Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Wes Phillips is getting hit with some bad news. Phillips is suspended from the team for three weeks without pay, per ESPN. The punishment stems from a traffic stop that occurred in December 2023, when Phillips was taken into custody over allegedly driving while intoxicated.
Phillips' suspension ends on April 22. He was pulled over in Minneapolis last December for speeding, per the Star Tribune. He showed signs of impairment and registered a .10% in blood-alcohol level. The legal limit in Minnesota is .08%. Phillips was taken into custody, and the assistant coach was released later on bond.
“Aside from the standards I have for myself, I do understand that as a coach in this league there are certain standards from the NFL and from the Minnesota Vikings, and I didn't live up to those standards. The last thing I would ever want to do is detract from the attention being on the great things these guys do on the field. So that was unfortunate,” Phillips said in a statement at the time, per ESPN. “I do believe in being accountable, and learning from your mistakes, accepting whatever discipline that may come down the road, growing from it and going forward with a positive attitude.”
Phillips pleaded guilty to an amended charge of misdemeanor careless driving. He paid a $300 fine, and was assigned some community service work for his offense, per ESPN.
Vikings offense with Phillips
Phillips just finished his second full season with the Vikings, but has spent nearly 20 years in the NFL working as an assistant coach. He has truly been a journeyman, working for the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Commanders, and Los Angeles Rams. Phillips is the son of Wade Phillips, who was an NFL head coach for several years in Dallas, Buffalo and for several other teams. His grandfather Bum Phillips was also an NFL coach.
The Vikings finished the 2023 season with a 7-10 record. The team had one of the lower-scoring offenses in the NFC, scoring 344 points. Only five other teams in the NFC scored fewer points than the Vikings over the course of the season. Minnesota also stumbled down the stretch, losing the season's last four games.
Minnesota's offense struggled down the stretch as well. The team scored 21 or more points only twice in the team's last seven games of the season. Vikings' fans are expecting much better results in 2024, and Phillips will have to improve his offense in several key categories.
The team led the league in passing yards in 2023, netting 4,700 passing yards, per NFL stats. The rushing game was a different story, as the team only managed 1,553 rushing yards, near the bottom of the league. Phillips will need to find more balance in his offense this season to get some more victories.
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