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EAGAN Anthony Barr Jersey , Minn. — With three games left on Minnesota’s schedule to determine whether or not the Vikings return to the playoffs, Kevin Stefanski has suddenly been tasked with trying to steer a struggling offense back on track in a supervisory role he’s never held before in 14 seasons of coaching.More Vikings coveragePreview: Cook, Vikings look to keep rolling vs. PackersTop Tweets: Vikings prepare for Packers with TMNT hype videoBarr, seasoned Vikings defense off to strong startNew offense, same Rodgers: Vikings prep for LaFleur’s PackersVikings re-sign center Jones, waive rookie TE DillonThere’ll be plenty of scrutiny on the team’s interim offensive coordinator, not to mention an unofficial audition for the job next year and beyond.To judge Stefanski’s readiness by noting a lack of play-calling experience, though Mike Hughes Jersey , would not tell the whole story.“I think every assistant coach, and probably every fan, is calling the plays with the play-caller,” Stefanski said.“Sometimes they work. Sometimes they don’t. But when we’re up there, you’re always thinking about what you may be calling in that situation. I’ve tried to do that since day one as a coach. I think that’s incumbent upon you to take yourself through what you may do here.”With the Vikings having produced fewer than 285 total yards in four of their past five games, coach Mike Zimmer fired John DeFilippo on Tuesday and promoted Stefanski from quarterbacks coach. Stefanski, one of four sons of long-time NBA executive Ed Stefanski, who’s now with the Detroit Pistons Armon Watts Minnesota Vikings Jerseys , is the NFL rarity who has risen to a prominent position at age 36 without ever having to uproot his family.A team captain as a defensive back at Penn, Stefanski spent one season in football operations for his Ivy League alma mater before Vikings head coach Brad Childress hired him in 2006 to serve as his personal assistant. Stefanski has survived two head coaching changes, coached tight ends, running backs and quarterbacks and worked under a total of five offensive coordinators: Darrell Bevell, Bill Musgrave, Norv Turner, Pat Shurmur and DeFilippo.“I hope my experience with all of the guys I’ve worked with over the years has shaped me into the coach I am,” Stefanski said on Thursday.Zimmer said he believes quarterback Kirk Cousins Minnesota Vikings Jerseys 2019 , who has worked closely with Stefanski as his position coach since signing with the Vikings last spring, will be more open to making his own suggestions in game-planning than with DeFilippo.“He knows me well,” Cousins said. “But at the same time, you don’t reinvent much this late in the year.”Cousins took personal responsibility for DeFilippo’s firing, but he naturally expressed optimism about the new working relationship.“He’s got an even-keel demeanor about him. He’s been with multiple systems now,” Cousins said, adding: “I think he’ll do a good job in this role.”If the Vikings can’t consistently protect Cousins or clear space for the running backs, or if Cousins doesn’t avoid the turnovers that have persisted Armon Watts Jersey nfl draft , the plays called by Stefanski down the stretch won’t ultimately matter.“I’m going to steal a line from Pat Shurmur: ‘It’s about the players,” Stefanski said, “and not the plays.'” The Vikings used a pair of seventh-round draft picks on receivers. So far, they’re apparently showing why they lasted until round seven.Coach Mike Zimmer isn’t happy with the performance of Dillon Mitchell and Olabisi Johnson.“They haven’t been precise enough,” Zimmer said Sunday, via Chris Tomasson of the . “They need to get their rear end in gear.”Typically, seventh-round picks face an uphill climb to make the roster. The Vikings gave Mitchell and Johnson slotted signing bonuses of $80,000 and $74 Replica Armon Watts Jersey ,000, respectively, to secure dibs on the ability to assess whether they may end up being good enough to make it or, at a minimum, whether they could slip through waivers and land on the practice squad.If they don’t step it up, that will be the best-case scenario for Mitchell and Johnson. If they do step it up, the best case entails a chance to compete and contribute on a top-heavy depth chart with plenty of question marks behind Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs.