Friday, Aug. 6, 1999

Transition on offense

Vikings will continue to put up big numbers with new coordinator

By TRENT MODGLIN, Associate editor

There’s one small problem with those statistics as fantasy-leaguers begin to eye team rosters for possible players to bring into their huddle on a weekly basis: Offensive coordinator Brian Billick, believed by many to be the best offensive mind in the game, has left the Vikings for the head-coaching job in Baltimore.

So now the question is: Can the purple machine keep rolling with the same corps of players intact but without the same mind leading the way?

Put your worries away, folks. Of course it can.

I have a lot of respect for Billick, and I believe the Vikings will miss his guidance. But I also believe the machine is just too big and has too many working parts to stop, or even slow down to the speed limit of the rest of the NFL. In other words, don’t worry, fantasy fans — the talent on the Vikings will still be the hottest commodities around.

When a creative system is firmly in place and talented players abound, the departure of the offensive guru with the headset doesn’t have to spell disaster, by any means. I compare the Vikings to the 49ers under Bill Walsh and even George Seifert. San Francisco had a lot of skilled players, and the coaches implemented a system that keeps defenses guessing while throwing points up on the board at an alarming rate. Walsh quit coaching, then Seifert followed suit. And guess what? The 49ers seem to keep up the pace year in and year out without them (QB Steve Young threw 36 TD passes last season).

The Vikings have as much firepower right now as anyone in the NFL in QB Randall Cunningham; WRs Randy Moss, Cris Carter and Jake Reed; and RB Robert Smith. And by the looks of what happened last year, they all can thrive and produce together under the current system. Granted, Billick won’t be calling the plays anymore, but replacement Ray Sherman was the Minnesota QB coach from 1995 through ’97, so he won’t exactly be flying blind with the scheme.

The Vikings took a chance on Cunningham and Moss, and they paid huge dividends in ’98 — more than anyone could have imagined. Can it happen again without Billick? Sure, as long as they stay healthy. The offensive system is firmly in place, and the players are as good as any in the league.

So, can fantasy general managers expect similar numbers this season? That’s a tall order, but good things will definitely come out of Minnesota in ’99.

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1999 - 2000 Season