10 Critical Stats as We Look Toward 2022 Vikings Success
K. Joudry
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Training camp is almost here, folks. That means Vikings football is right around the corner. As we head into a new year, it may be helpful to look back at some of the stats that defined the 2021 Vikings season. Shout out to Next Gen Stats, Pro Football Reference, and Pro Football Focus for providing the excellent statistics.
1) 45.27% – Justin Jefferson accounted for 45.27% of Minnesota’s air yards last season. Prioritizing the young receiver, of course, is a smart thing to do. That being said, might it be worthwhile to avoid Jefferson nearing 50% of the team’s air yards? One has to think that there’s a way to feature Jefferson while also creating more balance for the passing attack.
2) 38 – Over the past three seasons, Adam Thielen has played 38 games. If he was fully healthy and available, Thielen would have played 49 games. Having Thielen on the field for a full season will help to achieve more balance in the passing game.
3) 42nd – Dalvin Cook finished as the 42nd ranked RB on PFF. He has was a top 3 running back in 2020. The Vikings want to lean on their run game; they’re paying Cook a lot of money. The team is hoping Cook can once again be elite.
4) 7 – Kirk Cousins threw 7 interceptions last season. Avoiding turnovers, of course, is a good thing. It’s fair to wonder, though, if the team would welcome a couple more interceptions if it meant Cousins started completing more high-risk throws in critical moments.
5) 14.5 – Danielle Hunter had 14.5 sacks the last time he played a fully healthy season. In fact, he had consecutive 14.5 sack seasons. A bold prediction I’ve made in the past is that Hunter and Za’Darius Smith will combine for 30+ sacks in the 2022 season. If both are healthy, then that number is very attainable.
6) 54.1% – Cameron Dantzler allowed quarterbacks to complete 54.1% of the passes sent in his direction. Folks, that’s a pretty impressive number. If Dantzler finally gets to be a full-time starter, can he replicate that strong percentage through a full season? The third-year corner is a good player, someone who has the capacity to be a really good player.
7) 101.6 – QBs had a 101.6 passer rating when they targeted Eric Kendricks in coverage. Kendricks, as we all know, is one of the best coverage linebackers in the NFL. Unfortunately, he allowed more than 74% of passes to be completed into his coverage. Ed Donatell will be leaning on Kendricks to be a difference maker from the middle linebacker position. He’ll be tasked with taking on other teams’ talented RBs and TEs.
8) 104 & 426 – Harrison Smith had 104 snaps along the defensive line in 2021; Harrison Smith had 426 snaps at free safety in 2021. In other words, Smith had quite a few snaps at both the front and back of Minnesota’s defense. Donatell will similarly be relying on the veteran to make plays all over the field, though it’s worth monitoring how Smith’s role might change.
9) 86.8% – Greg Joseph hit 86.8% of his field goals last season. He hit 90% of his extra points. In an ideal world, the FG number moves closer to 90% and the XP number gets into the high 90s.
10) 8 – The Vikings had 8 wins last season. The year before, they had 7 wins. Two straight mediocre years led to some pretty significant changes during the offseason. Most of the change took place in the front office and among the coaching staff. If the teams similarly puts forth a modest win total in 2022 – something in the 7-9 wins range – then the changes will likely start impacting the roster in a more significant manner.
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