Here’s how the Vikings’ offense can get back on track without Norv Turner

After the shocking announcement that Norv Turner had tendered his resignation from the offensive coordinator role with the Minnesota Vikings, the team confirmed that tight ends coach Pat Shurmur would step in as the interim coordinator. Shurmur has experience with Sam Bradford and sub-par offensive lines. His job now is to get Minnesota’s offense looking competitive again.

The Vikings’ offensive line has been abysmal, particularly over the past couple of weeks. An inability to adequately protect Bradford has been a contributing factor in two consecutive losses. Through seven games, the offensive line has allowed 19 sacks on Bradford.

“It’s something I’d like to see go down ... I don’t think it’s a good thing,” Bradford said Wednesday about the number of hits he’s taking. “I think we have to figure out a way to bring the number down.”

Shurmur has plenty of experience working with bad offensive lines, which will come in handy as he works to overcome that weakness with the Vikings’ offense.

His first stint as an offensive coordinator in the NFL was with the St. Louis Rams in 2009-10. In 2009, the Rams were working with Marc Bulger, Keith Null, and Kyle Boller under center. St. Louis allowed 44 sacks on that combination of quarterbacks.

During Bradford’s rookie season in 2010, he was sacked 34 times, but still managed to complete 60 percent of his passes. Bradford broke the record that year for completed passes by a rookie with 354, averaging just 6 yards per attempt. It was still enough to help boost the Rams from a 1-15 team in 2009 to a 7-9 record a year later. Bradford won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award that season.

It’s not easy to shift offensive philosophies midseason, so don’t expect to see wholesale change from the Vikings.

”Halfway through the season, I’m not sure you can completely change the offense and the terminology for everyone,” Bradford said Monday.

But they can make it a simpler offense with subtle changes that can have a big impact.

Shurmur runs a West Coast offense, which thrives on getting the ball out quickly. Focusing on quick slants and passes in the flat for short and intermediate gains could take a lot of pressure off of the Vikings’ offensive line.

That approach could also be beneficial to a team that’s struggling on the ground. Jerick McKinnon, Matt Asiata, and Ronnie Hillman aren’t the caliber of running back that Adrian Peterson is.

The Vikings ran a similar offense last season with a healthy Teddy Bridgewater, and moving the ball with short and intermediate passes was good enough for an average of 22.8 points per game. This year, the Vikings are averaging fewer than 20 points per game. Coupled with the strength of the defense, it was enough to get the Vikings to an 11-5 record and a playoff bid in 2015.

Going up-tempo should help keep defenses at bay, too. An up-tempo offense makes it difficult for defenses to get set and anticipate what the offense is going to do, and it’s something Shurmur did last season in Philadelphia with a Chip Kelly offense that relied on quick pace. The offensive concepts were pretty simple, but when they’re executed rapidly, they’re much more challenging to defend.

Given his experience with Bradford, Shurmur should have a good idea of his quarterback’s skill set and limitations. Bradford said he has a good relationship with his new offensive coordinator.

“I’ve always enjoyed working with Pat,” Bradford said. “I think he’s a great football mind.”

Just a shift in timing and coaching Bradford to get the ball out more quickly could help Shurmur put the Vikings in a better position to protect their quarterback and succeed. It doesn’t matter if the Vikings dink and dunk their way to wins, as long as they turn things around.