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The Minnesota Vikings haven't had a strong running game during their time under Kevin O'Connell. Since he took over in 2022, the Vikings haven't ranked better than 19th in total rushing.
They're looking to change that this year, in a concerted effort to help a passing game get back on track after ranking 29th in yards in 2025. This offseason, Minnesota hired former Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith as their new assistant head coach, expecting a bump in their running game.
Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic listed Smith as one of two Vikings assistants (QBs coach Josh McCown being the other one) to watch for this season.
"A league source also noted the addition by O’Connell of former Dolphins OC Frank Smith as the assistant HC — pointing to a possible internal effort to overhaul and improve Minnesota’s run game," Rodrigue wrote.
Smith, a former center for Ben Roethlisberger in college, oversaw a Dolphins offense that ranked 6th in rushing in 2023 and 13th last season. Miami ranked 1st in yards per attempt last year and 4th in 2023.
The Vikings are hoping to get some semblance of that in Minnesota. If they do, the quarterback's job will be much easier in 2026.
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: The Vikings seem to be aiming to revamp their run game for 2026
Continue reading...
They're looking to change that this year, in a concerted effort to help a passing game get back on track after ranking 29th in yards in 2025. This offseason, Minnesota hired former Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith as their new assistant head coach, expecting a bump in their running game.
Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic listed Smith as one of two Vikings assistants (QBs coach Josh McCown being the other one) to watch for this season.
"A league source also noted the addition by O’Connell of former Dolphins OC Frank Smith as the assistant HC — pointing to a possible internal effort to overhaul and improve Minnesota’s run game," Rodrigue wrote.
Smith, a former center for Ben Roethlisberger in college, oversaw a Dolphins offense that ranked 6th in rushing in 2023 and 13th last season. Miami ranked 1st in yards per attempt last year and 4th in 2023.
The Vikings are hoping to get some semblance of that in Minnesota. If they do, the quarterback's job will be much easier in 2026.
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: The Vikings seem to be aiming to revamp their run game for 2026
Continue reading...
