Vikings Interview New Coordinator With NFC North Rival Looming

Getty Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Zimmer revealed his feeling of the potential for his defense in 2021.

The Minnesota Vikings have a motley history with its special teams play.

While enjoying some of the game’s most electrifying returners over the years in Percy Harvin, Cordarelle Patterson and Marcus Sherels, Minnesota’s abundance of big-return gains has been balanced by horrific kicker collapses and miscues from the unit as a whole.

This season was different. The Vikings had no return game — epitomized by their longest punt return of just 13 yards this season — to go along with kicker Dan Bailey’s meltdown where he missed seven kicks in two weeks in the midst of Minnesota attempting to overcome a 1-5 start and make a push for the playoffs.

Bailey remains rostered while special teams coordinator Marwan Maalouf was not offered a new contract, prompting the Vikings to search for a new special teams coordinator.

Minnesota recently interviewed New York Giants assistant defensive backs coach Anthony Blevins, who spent seven seasons as an assistant special teams coach with the Arizona Cardinals and Giants, for the special teams coordinator opening, ESPN’s Jordan Raanan reported.

Blevins is well-respected, yet honest. A win-win for both the Vikings players and coach Mike Zimmer who prefers not to coddle his team.

However, there is a potential hitch in bringing Blevins to Minnesota. He also interviewed for the Detroit Lions special teams coordinator job and could see appeal in helping the new regime in Detroit make waves.

If the Vikings are eager to hire Blevins news of an offer will likely come soon, especially when the Lions have his card in hand as well.

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Vikings Seeing Diminishing Returns, Rank Last on Punts

GettyChad Beebe

Minnesota has been spoiled by strong return play either on kickoff return or punt return. When Harvin and Patterson’s times with the Vikings came to a close, Rochester, Minn., native Marcus Sherels boosted the punt return game to give fans a reason to watch closely every time the opposition’s punting unit took the field.

With Sherels back to return, Minnesota finished atop the league in punt return average in 2013 and ranked in the top eight in five of the six seasons from 2013-2018 before Sherels retired.

Fifth-round rookie K.J. Osborn struggled early in the season as the primary return man, averaging 3.9 yards per punt return. He was soon relieved by Chad Beebe, who didn’t fare much better, averaging 4.7 yards per punt return. The Vikings finished as the league’s worst team on punt returns.

Beebe and Ameer Abdullah filled in serviceably on kick return as the team finished with 21.9 yards per kick return.

Field-goal kicking was also a league-low 68.2% with Bailey’s decline this season. He’ll likely retain his role with the potential of some competition in training camp as the job is his to lose this season.

Lack of Awareness on Special Teams in 2020

Beyond Bailey and the struggles in the return game, Minnesota’s special teams play didn’t offer much encouragement elsewhere.

After ranking fourth in special teams in 2015, per Football Outsiders, the Vikings have seen a recent decline in the third phase of the game. Football Outsiders calculated that Minnesota gave up nearly 47 points on special teams this season, ranking the unit 31st in the league, its worst performance since 2008.

The unit is inexperienced after longtime special teamers Eric Wilson, Anthony Harris and others have graduated to starting roles, ushering in a new group and the need for a new coordinator.

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Trevor Squire is a Heavy contributor covering the Minnesota Vikings and journalism graduate from the University of Minnesota — Twin Cities. Connect with him on Twitter @trevordsquire and join our Vikings community at Heavy on Vikings on Facebook.