Vikings' issues in short yardage situations go far deeper than Kevin O'Connell's play calling, and a shift in philosophy could be needed

The numbers get worse when you look at the numbers from the beginning of the O'Connell era.

Over the course of this season, the Vikings have had a multitude of situations with two or fewer yards to go. It's been a very mixed bag, but they have been atrocious both throwing and running the football. Let's take a look at the three consecutive passes

Those three play calls are a solid encapsulation of what's been going on with the Vikings. The second down play call was a check from Wentz, as Justin Jefferson got a one-on-one matchup against nickel cornerback Cooper DeJean. The third down play call was very meh, as it met a coverage that took it away. Fourth down should have ended with a touchdown, but it didn't result in one, as there was an unfortunate holding call on Blake Brandel. Overall, it's more about the execution of these play calls than the calls themselves.

When we dive deeper into the numbers, they have done a good job throwing the football on both second and fourth down, which also resonates with that three-down sequence from the Philadelphia Eagles game.

These numbers beg the question: why doesn't O'Connell run the ball more in these situations? It's simple: they aren't executing well enough. The offensive line hasn't been able to get enough movement in short yardage situations, which has resonated in a big way not just in short yardage situations, but also in the red zone. The Vikings were 19th in the NFL in red zone touchdown percentage last season, which ended up killing them in the final game of the season against the Detroit Lions.

What can the Vikings do to fix some of these issues? Being healthy on the offensive line would do a lot of good for the Vikings, but it won't fix everything. There needs to be a deeper conversation about their lack of success in these situations. It's more of a play design and blocking problem than anything.

Offensive coordinator Wes Phillips and offensive line coach Chris Kuper have been mainstays throughout O'Connell's tenure. Are we at a point where the Vikings are going to need to find new voices in the room to help fix the issue? The addition of Keith Carter as assistant offensive line coach didn't feel random at the time, and it is starting to make more sense now.

This season, the Vikings likely won't fix this issue, but they can see improvements. An offseason with some changes could do wonders, and they might need to do that.

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