One DC candidate the Vikings should not seriously consider
The Minnesota Vikings are making strides in their search for the team’s next defensive coordinator. While Minnesota has interviewed multiple candidates, one potential option should concern Vikings fans. The Vikings have reportedly conducted interviews with Saints co-defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen and Seahawks associate head coach Sean Desai. Steelers senior defensive assistant and former Miami Dolphins […]
The Minnesota Vikings are making strides in their search for the team’s next defensive coordinator. While Minnesota has interviewed multiple candidates, one potential option should concern Vikings fans.
The Vikings have reportedly conducted interviews with Saints co-defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen and Seahawks associate head coach Sean Desai. Steelers senior defensive assistant and former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores is expected to meet with the Vikings brass on Thursday.
Minnesota has also surprisingly met with one in-house candidate in its assistant head coach Mike Pettine.
Time For Change
Pettine collaborated with defensive coordinator Ed Donatell during the season. The duo guided the Vikings to one of the franchise’s worst defensive season in its history.
Minnesota finished with the 28th ranked scoring defense (25.1 PPG) and 31st in total defense, allowing 388.7 yards per game. The Vikings’ defense consistently let the team down on multiple levels.
Pettine does have experience as a defensive coordinator. His defensive coordinator stops are as follows:
New York Jets: 2009-2012
Buffalo Bills: 2013
Green Bay Packers: 2018-2020
He also served as the Cleveland Browns’ head coach from 2014-2015. That being said, his first season with the Vikings involved the same mistakes he made in his tenure with Green Bay. Pettine’s affinity for three-man pass rushes and zone coverage on the backend formed a bend don’t break Vikings defense that would break just about every time it was bent.
Hopefully, the team’s decision to interview Pettine is just general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah doing his due diligence and gathering intel from one of the defense’s overseers in 2022.
At this point in his career, Pettine is who he is as a defensive coordinator. The three external candidates Minnesota is interested in bring much more excitement and promise to one of the most important positions on the Vikings’ coaching staff.
Featured image via Matt Krohn – USA TODAY Sports
