Vikings fire offensive coordinator John DeFilippo in the middle of playoff hunt after team's frustration with play-calling became overwhelming
- The Minnesota Vikings fired offensive coordinator John DeFilippo after their 21-7 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Monday night.
- The move is somewhat surprising, as the Vikings are in the hunt for the playoffs, and would qualify as the sixth seed in the NFC if the season ended today.
- DeFilippo's play-calling and mismanagement of the Vikings skill position players were enough to convince Minnesota to move on before he finished a year on the job.
The Minnesota Vikings have fired offensive coordinator John DeFilippo on the heels of the team's 21-7 loss on Monday night to the Seattle Seahawks. DeFilippo was less than a year into his tenure with the Vikings, having joined Minnesota after serving as the Eagles quarterbacks coach in 2017.
While moving on from a coach late in the season is far from unheard of in the NFL, DeFilippo's departure is surprising due to the Vikings' current position in the NFC - if the season ended today, they'd reach the playoff as the sixth seed.
Coaches fired midseason are typically on teams not expected to make the playoffs.
The Browns moved on from head coach Hue Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Haley after a third consecutive disappointing start to a season. The Packers, while still technically in playoff contention, parted ways with head coach Mike McCarthy midseason after a horrendous home loss to the Cardinals.
So why did the Vikings decide to fire their first-year coordinator with just three games left in the regular season?
It appears things had simply reached a boiling point. With the Vikings defense still playing at an elite level, the offense wasn't doing enough to hold on to winnable games.
Much of the frustration seemed to stem from DeFilippo's play-calling. Despite having both Dalvin Cook and Latavius Murray on the roster, the Vikings had all but abandoned the running game lately - in their past three losses, Minnesota averaged just 16 rushes per game.
DeFilippo's decision to give up on running the ball would likely have been met with a warmer reception had it been successful. But in recent weeks, the Vikings offense has floundered. Minnesota is averaging less than 13 points per game over their last four contests and has surpassed 300 yards of offense just once since Week 8.
The Vikings' frustrations with DeFilippo may have even spilled onto the field on Monday night. Wide receiver Adam Theilen was caught on a hot microphone after a nice gain late in the game against Seattle, offering what many saw as a criticism of DeFilippo's game plan.
"That should have been all f---ing game," Theilen says as he gets up after picking up the first down.
Moving on from an offensive coordinator who has been with the team for less than a season just three weeks before a potential postseason run may not be ideal, but it appears that Minnesota believes ousting DeFilippo now gives them the best chance at success.
In his absence, quarterbacks coach Kevin Stefanski will step in as interim offensive coordinator and take over play-calling duties in Minneapolis. He'll have to adjust to his new responsibilities fast. The Vikings host the Dolphins in just five days in a game that could go a long way in securing their ticket to the playoffs.
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