DAILY CLIPS

THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 2019 LOCAL NEWS: Thursday, January 10, 2019

Star Tribune

Kevin Stefanski will stay with Vikings as By Ben Goessling http://www.startribune.com/kevin-stefanski-will-stay-with-vikings-as-offensive-coordinator/504109912/

2018 Vikings grades, D-line: Danielle Hunter's name among the NFL's best By Andrew Krammer http://www.startribune.com/2018-vikings-grades-d-line-danielle-hunters-name-among-the-nfls- best/504100602/

In the NFL you get hired if you know offense — or Sean McVay By Mark Craig http://www.startribune.com/in-the-nfl-you-get-hired-if-you-know-offense-or-sean-mcvay/504141172/

A closer look at Vikings offensive coordinator By Star Tribune Staff http://www.startribune.com/a-closer-look-at-vikings-offensive-coordinator-kevin-stefanski/504146092/

Ex-Vikings coach quits job in new football league By Chris Miller http://www.startribune.com/ex-vikings-coach-brad-childress-quits-job-in-new-football-league/504106152/

Pioneer Press

Vikings get permission from Packers to interview for O-line job By Chris Tomasson https://www.twincities.com/2019/01/10/vikings-get-permission-from-packers-to-interview-joe-philbin-for-o- line-job/

Kevin Stefanski returning as Vikings’ offensive coordinator By Chris Tomasson https://www.twincities.com/2019/01/09/kevin-stefanski-returning-as-vikings-offensive-coordinator/

Ex-Vikings boss Brad Childress steps down as coach in new spring league By Chris Tomasson https://www.twincities.com/2019/01/09/mn-minnesota-vikings-brad-childress-coach-spring-league-steps- down/

Vikings.com

10 Vikings Defensive Numbers of Note from 2018: Sacks Rate Led NFL By Lindsey Young https://www.vikings.com/news/10-vikings-defensive-numbers-of-note-from-2018-sacks-rate-led-nfl

Lunchbreak: Krammer Grades Hunter, Richardson Highest Among Vikings D-Line By Lindsey Young https://www.vikings.com/news/lunchbreak-krammer-grades-hunter-richardson-highest-among-vikings-d-line

2018 Vikings Position Recap: Receivers By Craig Peters https://www.vikings.com/news/2018-vikings-position-recap-receivers

Adam Zimmer Excited for Opportunity to be at Shrine Game By Eric Smith https://www.vikings.com/news/adam-zimmer-excited-for-opportunity-to-be-head-coach-at-shrine-game

Zimmer Cites Work Ethic, Teaching Ability as Kevin Stefanski's Strengths By Eric Smith https://www.vikings.com/news/kevin-stefanksi-offensive-coordinator-minnesota-vikings

Vikings Players React to Kevin Stefanski’s Hire as Offensive Coordinator By Craig Peters and Vikings PR https://www.vikings.com/news/vikings-players-react-to-kevin-stefanski-s-hire-as-offensive-coordinator

VIKING Update

Next step: Ranking offensive line coaching candidates By Tim Yotter https://247sports.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/Article/Next-step-for-Minnesota-Vikings-Ranking-offensive-line- coaching-candidates-127599156/

Harris proved his worth as starter in contract year By Tim Yotter https://247sports.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/Article/Anthony-Harris-proved-his-worth-as-starter-in-contract- year-127589315/

2018’s misery provides hope with young players who emerged By John Holler https://247sports.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/Article/Vikings-2018-misery-provides-hope-with-young-players- who-emerged-127319319/

1500 ESPN

Brad Childress resigns from head coaching job in new league By Judd Zulgad http://www.1500espn.com/news/2019/01/brad-childress-resigns-head-coaching-job-new-league/

Kevin Stefanski to remain as Vikings’ offensive coordinator By Judd Zulgad http://www.1500espn.com/news/2019/01/report-kevin-stefanski-remain-vikings-offensive-coordinator/

The Athletic

After a long road, Kevin Stefanski to return as Vikings’ offensive coordinator By Chad Graff https://theathletic.com/758252/2019/01/09/kevin-stefanski-to-return-as-vikings-offensive-coordinator/

NATIONAL NEWS: Thursday, January 10, 2019

ESPN

Kevin Stefanski returning to Vikings as offensive coordinator By Courtney Cronin http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/25721603/kevin-stefanski-returned-minnesota-vikings-offensive- coordinator

NFL.com

Kevin Stefanski returning as OC By Kevin Patra http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001009202/article/kevin-stefanski-returning-as-minnesota-vikings-oc

PUBLICATION: Star Tribune DATE: 1/10/19 Kevin Stefanski will stay with Vikings as offensive coordinator

By Ben Goessling

A day after flying to Cleveland for a second interview with the Browns for their head coaching position, Kevin Stefanski returned to Minnesota to accept the job he missed out on a year ago.

Stefanski will be the Vikings’ permanent offensive coordinator in 2019, the team announced, after the Browns chose offensive coordinator as their next head coach. Vikings coach , sources said, had offered the permanent job to Stefanski last week, before his contract expired Tuesday, and Stefanski was waiting to see how things played out between him and the Browns before accepting.

Stefanski, 36, was the interim offensive coordinator for the final three games of the season, after the team fired John DeFilippo on Dec. 11. He has been with the Vikings since 2006 and is the longest-tenured assistant coach on the team’s staff. He first interviewed for the Vikings’ coordinator position last year, and was thought to be the favorite until the team hired DeFilippo.

After doing so, the Vikings blocked Stefanski from joining in New York and becoming the Giants’ offensive coordinator, keeping him as their coach before promoting him in the wake of DeFilippo’s dismissal.

The Vikings ran for 220 yards in a 41-17 victory over the Dolphins in Stefanski’s first game as a play-caller, but got off to slow starts in a 27-9 Dec. 23 victory in Detroit and a 24-10 Dec. 30 loss to the Bears that cost them a playoff spot. In his postseason news conference Jan. 3, Zimmer praised the job Stefanski had done in DeFilippo’s stead.

“I thought he did a good job for the three weeks that we were in a tough situation that we had to do,” Zimmer said. “It’s fair to the organization, to myself, to the fans, that we look at everybody.”

Vikings players spoke highly of Stefanski and the work he’d done to simplify the team’s offense in the final weeks of the season. Now that Stefanski permanently has the job, it bears watching how he shapes the offense, in light of the mandate from Zimmer to run the ball more frequently that ultimately exposed the philosophical rift between him and DeFilippo.

He will also be tasked with overseeing the Vikings’ ongoing efforts to rework an offensive line that made things difficult for them on offense once again in 2018. And Stefanski will return for a second year with , whose relationship with the former quarterbacks coach was thought to be one of the reasons Stefanski would stay on in 2019.

Cousins was on the North team at the 2012 , when former Vikings coach led the group. Stefanski, then an assistant QB coach with the Vikings, made an early impression on Cousins as he was coming out of Michigan State.

“I don’t know what the personality trait is, but when you carry yourself well and relate well to players, that’s a very valuable trait in a coach — and not every coach has that trait,” Cousins said in a news release. “I first met Kevin and saw that he had that trait back at the Senior Bowl in 2012, and ever since then I’ve really followed his path and really felt that he’d be a coach I’d enjoy working with because of the experience I had at the Senior Bowl. I always felt like he was an up-and-coming coach in the league. I’m sure, I know that his interview with Cleveland went as far as it did for good reason, and I think that he’ll have other opportunities like that in the future, especially if we as an offense are able to do the job we’re expecting to do this next fall.”

Stefanski, who first came to Minnesota as a student of Brad Childress, impressed the Browns enough in his first interview last week to return as one of their finalists for the head coaching job early this week. With Stefanski moving up to the offensive coordinator job, assistant QB coach could be promoted to the permanent role, though tight ends coach also worked closely with Cousins in the final weeks of the season after Stefanski took over play-calling duties.

The Vikings will make Stefanski available at a Friday news conference. They released statements from several players.

“He’s not a big rah-rah guy, he just wants us to have fun and play at a high level, and he knows we can,” running back Dalvin Cook said.

Said wideout Stefon Diggs: “Buying in won’t be hard because we’ve seen him do it. … He’s not scared of anything and believes we can do anything.”

The status of special teams coordinator , whose contract expired Tuesday, remained unknown. PUBLICATION: Star Tribune DATE: 1/10/19 2018 Vikings grades, D-line: Danielle Hunter's name among the NFL's best

By Andrew Krammer

Welcome to the first of our 2018 Vikings grades. We’ll start with the defensive line, which accounted for 34.5 of the Vikings’ 50 sacks this season (third in the NFL). The blue-chip defensive line was also a driving force for the NFL’s best touchdown-to-field goal ratio (0.85), according to Football Outsiders, fronting goal-line stands against San Francisco and Detroit.

Grades are based on a 1-to-5 scale, with '5' marking excellence, '4' for above-average, '3' for average, '2' for below-average and '1' for failure to perform. Players that did not accrue a season (weren't on the active roster for at least six weeks) or played in three games or fewer are not graded. Below are individual grades, based on game and practice observations, weekly film reviews and interviews with coaches, for 13 defensive linemen who finished the season on the Vikings' active roster, injured reserve or practice squad. Unofficial NFL stats, such as QB pressures, missed tackles and targeted passes, are compiled by ProFootballFocus.com.

DE Danielle Hunter (4.5) — Immediately rewarded the Vikings’ trust with a career-best season after signing a five-year, $72 million contract extension in June. Hunter, 24, would’ve banked even more in free agency this spring had he not signed the contract. But the former third-round pick has expressed gratitude to the Vikings coaching staff for seeing his talent and helping mold him into a future perennial all-star pick, hence his willingness to sign the contract. Led the Vikings defensive line with 877 snaps [84.4%]. Earned his first bid and was named second- team All-Pro. Finished with a career-high 14.5 sacks, earning a $500,000 escalator to next year’s salary for eclipsing 13 sacks. He missed another half million by a 1/2 sack. One of the NFL’s most complete edge rushers, Hunter was just one of four to rank top 10 in both total quarterback pressures (67 sacks/hits/hurries, 7th) and run stops (26 stops, 7th). Only J.J. Watt, Cam Jordan and Trey Flowers did the same this season. Hunter’s 21 tackles for losses ranked second in the NFL behind L.A.’s Aaron Donald. Returned a fumble 32 yards for a touchdown and earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors for his 3.5 sacks in the Week 9 win against the Lions. Should be a NFL Defensive Player of the Year candidate if not for Donald’s historically great season. One of five Vikings to play over 1,000 snaps, including his 146 on special teams to lead all Vikings starters. Flagged once for defensive holding. Missed six tackles.

Read here about Danielle Hunter’s path to NFL stardom.

DT Sheldon Richardson (4.0) — Also didn’t conjure up any buyer’s remorse for the Vikings after signing a one-year, $8 million deal in free agency. Richardson said he hadn’t heard from the Vikings about an extension through the season, but he’s likely to get an offer before free agency opens March 13. Played 718 snaps [69.1%], second on the defensive line. Didn’t quite return to his disruptive peak of the 2014 and 2015 seasons in New York, but Richardson was reliably disruptive if short of spectacular. He’s a premiere athlete with relentless effort, evident when he chased down a screen while up 20 points in New York. Sprinted out of the gate with a gem in Week 1, forcing a season-high seven pressures (sack, three hits and three hurries) against San Francisco’s Jimmy Garoppolo and a $20,054 fine for his roughing penalty. Spearheaded the final play of a goal-line stand, forcing initial hit that led to Alfred Morris’ fumble at the 1-yard line. Had another strong pass rushing game in Week 2 at Green Bay, but didn’t have a sack again until Week 9 against the Lions. His 4.5 sacks were his most in three seasons. Fell 1.5 sacks short of a $666,667 incentive. Turned 28 in November. Played through hip and shoulder injuries. Penalized four times, including two roughing calls. Missed four tackles. Below, Richardson’s speed off the ball interrupts this stretch run by the Bears, splitting the center and guard to stall Tarik Cohen.

Richardson talks his recovery from a ‘self-inflicted’ downfall.

NT Linval Joseph (3.5) — Played 669 snaps [64.4%]. Showed off the jets when he snagged a Carson Wentz fumble and ran 64 yards for a touchdown in Philadelphia. Remains an upper- echelon run stopper with power and results in 23 run stops (14th) this season, down from 31 last year. He wasn’t as disruptive as a pass rusher whether by design to free others or by turning 30 years old in October. Forced 18 QB pressures with one sack, down from 30 pressures the previous season. Missed his first game since 2015, against the Jets, due to a knee injury. Played through an ankle injury. Penalized four times, including three terribly timed: a third-down lowering of the helmet to revive Buffalo’s opening scoring drive, an illegal hands to the face on fourth down in Seattle and the same in the red zone vs. Detroit. Joseph turned around and led the goal-line stand with an assist on a run stop, leading to two failed Lions pass plays and a field goal in the Week 9 win. The Vikings’ run defense, with Joseph as its anchor, stumbled in stretches, allowing 148 rushing yards or more in four of the last six games. Even when Joseph had four run stops in Seattle, the Seahawks had 214 rushing yards. Joseph missed a tackle on that led to a 10-yard scramble in that game. Missed three tackles all season. Salary rises to $8.9 million next season, when he’ll turn 31, with none guaranteed.

DE Everson Griffen (3.0) — For the first time in 125 NFL games, Griffen had his first multi-game absence. This was to medically address his mental health after police were called to a downtown hotel with allegations he threatened employees. Griffen was not arrested, but that and other incidents on Sept. 22 led to a five-week absence from the team. He returned Week 8 against the Saints and was quickly returned his role as a full-time starter. Played 584 snaps [56.2%]. Regained some ground, but didn’t have the same elite burst against the run or pass. Opponents had some success running to Griffen’s edge, which was new. Had 5.5 sacks, his lowest since becoming a starter. Forced 28 QB pressures, down from 61 last season. Penalized four times. Missed four tackles. Could be a target for a contract restructure or cut as Griffen’s $10.9 million salary is not guaranteed next season. Turned 31 years old last month.

DE Stephen Weatherly (3.0) —The former seventh-round pick made an impressive leap in his third NFL season. Started six games in Griffen’s absence and had 15 QB pressures, including two sacks and two hits, in that span. Looked to have more speed rushing the edge, perhaps due to his comfort in the system and NFL. Played 523 snaps [50.3%], earning the primary backup job. Hit Carson Wentz in Week 5, causing that led to Joseph’s touchdown run. Grew into a stout run defender, using his hands to win early, shed blocks and find the ball. Had 10 run stops in six starts. Started pass rushing from defensive tackle on third downs at the end of the season. Penalized three times, including a third-down roughing on Mitchell Trubisky to revive a Bears touchdown drive in the Week 17 loss. Second on D-line with 7.5 tackles for losses. But he missed six tackles. Entering a contract year in 2019 and is eligible for an extension this summer. Turns 25 in March.

DT Tom Johnson (2.5) — Re-signed with the Vikings before Week 3 after the Seahawks released him in a cost-cutting move following only one game. Played 342 snaps [32.9%], almost exclusively as a pass rusher. Still had some slippery moves at age 34 with his most sacks (4.5) in three years. Had a monster game in the Week 9 win against the Lions with 2.5 sacks and two stops. Penalized once. Pending free agent. Could be unlikely to return given his age and Vikings’ need to develop younger interior options.

DT Jaleel Johnson (2.0) — Earned a role in the rotation after he was forced to redshirt in 2017 due to his low weight. Played 261 snaps [25.1%]. Forced a fumble when he and Xavier Rhodes sandwiched Tarik Cohen during the Week 11 loss in Chicago. Played mostly as Joseph’s backup at nose tackle and showed plenty of room for growth. Had just three run stops. Had 13 combined tackles and did not miss one. Coaches noted better consistency, and less recklessness, as the season progressed. Penalized once.

DL Jalyn Holmes (N/A) — Drafted in the fourth round (102nd overall) out of Ohio State, Holmes wasn’t active until Griffen and Bower were gone by Week 5. Played sparingly in three straight games, netting a sack in New York. Coaches envisioned Holmes as a defensive tackle, where he worked all summer, but he moved back to defensive end due to depth problems. Played 58 snaps [5.6%].

DE Tashawn Bower (N/A) — Bower’s second NFL season started with opportunity, but ended on the inactives list. Played 53 snaps [5.1%], including 22 against the Bills in Week 3. Bower suffered an ankle injury the following week against the Rams. He was active just two weeks the rest of the season.

DE Ade Aruna (N/A) — Drafted in the sixth round (218th overall) out of Tulane, Aruna tore his ACL in a preseason game against the Jaguars. He’ll turn 25 in April with a lot of ground to cover.

DL Ifeadi Odenigbo (N/A) — Returned to the Vikings practice squad Oct. 30 after the former draft pick was waived by the Browns. Played both defensive tackle and defensive end, impressing in the preseason at end, before he was cut by the Vikings. One of 10 practice squad players to sign a futures contract on Jan. 2.

DE Hercules Mata’afa (N/A) — Signed as an undrafted free agent out of Washington State. Mata’afa tried his hand at linebacker last spring, but moved back to defensive end. Tore his ACL during a June practice, ending his rookie season before it really started.

DT Curtis Cothran (N/A) — Signed as an undrafted free agent for $25,000 guaranteed out of Penn State. Rejoined the practice squad Oct. 27 after he was waived days earlier to make room for tackle depth. One of 10 practice squad players to sign a futures contract on Jan. 2. PUBLICATION: Star Tribune DATE: 1/10/19

In the NFL you get hired if you know offense — or Sean McVay

By Mark Craig

The NFL’s coaching landscape is changing so quickly that 32-year-old sapling Sean McVay now has a and a genius decree from a division foe.

Not bad for a young fella looking for his first playoff victory when the Rams play host to the Cowboys on Saturday night.

Three of the league’s eight head coaching vacancies were filled Tuesday. The first two announced were 39- year-old offensive whizzes Matt LaFleur to Green Bay and to Arizona.

At that point, 16 NFL head coaches had been hired since 2017. Their average age was 41. Eleven of them (68.8 percent) had offensive backgrounds.

Compare that to 2014-15, when 13 teams changed coaches, including the Vikings, who hired Mike Zimmer, the then-57-year-old longtime defensive coordinator. Their average age was 50. Only five of them (38.5 percent) had offensive backgrounds.

Tampa Bay was the third team to announce a coaching hire Tuesday. The Bucs continued the stampede toward offensive sages but bucked the young buck trend by luring 66-year-old out of a one- year retirement.

In LaFleur, the McVay coaching tree has dropped an intriguing young seed in Zimmer’s backyard. Like 40- year-old first-year Bears coach , who wrestled the division title away from Zimmer this season, LaFleur is young, well-schooled in new-school offensive gumption and essentially the embodiment of the new NFL coaching prototype.

LaFleur didn’t call plays until this season. The Titans missed the playoffs and finished 25th in total offense (312.4) and 27th in scoring (19.4).

But LaFleur was McVay’s offensive coordinator with the Rams in 2017 and Atlanta’s quarterbacks coach under then-Falcons offensive coordinator in 2016.

And in today’s NFL, those are two really big buts.

In 2017, the Rams went from a league-low 14 points per game the year before to a league-high 29.9. Jared Goff went from 0-7 bust to 11-5 and a 100.5 passer rating.

In 2016, the Falcons scored a league-high 33.8 points per game while quarterback Matt Ryan won NFL MVP. That got Shanahan fast-tracked to 49ers head coach at age 37 and LaFleur promoted in L.A.

Will some NFL teams overreach and fail as they charge forward in their steadfast belief that they’ve identified the next McVay?

Of course.

Anytime a trend develops in this copycat league, not all the cats are capable of copying correctly. Someone always hires a while looking for the next Jimmy Johnson. Or a (fill in your favorite failed disciple) while looking for the next Belichick.

Some teams choose odd paths with nothing more than a guess that they’re outsmarting the league and not themselves.

Speaking of Kingsbury …

Poor Kliff got fired as Texas Tech coach in November. In early December, he obviously had no clue multiple NFL teams would be interested in him, so he took the offensive coordinator job at USC.

Kliff went 35-40 at Texas Tech. He had no NFL ties other than throwing two passes in a three-year career over a decade ago.

But he’s young and has an offensive mind and a résumé that says he once coached Patrick Mahomes.

And he also has this line from a Cardinals news release that pulled out all the stops in justifying the hire: “Kingsbury is friends with Rams coach Sean McVay — the 32-year-old offensive genius who has become the blueprint of many of the new coaching hires around the NFL …”

Of course, they never actually coached together.

Meanwhile, the Packers believe they’ve found the offensive breath of fresh schematics to squeeze a second from the twilight of ’ career.

Of course, the first step is reclaiming the NFC North. Nagy won a division title in his first try, Zimmer has won two of the past four and Matt Patricia went 6-10 in his first year in Detroit.

Whatever happens, it should be fun to watch. Four diverse minds hailing from the coaching trees of 77-

year-old (Zimmer), 66-year-old Bill Belichick (Patricia), 60-year-old (Nagy) and, of

course, 32-year-old genius Sean McVay. PUBLICATION: Star Tribune DATE: 1/10/19

A closer look at Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski

By Star Tribune Staff

Position: Vikings offensive coordinator

Age, family: 38. Father Ed is an NBA executive now working with Detroit. Wife Michelle, three children.

College: Penn. football team captain in 2004, twice All-Ivy League honorable mention as defensive back.

With Vikings: Administrative assistant to Brad Childress, 2006-08; assistant quarterbacks coach, 2009-13; tight ends coach 2014-15; running backs coach 2016; quarterbacks coach 2017-18; interim offensive coordinator, last three games of 2018. PUBLICATION: Star Tribune DATE: 1/10/19

Ex-Vikings coach Brad Childress quits job in new football league

By Chris Miller

The brand new Alliance of League's made a bit of a splash when they hired former Vikings coach Brad Childress, but Childress quit Wednesday before the season started.

There was no explanation for the departure. Childress is 62 and, after coaching the Vikings, worked as with his buddy Andy Reid in Kansas City after a short stint as Cleveland's offensive coordinator.

Initially, there was speculation that Childress might return to the NFL. Vikings interim offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski was interviewing for the Browns head coach job, and he has a close relationship with Childress. The Browns, however, hired Freddie Kitchens on Wednesday and Stefanski returned to the Vikings.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported defensive coordinator , a longtime NFL assistant, would take over in Atlanta, where the team is starting its season on Feb. 9. PUBLICATION: Pioneer Press DATE: 1/10/19

Vikings get permission from Packers to interview Joe Philbin for O- line job

By Chris Tomasson

The Vikings have been granted permission by Green Bay to interview Joe Philbin for their offensive line job, BobMcGinnFootball.com reported Wednesday.

Following the firing of Mike McCarthy, Philbin was interim head coach for the final four games of the season after having served as the Packers’ offensive coordinator. Green Bay this week hired Tennessee offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur to replace McCarthy.

Philbin, 57, went 2-2 in his Packers stint. He also was head coach of the from 2012-15, going 24-28.

The Vikings are seeking a permanent replacement for offensive line coach , who died of heart disease last July. Following Sparano’s death, Mike Zimmer made and co- offensive line coaches. Barone had been tight ends coach and Janocko assistant offensive line coach.

Since becoming an NFL assistant in 2003, Philbin has had stints as an offensive line coach with the Packers in the past decade and with Indianapolis from 2016-17. He has spent 10 of 16 NFL seasons with Green Bay.

PUBLICATION: Pioneer Press DATE: 1/10/19

Kevin Stefanski returning as Vikings’ offensive coordinator

By Chris Tomasson

Kevin Stefanski didn’t land a head coaching job Wednesday, but he got a full-time coordinator gig.

After Stefanski lost out to Freddie Kitchens in his bid to become the ’ coach, the Vikings announced he would return as offensive coordinator. After John DeFilippo was fired Dec. 11, Stefanski was promoted on an interim basis from quarterbacks coach for the final three games of the season.

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said last week he wanted to have a final decision made on Stefanski by the time his contract expired Tuesday. The process was delayed after Stefanski was brought to Cleveland on Tuesday for a second interview as one of two finalists.

After the Browns decided Wednesday to promote Freddie Kitchens from interim offensive coordinator to head coach, Stefanski finalized a deal to remain with the Vikings. He is the longest-tenured assistant on the staff, and will enter his 14th season in 2019.

“Kevin is a smart young coach with a bright future,” Zimmer said in a statement. “His work ethic and teaching ability have been obvious to me behind the scenes since I came here five years ago. He’s well respected by coaches and players both, and I know he’s up to the task.”

Retaining Stefanski provides continuity for Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins, who signed a three-year, $84 million contract last March. He worked with Stefanski closely when the new coordinator was quarterbacks coach.

“I was thrilled to hear that he’d be back,” Cousins said in a statement. “We feel like the continuity is very important, not only for me at the quarterback position but for our entire offense. … Kevin’s proven over many years in the Vikings facility that he’s a great coach, a great leader, carries himself well and is the right person to lead our offense.”

Cousins passed for 4,298 yards and a career-high 30 touchdowns in 2018 but was up and down during a season in which the Vikings went 8-7-1 and surprisingly did not make the playoffs. Cousins, 10th in the NFL with a passer rating of 99.7, threw 10 interceptions and lost seven fumbles.

“You made a commitment to Kirk Cousins over what is now two more years, and the only way he’s going to be the most effective he can be is to keep continuity in that offense,” said NFL analyst and former quarterback Joe Theismann. “And Mike evidently was encouraged enough in that evaluation process (of Stefanski).”

In three games with Stefanski calling the plays, the Vikings averaged 307.3 yards of total offense after averaging 354.4 in the first 13 under DeFilippo. However, that was not a big sample size for Stefanski, who was told by Zimmer to improve the ground game.

In Stefanski’s first game, the Vikings rolled up 418 yards, including a season-high 220 rushing, in a 41-17 victory over Miami. In the season finale, against the NFL’s top-ranked defense, they had a season-low 164 yards of total offense in a 20-10 loss to Chicago that kept them out of the playoffs.

Theismann, who won a Super Bowl with Washington in January 1983, became close with Cousins when he played for the Redskins from 2012-17. He expects the quarterback to be more consistent because of time already spent with Stefanski.

“He’ll have a feel for all those little nuances in the offense that you really don’t have a feel for the first year because you’re trying to figure out what’s going on,” Theismann said. “When you keep bringing in new coordinators, it’s like starting to read a book all over again.”

Stefanski is Zimmer’s fourth offensive coordinator since he became head coach in 2014. lasted 2 1/2 years before resigning midway through the 2016 season in frustration. Pat Shurmur took over for 1 1/2 years before taking the job as head coach in 2018. And DeFilippo was fired 13 games into his first season.

“It has happened back-to-back, and that’s part of the NFL,” Vikings running back Dalvin Cook said in a statement about two coordinator changes in his first two seasons. “To have (Stefanski) back, we’re just picking up where we left off at and getting even better. Having a whole offseason with him is going to be special.” PUBLICATION: Pioneer Press DATE: 1/10/19

Ex-Vikings boss Brad Childress steps down as coach in new spring league

By Chris Tomasson

A month before he was scheduled to coach his first game with the Atlanta Legends, Brad Childress has stepped down.

The Legends, who will begin play Feb. 9 in the new Alliance of America Football league, announced Wednesday that Childress had resigned, but no reason was given. Childress coached the Vikings from 2006-10.

Replacing Childress was Legends defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle, a longtime NFL assistant.

Childress did not return a message seeking comment. He told the Pioneer Press last month he was “excited” about his new job, and intrigued by the spring league’s plan to develop young players for the NFL.

Childress, 62, had a 39-35 record with the Vikings before he was fired midway through the 2010 season and replaced by Leslie Frazier. That was a year after leading them to the NFC Championship Game.

Childress served as a assistant from 2013-17 before deciding to retire. His retirement lasted about a week before he joined coach Matt Nagy, a former Chiefs offensive coordinator, as an offensive consultant. Three months later, he was named in April to coach the Legends. PUBLICATION: Vikings.com DATE: 1/10/19 10 Vikings Defensive Numbers of Note from 2018: Sacks Rate Led NFL

By Lindsey Young

EAGAN, Minn. – The Vikings defense got off to a rocky start but righted the ship and put up solid numbers once again in 2018.

The Vikings ranked fourth in total defense, limiting opponents to a total of 4,955 yards throughout the regular season (309.7 per game). They remained stout in some areas, including on third-down situations and in the red zone but fell off in a few areas from their impressive 2017 campaign – most notably in their performance against the run.

Minnesota weathered the partial-season losses of a number of key players, and its depth on defense was demonstrated.

Here’s a look at 10 numbers of note on the Vikings defense from 2018:

1 – The Vikings won just a single game when allowing their opponent to rush for more than 100 yards. The Dolphins racked up 156 yards but were limited to just 37 net passing yards in Minnesota’s Week 15 defeat of Miami. The Vikings were 7-0-1 when they kept opponents under 100 yards on the ground.

50 – The Vikings totaled 50 sacks during the 2018 season, which tied with the division-rival Bears for third in the NFL. Minnesota topped the league in sack percentage, taking down quarterbacks at a rate of 9.94 per 100 pass plays, improving from 6.67 percent (18th) in 2017, when it had 13 fewer quarterback takedowns.

30.5 – Minnesota allowed its opponents to convert just 30.5 percent of third-down attempts. The Vikings ranked No. 1 in the NFL on third-down percentage for the second consecutive season, following up an impressive 25.3 percent in 2017.

13 – The Vikings fell 13 spots from No. 2 to No. 15 in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game. After limiting its opponents to just 83.6 rushing yards per game last season, Minnesota allowed opponents to average 113.4 yards on the ground.

120 – Linebacker Eric Kendricks totaled 120 tackles (coaches’ tally) over 14 games played, leading the Vikings for the fourth consecutive season. Since being drafted by Minnesota in 2015, Kendricks has racked up 487 total tackles (coaches’ tally).

14.5 – Defensive end Danielle Hunter, who earned his first career Pro Bowl nod, recorded 14.5 sacks on the season, tying with Denver’s Von Miller for fourth in the NFL. Hunter’s 40 career sacks rank fifth overall since 2015 when he entered the league.

12 – The Vikings snagged 12 interceptions during the 2018 season, which tied for 18th in the league with Cincinnati, New Orleans, Seattle and Baltimore.

88 – Minnesota racked up 88 tackles for loss this season, which tied with Buffalo for third in the NFL. According to league stats, Hunter accounted for an incredible 21 of those (second-most in the NFL behind Aaron Donald’s 25). Harrison Smith was the Vikings next-closest with nine.

3 – The Vikings ranked No. 3 overall in passing yards allowed per game with 196.3, staying quite consistent after last season allowing 192.4 (second overall). Minnesota also ranked No. 3 in red zone percentage; its opponents were successful on just 44.9 percent of their trips inside the 20.

21.3 – The Vikings allowed opponents to average 21.3 points per game against them (ninth overall), dropping from their 2017 campaign when they topped the NFL with 15.8 points per game. PUBLICATION : Vikings.com DATE: 1/10/19

Lunchbreak: Krammer Grades Hunter, Richardson Highest Among Vikings D-Line

By Lindsey Young

While the Vikings didn’t meet their goals for the 2018 season, the defense – after an initial rough start – had another successful campaign.

Minnesota’s defensive line weathered the five-week loss of Everson Griffen, who stepped away from the team to deal with a personal matter, and saw the emergence of third-year defensive end Stephen Weatherly. Danielle Hunter took his game to another level, and the Vikings felt the addition of free agent 3-technique Sheldon Richardson on the interior.

Andrew Krammer of the Star Tribune recently took a look at the unit and gave out grades for each of the Vikings defensive lineman. He described his scale as 1-5 “with ‘5’ marking excellence, ‘4’ for above-average, ‘2’ for below-average and ‘1’ for failure to perform.” He also specified that players who weren’t on the active roster for at least six weeks or who played in three games or fewer were not graded.

Krammer graded Hunter the highest with a 4.5. He said that Hunter “immediately rewarded the Vikings trust” by turning in a career-best season after signing a contract extension in June. Krammer wrote:

One of the NFL’s most complete edge rushers, Hunter was just one of four to rank [in the] top 10 in both total quarterback pressures (67 sacks/hits/hurries, 7th) and run stops (26 stops, 7th). Only J.J. Watt, Cam Jordan and Trey Flowers did the same this season. Hunter’s 21 tackles for losses ranked second in the NFL behind L.A.’s Aaron Donald. Returned a fumble 32 yards for a touchdown and earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors for his 3.5 sacks in the Week 9 win against the Lions. Should be an NFL Defensive Player of the Year candidate if not for Donald’s historically great season. One of five Vikings to play over 1,000 snaps, including his 146 on special teams to lead all Vikings starters. Flagged once for defensive holding. Missed six tackles.

Just below Hunter, Krammer gave Richardson a 4.0 grade, saying he “also didn’t conjure up any buyer’s remorse” after inking a one-year deal in March.

Didn’t quite return to his disruptive peak of the 2014 and 2015 seasons in New York, but Richardson was reliably disruptive if short of spectacular. He’s a premiere athlete with relentless effort, evident when he chased down a screen while up 20 points in New York.

Coming in behind Richardson, Krammer evaluated Minnesota’s other main linemen with the following grades: Linval Joseph (3.5), Griffen (3.0), Weatherly (3.0), Tom Johnson (2.5) and Jaleel Johnson (2.0).

Due to his aforementioned grading parameters, Krammer did not assess Jalyn Holmes or Tashawn Bower.

ESPN’s Cronin opines how Vikings ‘move forward’ after disappointing season

Reflecting back on Minnesota’s 8-7-1 season, ESPN’s Courtney Cronin highlighted a few specific areas where “things veered off course” and then presented a way the Vikings can “move forward” for the 2019 season.

She pointed out the impact of losing offensive line coach Tony Sparano, who passed away unexpectedly on July 22, saying, “The run game was Sparano’s ‘baby.’ Without him, it faltered as the Vikings struggled to generate a consistent rushing attack with an offensive line that dealt with bumps and bruises all season.” Cronin wrote:

As Minnesota looks for its next offensive coordinator and potentially a new offensive line coach, Zimmer hopes to restore the "nasty" mentality his team had but seemed to lack in 2018. That edge is something players and coaches have long tied to Sparano’s influence that carried from the O-line room to the rest of the offense.

Other situations Cronin looked at were the Vikings struggles to play consistently on offense, Griffen’s focus on mental health; “internal strife” between Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer and John DeFilippo, who was relieved of his offensive coordinator duties after a tough loss at Seattle; and “kicking game woes” for Minnesota’s special teams.

Cronin opined that it’s “critical” for the Vikings bring back Dan Bailey, whom they signed in September after releasing rookie kicker Daniel Carlson.

Matt Birk to host ‘Do Good Comedy Show’ for charity

It’s been 10 years since Matt Birk lined up at center for the Vikings, but he’ll take center stage on Jan. 19 for a good cause.

Birk is set to host “Do Good Comedy Show,” an evening at Union 32 Craft House that will benefit the following nonprofits:

Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund

After the Impact Fund

Minnesota Vikings Foundation

The show’s lineup will include Birk, KFAN personality Paul Lambert (Meat Sauce), and comedians Pete Borchers and Tim Bedore.

Vikings Legends also are scheduled to attend, including Chuck Foreman, , Jim Kleinsasser, Chris Liwienski, and more.

Fans can purchase an individual ticket for $40 or, for $100, a VIP ticket that will include a tour of the Vikings Museum with a Vikings Legend, a football to be autographed, appetizer bar, one drink ticket and a Union 32 goodie bag. PUBLICATION : Vikings.com DATE: 1/10/19

2018 Vikings Position Recap: Receivers

By Craig Peters

EAGAN, Minn. — The conversation about Vikings receivers in 2018 will always center around a historic campaign by Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs.

The dynamic duo became the first set of Vikings to each record more than 100 receptions in a season and the first Vikings receivers to each post more than 1,000 yards since Hall of Famers Cris Carter and did so in 2000.

Thielen led the Vikings with 113 receptions, the third-most by a player in one season in team history. The total tied for third in the NFL in 2018 and trails only the 122 by Carter in 1994 and 1995 in the Minnesota record book.

Thielen finished with 1,373 receiving yards, which ranked sixth in the NFL, thanks in large part to nine games with 100-plus yards, which broke Moss’s franchise record of eight in one season. Thielen became the first player in NFL history to open a season with eight such games.

The streak tied an NFL record set by Calvin Johnson, and it ironically ended against Johnson’s former Lions team in Week 9. That also was the only game missed by Diggs in 2018.

Diggs posted his third consecutive season with at least 849 yards and hit the 1,000-yard threshold for the first time.

He and Thielen tied for 10th in the NFL with nine receiving touchdowns apiece.

Diggs tied Carter’s franchise record for games with at least 10 catches in a season (Carter had four games in 1994 and equaled that in 1995). He had 11 at Los Angeles, 10 at Philadelphia, 10 against New Orleans and 13 at Chicago.

He also had nine receptions at Green Bay and three games with eight receptions (at and at home against the Packers and Bears). Diggs drew plenty of attention from opponents, including double teams and even a triple team on a play at Seattle.

As the season progressed, opponents did more and more to take away Thielen and Diggs, and the Vikings struggled to fully establish a third threat among the position group.

A collective effort by receivers Chad Beebe (three catches, 21 yards), Laquon Treadwell (two, 37) and Aldrick Robinson (two, 20) helped make up for the absence of Diggs against Detroit in Week 9.

But Minnesota’s receivers beyond Thielen and Diggs combined for just six catches for 67 yards on 16 targets in the final four games of the season, 40 yards of which came on a touchdown to Robinson against Miami.

It’s worth pointing out that the Vikings focused on getting the run game going against the Dolphins and were able to go to Kyle Rudolph nine times for a career-best 122 yards and two touchdowns at Detroit.

Notable Number

74 — Of Thielen’s 113 receptions, 74 resulted in first downs, which tied for third in the NFL. Thielen’s 29 receptions on third downs ranked fourth in the league.

Memorable Moment

Diggs and Thielen helped spark a 22-point outburst in the fourth quarter at Green Bay in Week 2 when they combined to make five receptions for 118 yards and three touchdowns.

Diggs had scoring plays of 3 and a career-long 75 yards as Minnesota turned a 20-7 deficit at the start of the fourth quarter into a 23-21 Packers lead with 7:18 remaining in regulation. Diggs’ ability to keep his balance on the deep ball after contact and make it into the end zone saved valuable time during the comeback effort.

Thielen then pulled in a 22-yard touchdown by using Moss-esque late hands to prevent defenders from trying to break up the pass. His score with 31 seconds left in regulation, and a 2-point conversion pass to Diggs knotted the score at 29 to force overtime in what became the 11th tie in Vikings history. position-wr-diggs-thielen2-010919 Regular-Season Statistics

Adam Thielen

113 receptions for 1,373 yards (12.2 yards per catch) and nine touchdowns

Catch rate: 73.9 percent (153 targets) | Receptions of 20-plus yards: 17

Stefon Diggs

102 receptions for 1,021 yards (10.0 yards per catch) and nine touchdowns

Catch rate: 68.5 percent (149 targets) | Receptions of 20-plus yards: 13

Laquon Treadwell

35 receptions for 302 yards (8.6 yards per catch) and one touchdown

Catch rate: 66.0 percent (53 targets) | Receptions of 20-plus yards: 1

Aldrick Robinson

17 receptions for 231 yards (13.6 yards per catch) and five touchdowns

Catch rate: 48.6 percent (35 targets) | Receptions of 20-plus yards: 2

Chad Beebe

4 receptions for 39 yards (9.8 yards per catch)

Catch rate: 100 percent (4 targets) | Receptions of 20-plus yards: 0

Brandon Zylstra

1 reception for 23 yards (23.0 yards per catch)

Catch rate: 50 percent (2 targets) | Receptions of 20-plus yards: 1

Stacy Coley

0 receptions, 1 drop on 1 target; was released after Week 2 position-wr-diggs-thielen1-010919 Minnesota Vikings 2 Highest highs

1. After combining for 21 receptions, 259 yards and three scores at Green Bay in Week 2, Thielen and Diggs were back at it in Week 12 at home against the Packers.

With Moss in the house to receive his Hall of Fame Ring of Excellence, Thielen had eight receptions for 125 yards and a touchdown for his franchise-record ninth triple-digit receiving game of 2018. Diggs also had eight catches for 77 yards and a 30-yard score.

The tandem totaled 37 receptions for 461 yards and five scores against Green Bay in 2018.

2. In a performance that was undermined by the Vikings defense uncharacteristically struggling, Vikings receivers (Diggs, Thielen, Treadwell and Robinson) combined for 25 receptions, 338 yards and three scores against the Rams in Los Angeles in Week 4.

Robinson caught two touchdowns (16 and 17 yards) that gave Minnesota leads of 7-0 and 17-14 in just his second game with Minnesota. Thielen had a 45-yard touchdown that brought the Vikings to within three (31- 28) with 3:35 left in the third quarter.

2 Lowest lows

1. On the same day that Treadwell recorded his first career touchdown, a 14-yard reception to tie the game at 7 in the first quarter, the 2016 first-round pick had a drop that resulted in an interception. Ha Ha Clinton- Dix returned the football 24 yards to the Minnesota 13 with 2:04 remaining in the fourth quarter.

The Vikings defense responded by limiting the Packers to a 36-yard field goal that put Green Bay up 29-21 with 1:45 left in regulation.

Minnesota bounced back with a 75-yard touchdown drive and tied the game with 31 seconds remaining in regulation.

An overtime period that hurt both teams in the long run (think Dalvin Cook hamstring injury and two misses by Daniel Carlson in what became his final of two games with Minnesota) followed.

2. It is hard to fault Thielen for much of anything in 2018. There was, however, one major blemish.

After a short pass, the receiver was fighting for a few extra yards against the Saints and turned toward the middle of the field, enabling linebacker Alex Anzalone to force a fumble. Marshon Lattimore recovered the football and returned it 54 yards from the New Orleans 13 to the Minnesota 18 with just 57 seconds left in the first half.

The Saints scored two plays later to take a 17-13 lead into the locker room. Instead of Minnesota having perhaps a 16-10 or even 20-10 edge and controlling the flow of the game, the Vikings found themselves behind the 8-ball after the momentum swing.

Quotes

“I think the high expectations is what we deserved because we have a lot of talent, we have a lot of character, we have a lot of guys who love the game of football. So we should have high expectations. We just didn’t capitalize, and we didn’t execute. And that’s what this league’s all about – it’s all about execution. It’s all about going out there and playing your best on Sundays, and we just didn’t do that consistently enough this year.”

— Thielen on the Vikings entering 2018 with high expectations

“This year was a growing year for me. I pride myself each and every year on trying to get better. This was a year I continued to grow, a lot of lessons, a lot of good things happened, a lot of bad things happened. I’m still rolling with the punches, but as far as a man and player, I feel like I grew.”

— Diggs on the progress he made in 2018 PUBLICATION : Vikings.com DATE: 1/10/19

Adam Zimmer Excited for Opportunity to be Head Coach at Shrine Game

By Eric Smith

Adam Zimmer will soon get a taste of what it’s like to run his own team.

The Vikings linebackers coach was recently tabbed as the Head Coach of the West squad in the 94th East- West Shrine Game, an annual college all-star game that will take place on Jan. 19 in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Zimmer chatted with “Voice of the Vikings” Paul Allen on Wednesday’s 9 to Noon show on KFAN 100.3-FM about the chance to work in an elevated role.

“I’m really excited,” Zimmer said. “It’s a good opportunity to get down there and scout some players and get a chance to see what it’s like to be a head coach for a week.”

“It’s unbelievable how many texts and calls I’ve gotten and [words of] congratulations for getting this,” Zimmer later added. “It’s an honor to be able to this, and I think it’s going to be a great experience not only for just this week, but a learning experience for my career as I advance forward.”

The 2018 season marked Zimmer’s 13th in the NFL and fifth with the Vikings under Head Coach Mike Zimmer, Adam’s father. In 2017, Zimmer’s unit – led by leading tackler Eric Kendricks and four-time Pro Bowler Anthony Barr – contributed to a defense that led the league in both total defense and scoring defense. The Vikings finished fourth and ninth, respectively, in 2018.

Adam Zimmer joked that he’s learning the headaches that his dad deals with week-in and week-out with the Vikings.

“We’ve talked a little bit,” Zimmer said. “I’m doing the practice schedules and meeting times and I said, ‘This is a pain in the butt.’ He texted me back and said, ‘Duh.’

“I’m getting a taste of what he has to go through on a daily basis,” Zimmer said.

But the 34-year-old Zimmer said he’s most looking forward to helping players improve their stock before the 2019 NFL Draft.

There are in-game limitations on what formations offenses can use, or what coverages defenses can run, so Zimmer emphasized the importance of practice reps and fundamental execution in the game toward the evaluation of players.

“They just want to see the players go out and play and showcase their skills,” Zimmer said. “It’s not about out-scheming the other team, it’s about getting the technique and getting them to learn the NFL way of life for a week.

“The practices are very important. The scouts are going to be down there during the week of practice more than they are for the game, really, so the practices are where they have the players showcase what they can do,” Zimmer later added. “When I get down there, I’m going to tell my coaching staff that I don’t want to do a bunch of scheming on the field, I want to see these guys move athletically and physically so they can put their best foot forward so the scouts can get a good evaluation of these guys.”

Zimmer won’t be the only Vikings coach in a new role, however, as four other coaches currently on staff will take on bigger responsibilities.

Vikings assistant special teams coach Ryan Ficken will be the special teams coordinator and Vikings assistant defensive line coach Robert Rodriguez will be the defensive line coach for the West.

Vikings co-offensive line coach Andrew Janocko will be the offensive coordinator and assistant defensive backs coach will be the defensive backs coach for the East.

Zimmer quipped that he’s looking forward to seeing how the West’s defense fares against the East’s offense with Janocko calling plays.

“That will be a little rivalry going there,” Zimmer said with a laugh. “He told me we can’t blitz, and that’s part of the rules anyway, but I said if it gets close, you never know.”

In 2017, Vikings Defensive Coordinator George Edwards was selected as the head coach for the West team. Included on his staff that January were Vikings coaches Kevin Stefanski and Janocko.

The game will kick off at 2 p.m. (CT) and will be televised live on NFL Network.

“I’m just going to be me and make input when I need to on offense or defense and manage the game just like I would manage the game if I were doing this full-time,” Zimmer said.

PUBLICATION : Vikings.com DATE: 1/10/19

Zimmer Cites Work Ethic, Teaching Ability as Kevin Stefanski's Strengths

By Eric Smith

EAGAN, Minn. — Kevin Stefanski is staying in Minnesota.

The Vikings announced Wednesday that they have removed the interim tag from Stefanski’s title of Offensive Coordinator, which he held for the final three games of the 2018 season.

Stefanski will now be the clear-cut offensive coordinator as he enters his 14th consecutive season with the Vikings as the longest-tenured coach on staff.

“Kevin is a smart young coach with a bright future,” said Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer. “I’m happy to have him take over the offensive coordinator job. His work ethic and teaching ability have been obvious to me behind the scenes since I came here five years ago. He’s well respected by coaches and players both and I know he’s up to the task.”

Stefanksi joined the organization in 2006 and spent the first three seasons as an assistant to former Head Coach Brad Childress.

The 36-year-old has held a variety of roles since then.

He was Minnesota’s quarterbacks coach in 2017 and through this season after coaching the running backs in 2016. Stefanski was the Vikings tight ends coach in 2014 and 2015, and he was the assistant quarterbacks coach from 2009 to 2013.

Vikings players voiced their support and respect for Stefanski after the season ended.

“I enjoyed working with Kevin. He's a great person, a great football mind,” said Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins. “He's been here a long time.”

Added Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs: “I have faith and believe in him. I bought into him as he’s our guy.”

Stefanski took over the role as interim offensive coordinator in Week 15 after the Vikings relieved John DeFilippo of his duties following a 21-7 road loss in Seattle on Monday Night Football.

The Vikings showed more of a commitment to running the ball when Stefanski was calling plays, as Minnesota averaged 27.6 rushing attempts per game in the three contests with Stefanski as interim offensive coordinator. The Vikings averaged 21.1 rushing attempts per game in 13 games with DeFilippo as the offensive coordinator.

Minnesota averaged 127.7 rushing yards per game over the final three games of the season, highlighted by a season-high 220 rushing yards in Stefanski’s debut, a 41-17 home win over Miami.

Vikings running back Latavius Murray said after Minnesota’s season ended that he noticed Stefanski’s effort to help get the running game going.

“I did. Again, I’ll go back to, obviously the Miami game, everybody wants to talk about that, but I can go back to the Detroit game and us not running the ball in the first half but then really running it well the second half,” Murray said. “That’s the commitment we need. If I look at [the Week 17] game, that [92]-yard drive – run, pass, run, pass – switching it up, that’s the commitment we need.

“I definitely saw that, and I think Coach Stefanski knows exactly what needs to be done offensively for us to be effective,” Murray added.

Multiple players also said they appreciated how Stefanski pared down the number of play calls and allowed the offense to be freer over the final three games of the 2018 season.

“I think he simplified things for us,” Murray said. “Maybe tried to shorten the playbook a little bit, just tried and maybe put less on our table so we could go out there and do the things we do well and play fast and just do those things really well. I would say that was the biggest difference.”

Added wide receiver Aldrick Robinson: “It was his way. You could tell the different way he wanted it to go. He was more relaxed, and he kept it simple and let us play fast. That’s what we wanted to do.”

Stefanski will now be the fourth different Vikings offensive coordinator to open the season in four years.

Norv Turner had the role entering 2016 but resigned that November as Pat Shurmur then took over for the rest of the year on an interim basis and in 2017 as offensive coordinator. After Shurmur was hired as head coach of the Giants, the Vikings brought in DeFilippo, who called plays at the start of the 2018 season before he was replaced by Stefanski.

“I think that anytime you have more time in the same system, more time to master what you’re good at and figure out your identity, it’s probably better,” Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen said of Stefanski following the 2018 season. “But at the same time, that’s not our job. Our job as players is to make sure we’re doing whatever is called, the play that is called, and we have to do our best for our ability to get open and to win.

“That’s all we can control, and then the coaching staff does their thing,” Thielen added. PUBLICATION : Vikings.com DATE: 1/10/19

Vikings Players React to Kevin Stefanski’s Hire as Offensive Coordinator

By Craig Peters and Vikings PR

Running Back Dalvin Cook

Q: What is your initial reaction to Kevin Stefanski being named the full-time offensive coordinator?

A: Going into the offseason just knowing what kind of offense we’re getting ourselves into, we know what Coach expects from us and we know how he wants it done.”

Q: What did you like the most about the last three games when Stefanski was calling plays?

A: I just liked how he just let us play free … that’s Coach. Coach likes to have fun. He lets his playmakers do all the talking for him. He’s not a big rah-rah guy, he just wants us to have fun and play at a high level, and he knows we can.

Q: Can you appreciate Stefanski’s even-keeled personality?

A: When you’ve got a coach like that, you should want to play for him. You should want to go out there and make plays and want to go out there and have fun. You should want to go out there and practice … it just makes everything easy.

Q: Did you like how Stefanski used you in the last three games?

A: Yeah, Coach came to me. He’s hands on, so he came to me and said, ‘We’re going to get you the ball. Make a play.’ When your coach looks at you and tells you that, you’re going to go out and give 110 percent and run through a wall or something. He’ll come to certain guys and say, ‘We’re going to come to you this drive, so make a play.’ I love that and love our coaches getting me the ball and getting me the touches.

Q: Will the familiarity with Stefanski be helpful going into next season?

A: That’s the good thing about it. I was talking with my mom last night and I was telling her that I’d never went through a coaching change. This was the first time it has happened back-to-back, and that’s part of the NFL. To have Coach back, we’re just picking up where we left off at and getting even better. Having a whole offseason with him is going to be special, it’s going to be good.

Q: Do you have any final thoughts on the hiring?

A: When we do get back, we’re going to be 110 percent in for him. Everything we’re going to do, we’re going to have fun. But we’re going to raise the bar up to his level.

Quarterback Kirk Cousins

Q: What was your reaction when you heard that Stefanski had been hired?

A: I was thrilled to hear that he’d be back. We feel like the continuity is very important, not only for me at the quarterback position but for our entire offense, for the young players learning the system and for our coaching staff to have the familiarity, as well. Kevin’s proven over many years in the Vikings facility that he’s a great coach, a great leader, carries himself well and is the right person to lead our offense going forward.

Q: What have been your early impressions of Stefanski?

A: I don’t know what the personality trait is, but when you carry yourself well and relate well to players, that’s a very valuable trait in a coach – and not every coach has that trait. And I first met Kevin and saw that he had that trait back at the Senior Bowl in 2012, and ever since then I’ve really followed his path and really felt that he’d be a coach I’d enjoy working with because of the experience I had at the Senior Bowl, and I always felt like he was an up-and-coming coach in the league. I’m sure, I know that his interview with Cleveland went as far as it did for good reason, and I think that he’ll have other opportunities like that in the future, especially if we as an offense are able to do the job we’re expecting to do this next fall.

Q: How do you think Stefanski handled the final three games of the season?

A: He handled it well. He really was the same person he had always been, which is important to have that consistency, and I think the players look forward to working with him. We did a lot of good things on offense in those three weeks – certainly we can point to places where we came up short, but I think there’s quite a bit to be excited about going forward.

Q: How would you characterize his coaching style on game day? How does that benefit you?

A: Well, I think it’s important to note that while he doesn’t ride the roller coaster emotionally and he does have a consistent demeanor about him, he also has a strength of personality that would suggest he’s not a pushover or somebody that players can take advantage of. So it’s something, I go back to that it’s the right balance of personality. I think players appreciate his demeanor, his level-headedness, but at the same time, he has convictions and he has a plan, and he’ll communicate that plan effectively as we get back here this spring. We understand the strength of our defense, we understand that there’s a lot of talent on the team, and I believe that if our offensive plan can be tight and the players can execute it well, that’s where we have a lot of excitement for what this team can do in the years ahead.

Wide Receiver Stefon Diggs

Q: What is your initial reaction to Kevin Stefanski being named the full-time offensive coordinator?

A: Just like before – we had a hundred-percent confidence in him before when he got the job [on an interim basis], and it’s not going to change. Buying in won’t be hard because we’ve seen him do it, we’ve had him, and it’s going to be a good place just to get the ball rolling.

Q: There’s been a lot of change on offense recently. Does this bring consistency?

A: At all positions, you know, when you’re going into a new year, having some familiarity with a guy you’ve been working with, and he’s been here for a while, so it’s not like he’s a brand-new guy. For us, it’s nothing really new. It’s just for us to go out and kind of continue to build that relationship and keep working at it – that’s going to be the key part.

Q: Have you had time to reflect on the changes that were made?

A: Just as far as him and how he commands the meeting room and his approach to each and every day. He’s the same guy, you know what you’re going to get out of him, and he’s a guy you want to play for. He believes in his players. And he’s going to push you. He’s going to want the most out of you every day, and when it’s time to make plays, he’s going to let his playmakers just play.

Q: Simplifying the offense was said to be a key at the end of the season. Did a reduction of plays help you play any faster?

A: Not really. Just from my standpoint and a receiver in general, you just take what’s thrown at you. So as far as it being a little bit or a lot, you just have to handle it the best way you can. You know, we’re not really big on excuses, so you just have to make it work.

Q: What has been your favorite part of working with Stefanski?

A: Just his approach to the game. On game day, he’s riding with all his guys, and he plays aggressive. He’s not scared of anything, and he believes we can do anything, as far as running the ball well, throwing the ball well, whatever it is, he has confidence in us, and we appreciate it.

Tight End Kyle Rudolph

Q: What is your initial reaction to Kevin Stefanski being named the full-time offensive coordinator?

A: I think it’s good for our team and especially good for our offense, a guy that has a lot of familiarity with our roster. Obviously, he was our play caller for three weeks at the end of the year, and I thought he did a phenomenal job after taking over in tough circumstances. Now, he will have the opportunity to be the guy and to run things his way for an entire offseason and have all of that extra preparation that comes along with it and not just be thrown into action in the middle of a season.

Q: How much will Stefanski’s familiarity with the roster and experience coaching multiple positions help?

A: I think it will be huge. I think Kevin has done a great job in his 13 years that he’s been with the Vikings organization. Obviously, not any of our guys on offense have been around that long, but being in so many different roles on offense, he sees how everything works, but then going back to when he took over as a position coach in the tight end room, he’s coached the running backs and also quarterbacks. I think his familiarity with the different position groups will be huge in the way that he decides he wants to go moving forward.

Q: What was he like in the tight ends room and what did you look forward to in your interactions with him during that time?

A: I think one of the biggest things that always stood out to me in working with Kevin was how prepared he was on a weekly basis in making sure he provided us with every resource that we needed as players to be prepared to go out and win games on Sundays. He did a phenomenal job, whether it was cut-ups, handouts, whatever we needed to feel like we were most prepared to go out and play our best on Sunday, he provided for us.

Q: When you see qualities like that in a position coach, do you start to consider that he could be a coordinator one day?

A: Definitely. In working with Kevin and seeing the way that he’s grown as a coach over our time together in the last eight years, you knew that he would be an offensive coordinator and a great offensive coordinator. Then, you see his name start to be mentioned in head coaching interviews, and that’s just a matter of time. He’s a great football coach, a guy that’s been around sports his whole life, obviously, with his dad being extremely successful with the 76ers, so he’s a guy that understands this business and the nature of this business. Him being a good coordinator like he was for us three weeks this year was no surprise to me.

Q: It’s only January, but does this news give you excitement for when OTAs return?

A: Definitely. I think any time you don’t meet expectations and your season ends before you think it will, there’s a sense of disappointment and bitterness initially, but then you shift to excitement for the opportunity of the next year. For us, I think I speak for a lot of guys on the team, that we can’t wait to get back to work in April and start building toward this team and what we can be in 2019 because we do realize the amount of talent that we have on our roster and the kind of guys that we have and the work ethic that guys have.

Q: Once he took over in the interim capacity, was there anything that surprised you or something that aligned with what you expected from him?

A: One of the things I knew he would do well was his command of the room. Going from a position coach when you’re dealing with a couple of guys to when you’re in charge of the entire offense, you’re in charge of 35 guys and you’ve got to sit in front of a room and deliver for every offensive coach on the staff, every offensive player. That role is not too big for him. It wasn’t the three weeks that he took over as interim offensive coordinator, and you knew that, just because of how prepared he was as a position coach. It was always easy for Kevin when he had his part of the game plan that he had to get up in front of the room and present, he was always confident in his preparation and work presentation, that you knew he was going to do it well when he had to do it full-time.

Q: Did you have a personal point of emphasis to help him succeed during the interim period?

A: We wanted to win as many games as possible and hopefully go on a big playoff run, so for us, it was all about working together to figure out, ‘What’s the best way to help our offense? What’s the best way to help us win games?’ Now, we’ll have an entire offseason to try to figure that out, but at the time, it was, ‘How can we get the most out of all of this potential and talent that we have on offense to allow us to help our team win games on Sundays?’ PUBLICATION : VIKING UPDATE DATE: 1/10/19

Next step: Ranking offensive line coaching candidates

By Tim Yotter

With their coordinator, Kevin Stefanski, in place for the 2019 season after he was a finalist for the Cleveland Browns head coaching job, the Minnesota Vikings turn their attention to the rest of their coaching staff.

The defensive side of the ball should be pretty easy, assuming all of those coaches want to return, but the offensive side of the ball could be a different story. The Vikings will have to name a quarterbacks coach – likely either Todd Downing or Drew Pitzing among the in-house options – but the most important decision could come at offensive line.

The Vikings tragically lost line coach Tony Sparano when he unexpectedly died just days before training camp opened. Head coach Mike Zimmer shuffled responsibilities around on the offensive side of the ball, moving tight ends coach Clancy Barone to be co-coach of the offensive line, along with former assistant O- line coach Andrew Janocko.

“The death of Tony Sparano really kind of threw things into a little bit of a downward spiral, only because the fact that this guy was type-A personality. He was very innovative in the running game, had a strong voice in that room and had a strong voice with me,” Zimmer said last week. “Yes, I do feel like we lost a little bit of our identity. We are going to get that back.”

Eight teams fired their head coach during the season or after it concluded, leaving several options available for experienced offensive line coaches from around the NFL. Of those eight, we’ll concentrate on four that produced decently ranked offensive lines in 2018.

GREEN BAY This has to be considered a top option. For all of the Packers’ issues in 2018, offensive line wasn’t one of the big ones. is considered well-liked by his players and has developed a solid offensive line with only one first-round pick among the starters.

David Bahktiari is an All-Pro tackle who was a fourth-round pick and center Corey Linsley is a fifth-round pick that has been a solid lineman. Right tackle is the only first-round pick among them.

Campen is also the run-game coordinator, as well as the offensive line coach, just like Sparano was for the Vikings, but he could be retained by new head coach Matt LaFleur. LaFleur said at his introductory press conference on Wednesday that he hasn’t decided which, if any, coaches on the staff would be retained. It would seem to be a mistake if Campen isn’t retained, as the Packers were ranked seventh among offensive lines by Pro Football Focus and second in pass protecting by ESPN. Football Outsiders’ metrics had the Packers ranked seventh in run blocking and 21st in pass blocking.

Campen has been the Packers’ offensive line coach since 2007 and has coached six different offensive linemen to Pro Bowls since 2010.

CLEVELAND With Freddie Kitchens promoted to head coach of the Browns, offensive line coach Bob Wylie was fired on Wednesday.

The Browns had the second-ranked offensive line, according to Pro Football Focus and the fifth-ranked pass-blocking line, according ESPN’s analytics. Football Outsiders’ metrics had the Browns 18th in run blocking and 16th in pass blocking. Optimum Scouting’s study of offensive line coaches over the last 15 years ranked Wylie only 27th.

But, like Campen, he seems like the type that Zimmer would like with Wylie’s 25 years of experience in the NFL and the 2017 Browns finishing sixth in the league with a 4.46 rushing average and committing the third- fewest penalties on the offensive line with 16 in Wylie’s first season with the team.

CINCINNATI BENGALS Frank Pollack came to the Bengals as their offensive line coach after helping develop one of the best offensive lines in the NFL in Dallas that included All-Pros Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick and Zack Martin. They helped pave the way for two different running backs, DeMarco Murray in 2014 and Ezekiel Elliott in 2016 and 2018, to lead the NFL in rushing.

When the Bengals hire a new head coach, it will be determined if Pollack stays or not. While the Bengals were ranked 27th among offensive lines by PFF, Optimum Scouting ranked Pollack fifth among currently employed line coaches over the last 15 years of work. Football Outsiders’ metrics put the Bengals 22nd in run blocking and 19th in pass blocking.

DENVER BRONCOS Under former Vikings offensive coordinator , who held the same position for the Broncos this year, the duties on the offensive line in Denver were split between (guards and centers) and (tackles). While Kugler would have made a strong candidate for the Vikings offensive line, he was quickly hired by Bruce Arians in Tampa Bay to coach their offensive line. So, consider this option off the board. Stausser doesn’t appear experienced enough for the Vikings go that way.

The reality is that the Vikings will have to upgrade personnel on the offensive line, too, but if Zimmer and Stefanski are inclined to look outside the organization for a new line coach, there are a few options that make sense among teams who let go of their head coaches in the last several weeks. PUBLICATION : VIKING UPDATE DATE: 1/10/19

Harris proved his worth as starter in contract year

By Tim Yotter

In his previous three seasons combined with the Minnesota Vikings, safety Anthony Harris had started eight games. In 2018, he started nine and began the process of proving his game has matured enough to be considered a full-time starter.

Harris, an undrafted free agent in 2015, got only cursory chances to start in his first three years as a short- term injury fill-in, but that changed in 2018 when Andrew Sendejo went on injured reserve and wasn’t able to hold down his starting opportunity.

“I think I went out there and showed I have the ability to be a full-time guy and be a contributor,” Harris said. “I think that I just tried to let my play speak for itself really.”

Harris is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent in March, the first time since he signed with the Vikings as a college free agent in 2015 that he could be out on the open market with plenty of film for teams to evaluate. With Sendejo, who started the first five games and was eventually placed on injured reserve after his groin injury suffered a setback, not playing much, it will be an interesting offseason decision for the Vikings.

The Vikings have shown the most confidence in Sendejo as the starting safety next to Pro Bowler Harrison Smith, but Sendejo is scheduled to cost $5.5 million in 2019 on a team that is pushing up against the salary cap. The Vikings wouldn’t incur any dead money if they released him, and Harris showed well in his extended time as a starter.

“I think I did well. I think I gave the team a chance, an opportunity, to win any games that I played in,” he said. “I don’t feel like I went out there and hurt the team a lot or put the team in bad positions. So that’s my job to go out there and make the plays that come to me and help the guys around me get in position and make plays, not being the signal-caller but being a vocal guy and communicating with guys about where they’re supposed to be and what might be going on offensively.”

According to Pro Football Focus’ analysis, Harris graded as the sixth-best safety in the NFL, especially strong in coverage. His coverage responsibility was targeted 13 times for seven catches, but Harris also had three interceptions, giving quarterbacks a measly 24.0 passer rating when targeting him.

Harris credited his preparation in weeks leading up to games for his success on the field.

“Obviously, you’ve got to have a physical ability and the mental side of the game to be able to carry it out into the game and execute it. But I think I learned you’ve got to prepare, trust in your technique that you’re being coached to do,” he said. “Trust in what the preparation and what the plan is and the guys around you to do their job, and you go do your job. If everyone does their part and does what they’re supposed to do, that’s kind of the formula for success.”

The question now is what the Vikings and Harris will do in the next two months before free agency. Will Sendejo be around? If he is, would Harris want to return to the Vikings?

First, Harris said, he wants to take some time off, then begin to prepare himself for the 2019 season, whether that’s in Minnesota or elsewhere.

“It’s not really something I try to worry about or focus on too much. I think everything will work itself out the way it’s supposed to be,” he said. “I won’t focus on too much off-the-field stuff; I’ll just keep my mind on continuing to improve in the offseason. That way, the following year I’ll come back as a much better player physically, more sound in my skill set, and just go from there. If everyone else will do their job, it will figure things out.”

He said he likes Minnesota and the people inside and outside the organization, but he also knows there is a business side to a free-agent decision. For now, he’s relatively satisfied with the progress he made in his first four seasons and believes that should give him a chance to start somewhere in 2019.

“I think I bring versatility. I’ve been here four years now, picked up a lot of the defense. I know a lot of the tweaks, the ins and outs,” he said. “I think with all the gymnastics as far as what goes into it, I think I have the ability mentally to be able to carry that over into games and tweak it week in and week out to tailor it to each team to be successful.”

PUBLICATION : VIKING UPDATE DATE: 1/10/19

2018’s misery provides hope with young players who emerged

By John Holler

The 2018 season for the Minnesota Vikings was largely marred with disappointment and the inability for the Vikings to win games against the top teams they faced – which is often what separates the good teams from the bad teams and the playoff teams from those who end up on the outside looking in.

But, if there was a positive to be drawn from the 2018 season, it was that there is reason for optimism given the depth that Vikings had on their roster and were forced to rely upon during the season. Every NFL team suffers injury losses during a season – that happens in a violent game with grown men hitting each other at high speed. But, in 2018, the Vikings had to count on players that didn’t enter the season as starters more than most teams and the losses were pervasive and rampant.

The offensive line went through several different incarnations during the season, from start to finish. The running game was without Dalvin Cook for five games. The defensive line was without Everson Griffen for five games while he dealt with mental health issues. Linebacker Anthony Barr missed three games with a hamstring injury and Eric Kendricks missed the last two with a hamstring injury as well. Cornerback Xavier Rhodes missed two full games and parts of three others with lower-body injuries. Trae Waynes missed two games. First-round draft pick Mike Hughes was lost for the season in Week 7 because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Safety Andrew Sendejo missed the final 11 games of the season with a groin injury.

When all was said and done, the “next man up” mantra came into play more than expected, because of the 22 projected starters for the Vikings to start the season, only seven of them played all 16 games – four of 11 on offense (quarterback Kirk Cousins, wide receiver Adam Thielen, tight end Kyle Rudolph and guard Mike Remmers) and three on defense (defensive end Danielle Hunter, defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson and safety Harrison Smith).

The hallmark of most playoff teams is being able to stay healthy as a group and have all of their top players available. The Vikings simply didn’t have that luxury and depended on backups to make big contributions.

“Everybody in this locker room wants to start or get on the field,” said defensive end Stephen Weatherly, who stepped in for Griffen while he was getting help with mental health issues. “Every guy in this locker room wants to contribute to the team and, when your number gets called, you have to be ready. You never know when it’s going to come. That’s why you prepare like you’re going to be a starter.”

The recurring issue for the Vikings was along the offensive line. Both center Pat Elflein and guard Nick Easton were coming off surgeries in the offseason and the Vikings did what they could to address the issue. They drafted tackle Brian O'Neill in the second round, signed veteran Tom Compton in free agency and, when it was clear Elflein wasn’t going to be ready for the start of the season, made a trade with the Giants to acquire center Brett Jones.

It wasn’t easy for Jones to make a midstream transition to the Vikings after being acquired on Aug. 27, but he understands how the world of the NFL works and that players are commodities that are moved around the chess board as needed.

“The NFL is a business and every player in the league knows that,” said Jones, who started the first three games of the season at center. “The Vikings had a need at center and made a trade to bring me in. I saw it as a chance to start and prove to myself that I could be of value to the organization and not have a letdown while Pat was getting healthy and ready to go.”

The Vikings had to start eight different offensive linemen and shift players to different spots to fill in needs at the time. Along the way, O’Neill worked his way past incumbent right tackle Rashod Hill and is likely the starter at right tackle moving forward.

The initial plan was to work O’Neill in slowly, but, when the injuries hit, the future became the present for his career.

“I’m not one who is ever really satisfied with my performance from game to game,” O’Neill said. “I think I got better as the year went on, but I know I have a lot to improve on. When I came here, I wanted to be a starter. If that’s not your goal, you don’t belong in the NFL. When I got that chance, I tried to take advantage of that opportunity.”

Defensively, the Vikings took hits throughout the three levels. The secondary was hit hardest, but not being without defensive standouts Barr and Kendricks for stretches pushed Eric Wilson into the starting lineup.

Wilson, an undrafted free agent who made the roster in 2017 primarily because of his skill on special teams, replaced both Barr and Kendricks (as well as Ben Gedeon for one game) during the season and played well when given the opportunity, starting four games.

Like so many of his young teammates, Wilson was waiting in the wings for his call to action and saw the difference in his game as the year progressed.

“I always had the confidence that I could play at a high level, but you just don’t get that experience in practice or even in the preseason,” Wilson said. “You need to be out there when it’s their best against our best. I knew I had the ability to do the job. I think the biggest difference was the confidence I got once I got out there. I wasn’t overthinking things. Once I got to that comfort level, I think I played better because you just go on what you know and fly around the field to make plays.”

The secondary was hit as hard as any group on the team. Unlike running back, where the Vikings had a dependable veteran presence in Latavius Murray, the backups in the secondary were young and inexperienced. Aside from Hughes, the primary backups were former seventh-round pick Jayron Kearse and undrafted free agents Anthony Harris and Holton Hill.

All of them were forced to take on much larger roles and were mentored by their veteran teammates, especially Hill, who was taken under the wing of Rhodes and showed exponential improvement throughout the season.

For his part, Hill relished the opportunity to get on the field. He still had a chip on his shoulder that he went undrafted and wanted to show the other teams that passed on him that they made a mistake.

“I felt I had something to prove,” Hill said. “Confidence in myself has never been a problem. The vets here all worked with me to improve my game and I knew if I got in there, I could help our team win games. I still go out to every game and every practice feeling I have to prove myself and that keeps me hungry and focused on my job.”

When the 2018 season began, the Vikings were expected to make a Super Bowl run because they had several big-time players on both sides of the ball. As they head into 2019, they’re going to be bringing almost all of them back, but they can rightly be excited about the progress players like O’Neill, Weatherly, Wilson, Harris, Hughes and Kearse bring to a veteran-laden front line of players.

Nobody will look back fondly on 2018, but a good thing that came from it was a set of young building blocks that will provide the Vikings with the depth they need if they have another season marred with injury, including players that will enter next year’s training camp not looking to just make the roster, but to make the starting lineup. PUBLICATION : 1500 ESPN DATE: 1/10/19

Brad Childress resigns from head coaching job in new league

By Judd Zulgad

Former Vikings coach Brad Childress was named head coach of the Atlanta franchise in the Alliance of American Football last April, despite the fact the new league would not begin play until February of 2019.

Childress had retired following the 2017 season after having worked under Andy Reid with the Kansas City Chiefs, only to quickly unretire and join new Bears coach Matt Nagy in Chicago. Childress and Nagy had worked together with the Chiefs and Childress is an Illinois native. But when the AAF came calling with an opportunity Childress decided to take that job.

He held it until Wednesday. That’s when he decided to step down only a month before the season begins. The Legends replaced him with Kevin Coyle, who coached in the NFL for 17 seasons.

“Coach Childress has stepped away from his role as head coach of the Atlanta Legends,” AAF head of football operations J.K. McKay said in a statement. “We are grateful for his leadership, contribution to building The Alliance, and wish him well in his next endeavor.”

There was speculation early Wednesday that Childress might have stepped down because he was planning to join his former coaching assistant Kevin Stefanski in Cleveland. Stefanski, who joined Childress’ staff when he was hired as the Vikings coach in 2006, had two interviews for the Browns’ head coaching job but did not end up getting the position.

Instead, the Browns reportedly will hire Freddie Kitchens. Stefanski, meanwhile, was named the Vikings’ offensive coordinator on Wednesday after serving as the team’s quarterbacks coach and then the interim offensive coordinator for the final three games of the season after John DeFilippo was fired.

So why did Childress step down in what would have been his first head coaching job since being fired by the Vikings during the 2010 season?

This is the statement the Legends released from their now former head coach:

“I’ve been fortunate to work with many great players and coaches throughout my years in football — including those at The Alliance. Throughout it all, my biggest supporters have always been my family. I have an amazing wife, four kids, four grandchildren and am still lucky enough to have my parents around. For now, I need to refocus. I’m looking forward to spending time with them and supporting them as they’ve done so for me. Equally, I’m excited to root for each and every player that now has another opportunity to get out and play professional football with The Alliance. The Atlanta Legends are in great hands with Kevin Coyle at the helm.”

Atlanta will open its season on Feb. 9 at Orlando. PUBLICATION : 1500 ESPN DATE: 1/10/19

Kevin Stefanski to remain as Vikings’ offensive coordinator

By Judd Zulgad

Kevin Stefanski will be staying put.

The Vikings’ longtime assistant coach, who replaced John DeFilippo as the team’s interim offensive coordinator for the final three games of the season, will remain as Minnesota’s offensive coordinator. The Vikings made the hire official on Wednesday afternoon.

“Kevin is a smart young coach with a bright future,” Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said in a statement on the team’s website. “I’m happy to have him take over the offensive coordinator job. His work ethic and teaching ability have been obvious to me behind the scenes since I came here five years ago. He’s well respected by coaches and players both and I know he’s up to the task.”

Stefanski reportedly was headed back to Cleveland on Tuesday for a second interview for the Browns’ head coaching job. His initial interview with the team came late last week. ESPN reported Wednesday that Freddie Kitchens, who was Cleveland’s interim offensive coordinator for the final eight games of the season, will be named the Browns’ coach.

Stefanski, 36, joined the Vikings in 2006 as an assistant to then head coach Brad Childress. He was promoted to assistant quarterbacks coach by Childress in 2009, and remained in that job after Leslie Frazier took over for Childress during the 2010 season.

When Zimmer was hired as Vikings’ coach in 2014 he moved Stefanski to tight ends coach. Stefanski shifted to quarterbacks coach in 2017.

Pat Shurmur had interest in making Stefanski his offensive coordinator after Shurmur left as the Vikings’ OC following 2017 to become the Giants’ head coach. Stefanski, however, was under contract to the Vikings and they used their ability to block him from leaving.

Stefanski’s contract with the Vikings expired on Tuesday and the feeling was he might explore other opportunities. The fact he was a candidate for the Browns’ head coaching job added more intrigue to the situation.

The Vikings reportedly were interested in former NFL head coaches Mike Mularkey and Dirk Koetter for the offensive coordinator position, but the hired both on Tuesday. Koetter will be the Falcons’ offensive coordinator and Mularkey will be their tight ends coach.

Stefanski’s familiarity with quarterback Kirk Cousins played a role in the Vikings’ decision to make him the fourth offensive coordinator under Zimmer. That list includes Norv Turner, Shurmur and DeFilippo.

After the Vikings’ 24-10 loss to the Bears to end the regular season, Cousins was asked if he wanted Stefanski to return.

“I enjoyed working with Kevin,” said Cousins, who signed a three-year, $84 million free-agent contract last March. “He’s a great person, a great football mind. He’s been here a long time. But he’s going to have options, too. So hopefully he wants to work with me. It goes both ways. But he’s been a joy to work with.”

Stefanski is likely to use a similar scheme to what Shurmur employed during the 2017 season, when the Vikings went 13-3 and made a run to the NFC title game. The Vikings finished 11th in total offense and 10th in scoring offense in 2017. They were 11th in passing and seventh in rushing on 501 rushing attempts. That was second in the NFL.

This season, the Vikings were 20th in total offense and 19th in scoring as they finished 8-7-1. They were 13th in passing and 30th in rushing. Minnesota’s 357 rushing attempts were 27th in the NFL.

PUBLICATION : The Athletic DATE: 1/10/19 After a long road, Kevin Stefanski to return as Vikings’ offensive coordinator

By Chad Graff

Kevin Stefanski is coming back.

The longest-tenured Vikings coach is expected to return to the team as their full-time offensive coordinator after exploring other options across the league, a source confirmed after ESPN first reported.

Stefanski had been a finalist for the Cleveland Browns’ head-coaching job, but after the Browns chose Freddie Kitchens over him Wednesday, Stefanski agreed to return to Minnesota where he’s been since 2006, even if it’s been tumultuous at times.

Stefanski had been the Vikings’ top option for offensive coordinator, but after Mike Zimmer blocked Stefanski’s chance to interview for a promotion with the New York Giants last year, it wasn’t clear whether Stefanski, whose contract with the Vikings expired Tuesday, would want to return.

But in the end, the Vikings had what few others could offer Stefanski as a coordinator. Under Zimmer, he’ll have near autonomy of the offense, free to design and call plays, even if he’ll need to commit to a balanced scheme that pleases Zimmer.

“I think coach Zimmer has been pretty clear since he’s been here what he wants in his offense,” Stefanski said after he was promoted to interim offensive coordinator in mid-December. “It’s a Minnesota Vikings offense that is obviously a physical group. It really just matches the players that coach Zimmer and Rick (Spielman) have acquired here.”

Stefanski didn’t have much chance to revamp the playbook in his three games as interim coordinator, replacing John DeFilippo after Week 14. But those games offered an early glimpse into how his offense may look with an entire offseason to prepare, likely heavy on multi-tight end sets and play-action fakes.

Much of his work in those final three games revolved around simplifying the large playbook DeFilippo had installed and returning to a running game DeFilippo had largely ignored. The offense averaged 307 yards and 26 points in three games under Stefanski’s watch after averaging 354 yards and 21.7 points in their first 13 games under DeFilippo.

“We had 100-percent confidence in him before when he got that (interim) job and it’s not going to change,” Stefon Diggs said in a team-issued statement. “Buying in won’t be hard because we’ve seen him do it, we’ve had him and it’s going to be a good place just to get the ball rolling.”

Kevin Stefanski With the Vikings in some capacity since 2006, Kevin Stefanski will now be the team’s offensive coordinator in 2019. His tenure spans three head coaches. (Amy Lemus / NurPhoto via Getty Images) In his three games with the Vikings, Stefanski brought a renewed dedication to the running game. The Vikings ran for a season-high 220 yards in his debut as coordinator against the Dolphins Week 15, thanks in part to Dalvin Cook’s season-high 136 rushing yards. Cook was one of several players who praised Stefanski for how he approached the transition.

“He’s hands-on, so he came to me and said, ‘We’re going to get you the ball. Make a play,'” Cook said in a team-issued statement. “When your coach looks at you and tells you that, you’re going to go out and give 110 percent and run through a wall or something. He’ll come to certain guys and say, ‘We’re going to come to you this drive, so make a play.’ I love that and love our coaches getting me the ball and getting me the touches.”

Stefanski’s return is widely seen as a best-case scenario for Zimmer. Had Stefanski left for another position, Zimmer would have been left with the unenviable task of hiring a coordinator who didn’t mind that Zimmer remains without a contract beyond next season and who didn’t mind that Zimmer, for all the freedom he enables an offensive coordinator, was so vocal in his displeasure with DeFilippo this season.

For Stefanski, the title as full-time coordinator comes full circle after he was left disappointed a year ago when Zimmer essentially blocked Stefanski’s opportunity to work as Pat Shurmur’s coordinator for the New York Giants. Stefanski had worked as quarterbacks coach when Shurmur was offensive coordinator of the Vikings, helping lead to the best season of his career.

But Stefanski further built respect inside the Vikings’ facility for the way he handled the situation, courteously working under DeFilippo until the time came that Zimmer made a change.

“Kevin is a smart young coach with a bright future,” Zimmer said in a press release Wednesday. “I’m happy to have him take over the offensive coordinator job. His work ethic and teaching ability have been obvious to me behind the scenes since I came here five years ago. He’s well respected by coaches and players both and I know he’s up to the task.”

Stefanski also gained favor for the way he climbed the coaching ranks after starting as an assistant to then- coach Brad Childress, one of the lowest rungs on the ladder. Over the course of the next 12 years, he worked his way up with the Vikings, kept on staff through each coaching change, a testament to his acumen. He oversaw the Vikings’ tight ends (2014-15), running backs (2016), and quarterbacks (2017-18) in that time.

Now he’ll be able to get to work on designing his own playbook for an offense with loads of talent at skill positions, but little success on the field in 2018. How he’ll be able to establish a running game while utilizing what quarterback Kirk Cousins does best will go a long way in determining whether Stefanski is successful as the team’s coordinator. But for now, he provides a brief bit of continuity for an offense that has had four different coordinators the past three years.

“I think any time that you have more time in the same system and more time to kind of master what you’re good at and figure out your identity, it’s probably better,” Adam Thielen said after the season.

Stefanski was Cousins’ quarterback’s coach the first 14 weeks of the season, but their relationship began at the 2012 Senior Bowl where Stefanski coached Cousins before the NFL draft.

“Ever since then, I’ve really followed his path and really felt that he’d be a coach I’d enjoy working with because of the experience I had at the Senior Bowl,” Cousins said in a team-issued statement. “I always felt like he was an up-and-coming coach in the league. I know that his interview with Cleveland went as far as it did for good reason, and I think that he’ll have other opportunities like that in the future, especially if we as an offense are able to do the job we’re expecting to do this fall.”

Improving the team’s offensive line is the clear top priority for the Vikings this offseason, something that could help Stefanski as he enters his first full season calling plays for Zimmer, who made clear his wish list for the offense last week.

“Obviously I want to be able to run the football and play-action pass because I think that’s the most effective way to affect a defense,” Zimmer said. “But you know we didn’t score enough points in the red zone, weren’t good enough on third downs. There’s a lot of things we need to improve on there. So that’s going to be big. Part of it is making sure we’re able to, without getting too complicated in X’s and O’s, a lot of the things I’ve been thinking about is we got this great player, how are we going to block him? Let’s get innovative with this so we can protect, be able to throw the ball or be able to run the ball to a different spot.

PUBLICATION : ESPN DATE: 1/10/19

Kevin Stefanski returning to Vikings as offensive coordinator

By Courtney Cronin

MINNEAPOLIS -- One day after his contract expired, Kevin Stefanski is returning to Minnesota to take over offensive coordinator duties for the Vikings on a full-time basis, the team announced Wednesday.

Stefanski, who was promoted from quarterbacks coach to interim OC ahead of Week 15, when the Vikings fired John DeFilippo, was considered a finalist for the Cleveland Browns' head-coaching position. On Wednesday morning, ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported that Browns OC Freddie Kitchens beat out Stefanski for the job.

The Vikings were in a holding pattern over the past few days while Stefanski's talks with Cleveland ramped up. Sources indicated to ESPN that throughout the process, the former interim OC was in regular communication with the Vikings about the possibility of returning for his 14th season with the franchise.

Retaining Stefanski is considered a critical move in helping to build continuity for an offense that put up big numbers at times but struggled to find its identity and finish games during an 8-7-1 season. The Vikings were the only team in the NFL without a fourth-quarter comeback or game-winning drive in 2018.

"Kevin is a smart young coach with a bright future," Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer said in a statement. "I'm happy to have him take over the offensive coordinator job. His work ethic and teaching ability have been obvious to me behind the scenes since I came here five years ago. He's well respected by coaches and players both and I know he's up to the task."

Minnesota's offense went through a host of ups and downs during quarterback Kirk Cousins' first year with the franchise, ranking 20th in yards and 19th in scoring. While the Vikings boasted a top-tier passing game (13th), predicated off the success Cousins had with receivers Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs, the team struggled to generate a consistent rushing attack, ranking 30th in yards per game (93.3).

"I was thrilled to hear that he'd be back," Cousins said. "We feel like the continuity is very important, not only for me at the quarterback position but for our entire offense, for the young players learning the system and for our coaching staff to have the familiarity, as well."

Stefanski, 36, earned back-to-back wins against the Dolphins and Lions after taking over play-calling duties ahead of Week 15. The Vikings offense had a season-high 220 rushing yards against Miami but notched just 164 rushing yards in the season finale against Chicago, which was the lowest output of the season.

"On game day, he's riding with all his guys and he plays aggressive," Diggs said. "He's not scared of anything, and he believes we can do anything, as far as running the ball well, throwing the ball well, whatever it is, he has confidence in us and we appreciate it."

Stefanski is the longest-tenured coach on staff, having joined on in Minnesota under Brad Childress in 2006 as an assistant to the head coach. Stefanski has since coached tight ends, running backs and quarterbacks before getting his first shot at calling plays in 2018.

"When we do get back, we're going to be 110 percent in for him," running back Dalvin Cook said. "Everything we're going to do, we're going to have fun. But we're going to raise the bar up to his level."

PUBLICATION : NFL.com DATE: 1/10/19

Kevin Stefanski returning as Minnesota Vikings OC

By Kevin Patra

After missing out on the Cleveland Browns' head coaching job, Kevin Stefanski will return to Minnesota.

NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Stefanski will return as the Vikings' full-time offensive coordinator, per a source informed of the situation. Minnesota later officially confirmed the news.

"Kevin is a smart young coach with a bright future," Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer said in a statement. "I'm happy to have him take over the offensive coordinator job. His work ethic and teaching ability have been obvious to me behind the scenes since I came here five years ago. He's well respected by coaches and players both and I know he's up to the task."

Stefanski took over in Minnesota with three games left in the 2018 season after the Vikings jettisoned OC John DeFilippo. The Vikes offense got back to the ground game in the first two outings of the 36- year-old's play-calling career, compiling 320 rushing yards in back-to-back victories.

The Vikings offense, however, struggled brutally in the must-win season finale, compiling just 164 total yards in a loss to the Bears that dashed Minnesota's playoff plans.

Returning as full-time offensive coordinator, Stefanski will be tasked with unleashing an offense that vastly underperformed expectations in 2018. Despite a star running back in Dalvin Cook, two 1,000- plus-yard receivers in Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs, and an $84 million quarterback in Kirk Cousins, the Vikings were an inconsistent mess this season. If the Vikings can't finally figure out their offensive line issues in 2019, it likely won't matter who is calling plays.

Coach Mike Zimmer profusely praised Stefanski when handing him the interim OC job after shipping DeFilippo out of town. With just three total games on his resume as a play-caller, Stefanski will have a full-time chance to prove he's one of the next young, bright offensive minds. If he can right the Vikings' ship in 2019, more head-coaching interviews are likely coming down the line.