3 Big Changes Vikings Must Make in 2023 Offseason After Playoff Loss (2024)

The Minnesota Vikings' promising 2022 campaign came crashing down on Sunday.

The Vikings, who went 11-0 in one-score games during the regular season, lost a one-score game at the most inopportune time.

Minnesota was sent home by the sixth-seeded New York Giants, and it faces a lot of tough decisions in the looming offseason.

The good news is that Minnesota doesn't have to weigh a head coaching change. In going 13-4 during the regular season, the Vikings likely overachieved under first-year head coach Kevin O'Connell. This was a team that went just 8-9 the previous season.

However, change will have to come if the Vikings hope to be legitimate Super Bowl contenders and not just kings of the NFC North.

Here, we'll examine three big changes they must make following Sunday's 31-24 loss in the Wild Card Round.

It's never easy to part with a longtime fan favorite, but moving on from linebacker Eric Kendricks is something Minnesota must at least consider this offseason.

Kendricks, who will turn 31 next month, was by no means awful in 2022. He started every game and finished with an impressive 137 tackles. However, he wasn't great, either, allowing a 100.3 opposing passer rating in coverage and being credited with 12 missed tackles.

More importantly, he is set to carry a cap hit of $11.4 million in 2023. The Vikings are projected to be $8 million over the cap and could save $9.5 million by cutting or trading the final year of his contract.

The UCLA product has long served as one of Minnesota's defensive centerpieces, but he's not the All-Pro talent he was a few years ago (2019). He'll be a free agent after next season anyway, and the Vikings need to find some financial wiggle room with which to navigate free agency.

Minnesota desperately needs to overhaul its defense, and it won't be able to do that through the draft alone. Again, this would be a tough change to make, but parting with Kendricks and adding fresh talent to the defense is the right move for Minnesota.

Let's not sugarcoat things: The Vikings are out of the playoffs because their defense wasn't good enough to advance.

Minnesota finished the regular season ranked 31st in yards allowed and 28th in points allowed. Its defense appeared lost against Daniel Jones and the Giants on Sunday.

The New York quarterback finished with 301 passing yards, 78 rushing yards and two touchdowns. The fact that Minnesota seemed ill-prepared to contain his dual-threat ability falls squarely on defensive coordinator Ed Donatell.

Now, Donatell cannot be blamed for all of Minnesota's defensive deficiencies this season. The defense is too old at some positions and not deep enough at others. However, he can be blamed for fielding a predictable and bland defense that was frequently too easy to game-plan against.

O'Connell tried to give the 65-year-old some support following Sunday's loss.

"I think Ed tried to do the best he could this year across the board, installing the defense and the scheme that we manifested together and hoped that it would come to life," the head coach told reporters.

However, Donatell's was not good enough. The Vikings need an influx of talent, but they could also use a more varied and aggressive scheme. That likely requires replacing the DC—perhaps with a coach like Pittsburgh Steelers assistant Brian Flores, who has already been interviewed for the Cleveland Browns' DC role.

Minnesota is good enough offensively to win a Super Bowl. However, its defense is anything but championship-caliber, and changes should start at the top.

While the Vikings have the offensive talent to challenge for a Super Bowl, they should implement a change in philosophy next season. Minnesota's desire to be a pass-first offense did nothing to protect its lackluster defense. Using a more methodical, run-heavy approach could help mask some of the defensive issues.

Yes, the team's propensity to engage in shootouts played a role in the offensive imbalance. However, with backs like Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison on the roster, there should have been at least some semblance of symmetry.

Instead, the Vikings ranked third in pass attempts and 28th in rushing attempts during the regular season. This created a time-of-possession problem that further exposed their defensive shortcomings.

Minnesota's drives averaged 5.8 plays, 2:34 of game clock and 2.04 points. The opposition averaged 6.1 plays, 2:45 of game clock and 2.09 points. Despite winning 12 games, the Vikings allowed three more points than they scored in the regular season.

In Sunday's game, the Giants held the ball for 7:12 more than Minnesota did.

With Kirk Cousins, Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, K.J. Osborn and T.J. Hockenson in the lineup, it will remain tempting to lean on the pass. However, if the Vikings focus on slowing things down a bit and keeping their defense off the field, they'll be better equipped to make a deeper run in 2023.