Do you have a comment or question? Send it to the vikings.com Mailbag! Every Monday we'll post several comments and/or questions as part of the vikings.com Monday Morning Mailbag. Although we can't post every comment or question, we will reply to every question submitted.
Click here to submit a comment or question to the Mailbag. Remember to include your name and town on the email. The questions below have been edited for clarity.
You can also send Eric a Mailbag question via Twitter.
Hi Eric. Well, the search is on for our [sixth] offensive coordinator in [six] years. There are names like Mike Kafka, Bill Callahan and Josh McDaniel. Kafka should be at the head of the class ... he's much like Klint Kubiak but with the Chiefs experience. Your thoughts?
— Nicholas Balkou
Nicholas starts us off with the big news from last week that Vikings Offensive Coordinator Gary Kubiak has chosen to retire after 36 total seasons in the NFL, including 25 as a coach.
Kubiak, of course, called offensive plays for the Vikings in 2020 and had a heavy influence on Minnesota's offensive scheme in his two seasons in Purple. And yes, his retirement means that the Vikings will once again have a new offensive coordinator … and that Kirk Cousins will have a fourth play caller in his helmet in as many seasons.
It remains to be seen who that person will be. We do know that Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer said at the end of the 2020 season that the basis of Kubiak's scheme — with outside zone runs and deep play-action shots — won't be going anywhere.
And it likely shouldn't after how well the offense played in 2020, especially the individual performances from the likes of Dalvin Cook, Cousins, Adam Thielen, Justin Jefferson and others.
With Kubiak's retirement official, the Vikings will now turn the attention to the next offensive coordinator. Klint Kubiak and Rick Dennsion are certainly internal options, as both are well-versed in the offensive system.
As for the coaches mentioned in the question, Kafka was actually with Minnesota for the 2015 offseason and preseason as a backup quarterback. Callahan coached the Browns offensive line in 2020, and McDaniels was elevated to the Patriots offensive coordinator position in 2020.
View the best quarterback photos from the 2020 season from Vikings photographers including stories behind the photos.
This photo of Kirk was taken during our game against the Cowboys in which we wore our Primetime Purple jerseys. I wanted to emphasize the Purple and Gold in our jersey so I used colored pieces of paper in front of my lens to create a multicolored effect. - Andy
In the home opener, Kirk Cousins showed off mobility by rushing for 34 yards on four carries. For this photo, I slowed down my shutter speed to create the panning/motion effect. - Andy
I feel this photo accurately represented the eeriness and strange vibe of the first regular-season game without fans. The empty seats in the background help tell this story. - Andy
It wouldn't be a game in Seattle without a little rain. This photo of Kirk Cousins was taken minutes before kickoff when the rain was coming down stronger. I didn't enjoy the hassle of using rain gear but I did like how the photos turned out. - Andy
Since access was more limited this season, I wasn't able to be as close to the team as usual. One way I adapted was by using longer lenses and cropping in my photos. This photo was taken with a 180-mm Macro lens and cropped so Kirk's head filled the frame. I exposed the photo for the highlights, which helped create deeper shadows framing his face. It was converted to black and white to enhance the contrast of the image. - Andy
This photo was taken during the team introductions at the stadium. I utilized an off camera flash to light the players. The flash also highlighted the artificial snow that our production team uses for intros. I converted the photo to black and white because I liked how the shadows and specks of light created an interstellar feel. - Andy
This photo was taken after our victory in Green Bay against the Packers. Players from both teams meet in the center of the field after games to pray. Usually the field is very busy with other media members and fans in the background. Due to COVID-19, however, the field and stands were empty, creating a more unique image than usual. Despite Lambeau Field being home to our rivals I really love the history and atmosphere of the stadium. - Andy
This image was taken before team introductions in the location where the players are staged and await being announced. I like this image because Kirk is standing in a hero pose with his two leading receivers, Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen, standing behind him. I really appreciate the hard work of our game-day production team to make normal moments transform into visually stunning scenes. - Andy
This photo was taken moments before the team took the field at Detroit in Week 17. The tunnel gets crowded quickly as the players await the signal to run out. I scanned the helmets until I locked in on Kirk, calm and focused on the task ahead. After a long year, he was finally back home in Michigan. In that moment I thought back to his pregame quote "not the last game of the year, but the first game of 2021" I think it summed up the moment perfectly. - Kam
This photo was taken right after our MNF victory in Chicago. With the new COVID protocols, the media has limited field access and conducts the postgame interviews from the stands. As I left the field, I snapped a few shots of Kirk as he waited for the cameras to roll. It seemed fitting that he had a big smile on his face after winning "The Big Game" (Monday Night Football vs. a divisional rival). It doesn't get much better than that. - Kam
Do you think we will take a QB in the draft this year?
— Demarous Davis
With the success numerous teams have had with their backups (the infamous Nick Foles Super Bowl run, Taylor Heinicke's near upset of the Bucs, and now Chad Henne's play to take the Chiefs to the AFC Championship), is it time for the Vikings to finally move on from Sean Mannion and get someone who can actually carry the team if Cousins goes down?
— Jon S. in Watertown, South Dakota
I'm combining the questions from Demarous and Jon because they both pertain to Minnesota's quarterback situation behind Kirk Cousins.
To start, who knows if the Vikings will draft a quarterback. So much can happen with the roster between now and the draft, but it's worth restating that Cousins will certainly be the starter in 2021 and has delivered a rare degree of durability among Vikings quarterbacks.
As for the backups, that's where the intrigue lies. Mannion is scheduled to be a free agent, but is also a trusted and respected backup. He's also hardly played in his Vikings tenure (just 54 offensive snaps), so I wouldn't go as far to say he can't carry the team in case Cousins couldn't play.
Foles' run was unprecedented and also improbable, and while Heinicke played well, he also wasn't on an NFL roster for almost all of the 2020 season. Henne played 20 snaps in a game where his team already had the lead. Credit to him for a pair of big plays late in the game, but it wasn't as if he rallied the Chiefs to a victory.
Jake Browning and Nate Stanley spent all of 2020 on the practice squad and were recently signed to Reserve/Futures contracts, meaning they'll be with the team again this offseason. Since we didn't see either of them in game action because there was no preseason, it's tough to evaluate how much progress they made this past year.
The quarterback position will always be in the spotlight, whether it's in Minnesota or elsewhere. And we'll just have to give it time to see how the Vikings approach that spot this offseason.
We were at mediocre at best this past season. What will it take to get the cobwebs cleared prior to kickoff in Week 1? Why can't we get the meld going during preseason so we can rock 'n roll like Green Bay did against us for Week 1 in 2020?
— BethAnne
No doubt that the 2020 season was frustrating for all involved. The Vikings clearly came into the season with playoff aspirations, but fell short with a 7-9 season. A lot of factors went into that, and you could put youth and injuries at the top for the defense, while a touch of inconsistency hampered the offense. Special teams was also too much of a roller-coaster ride.
You can bet that players and coaches will spend the offseason getting rejuvenated and looking for better results in 2021. The Vikings have shown an ability to bounce back in recent years after non-playoff seasons, and perhaps that's the case again.
Sure, the Vikings opened 2020 with a loss at home to the Packers. But prior to that season opener, the Vikings had won five of their past six season openers.
Plus, that game came after no preseason contests, and was the first without fans in an eerily quiet U.S. Bank Stadium. We don't know Minnesota's 2021 schedule yet — you can find next season's opponents here — but getting off to a 1-0 start is always a priority of Coach Zimmer.
