the rest of the offense should benefit. If not, all the new voices, fresh ideas and physical messaging in the building may end up meaning very little.
In Other News...
Kevin O'Connell Just Added New Tension To The J.J. McCarthy Debate
Kevin OConnell spent part of his latest public turn trying to steer the conversation back to the bigger picture around the Vikings quarterback plan after Kirk Cousins left, but the timing only added more intrigue to the J.J. McCarthy discussion. Cris Carter had already thrown gasoline on the fire by saying former general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah wanted McCarthy in 2024, and OConnells comments on local radio did little to quiet the matter around how the rookie wound up becoming the choice for Minnesota.
The Vikings were in the market for a young quarterback and came away with McCarthy after another target never materialized, which is why this debate still hangs around the organization. OConnell framed the situation in terms of the teams overall search, but the silence around Carters specific claim leaves room for the kind of lingering tension that tends to follow a franchise quarterback decision, especially when the coach and front office are being measured against each other. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Suddenly Have Options That Could Spark A Big Roster Debate
The Vikings suddenly find themselves with some real flexibility after the release of Jonathan Allen and the extension of Brian ONeill opened up more than $21 million in salary cap space. That kind of room changes the conversation in a hurry for a team that has been watching the trade deadline come into focus, especially with general manager Nolan Teasley saying the front office is actively looking for ways to improve the roster.
Edge-rush depth remains one obvious area to monitor, but the possibilities do not stop there. There is also the chance of a reunion with safety Harrison Smith, while the club could choose to keep more cap space available in case a larger trade materializes. However Minnesota chooses to use that flexibility, the next move could spark a meaningful roster debate inside the building. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Camp Standouts Are Turning Up The Heat On This Roster Race
The Vikings have only just opened padded practices at training camp, but the early buzz is already centering on players trying to force their way into the conversation. Nick Pace Jr. has been active on defense, Taivon Felton has flashed better route running and cleaner hands, and rookie cornerback Chuck Demmings has caught attention with the kind of physical, confident coverage coaches tend to notice quickly.
For a roster with jobs still up for grabs, that kind of start matters because these are the kinds of reps that can reshape a depth chart before preseason games even begin. Feltons growth as a receiver and Demmings poise in coverage are giving the Vikings more to evaluate on both sides of the ball, and the early camp standsouts are making this one of the more interesting battles to watch as the roster race tightens. [Read more 🡒]