The Minnesota Vikings are in the process of trying to build up their roster to a point where they can make and win the Super Bowl. Bringing the first-ever world championship to the state is something that fans are desperately craving, but it’s increasingly difficult to make it happen.
The National Football League itself is one that sees a lot of copycats. If one team has a level of success, other teams will borrow from that strategy to make their own world champion. This is where you will see shifts in team building philosophy.
What can the Vikings learn from the Kansas City Chiefs win over the San Francisco 49ers? There are four things that stand out above the rest.
Stock up on the DL
The main thing that jumped out during the game was how dominant the defensive lines were throughout the game and they came through when it mattered the most. The main player in that was defensive tackle Chris Jones of the Chiefs. On multiple plays, including the final offensive play for the 49ers, Jones was in the backfield forcing Brock Purdy to make decisions and throws much quicker than he normally would have. That ended up being a big part of the Chiefs’ win. If you dominate in the trenches, it’s difficult to lose.
Elite QB play is a difference maker
Quarterback play still rules in the National Football League and overtime was a perfect example of the difference. Brock Purdy was really good throughout the game. He made solid decisions and attacked down the field when it was necessary. The difference was how he handled pressure when it mattered. The final offensive play of the game had Purdy panicking with the Chiefs’ zero blitz. He missed two open receivers and the 49ers kicked a field goal.
Mahomes ended up being the difference and his final drive, where he was calm and made smart decisions ended up being the difference. A younger Mahomes would have thrown the ball deep instead of checking it down to Isiah Pacheco and that likely gets intercepted. Instead, that level of decision-making was the biggest factor in securing the win.
I get it, you can’t go into the NFL draft expecting to land Patrick Mahomes, but the Chiefs likely didn’t think they were drafting the (soon to be) greatest quarterback of all-time when they traded up to 10th overall to select him in 2017. You can, however, strike gold by taking the chance and being correct with your evaluation.
Moral of the story: you’ll never land the next great quarterback if you never try.
Don't have obvious weak points on the offensive line
Offensive line is a really weird group. You want everyone to be at a certain level but the salary cap can hinder that. Sometimes, you need to take calculated gambles with young players and work to develop them. This was ultimately the downfall of the 49ers, as the right side of the line made mistake after mistake. They saved their biggest one for the final play.
Last offensive play of the 49ers season. Pull the center on play action again, Chiefs go Cover 0. Because Kittle is chipping then releasing, I think McKivitz thinks he has to keep an eye on Karlaftis. But because it's Cover 0, someone was gonna get through. Got got https://t.co/bC1b39tB8t pic.twitter.com/wiqxVZ8D9k
— JP Acosta (@acosta32_jp) February 12, 2024
The key to having a good offensive line is not having any major holes or weak points. That makes it too easy for the defense to attack and that came into focus in a big way.
Second level defenders matter
When you look at the final four teams in the NFL playoffs, they all had major investments into their linebacker rooms and the Chiefs and 49ers both had a lot of talent.
Chiefs: Nick Bolton, Leo Chenal, Willie Gay and Drue Tranquill
49ers: Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw
Having really good second level defenders allows you to scheme up blitzes with unique looks as well as taking advantage of matchups with both running backs and tight ends. When Greenlaw injured his Achilles, it shifted how the Chiefs attacked the 49ers defense and honestly changed the outcome of the game.
The difficult part for the Vikings in trying to build up their linebacker room is the lack of linebacker talent college football is sending to the NFL. They might have to overpay someone just to improve the talent in the building.
Are any of these a singular overreaction?
This is a question worth asking, especially because the NFL is a copycat league. Just because it’s working for one team doesn’t mean it will for everyone. In trying to build a Super Bowl winner, it’s best to both look at the success that other teams have had while also paving your own path with the unique elements of your roster. These should be used as a baseline to continue building out your roster, but it does need to be said that the Vikings are different than other teams and their path will reflect that.
