Vikings Defense Should Feast on Saturday
Ted Schwerzler
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It’s weird to think that there will ever be a positive outcome for a defense that has been as bad as Ed Donatell’s unit. The Detroit Lions carved them up like a Thanksgiving turkey on Sunday, and it’s been five weeks of madness. When the Indianapolis Colts come to town on Saturday, however, the Vikings defense should find excitement in opportunity.
Coming off yet another game in which they allowed the opposition to rack up yardage, Minnesota needs to turn the page and refocus the defense. Kevin O’Connell has watched that unit give up 400 yards in five straight contests, and while he didn’t take away playcalling duties from Ed Donatell, both men suggested change is coming.
The Vikings defensive coordinator mentioned a desire to take “air out of the coverage” and tighten things up on the back end. Cam Dantzler is on the injury report but should play, so Minnesota will have nearly a full complement of their cornerbacks. Against the Colts, that alone should be enough to make a substantial difference.
Jeff Saturday’s club comes in with Matt Ryan under center. He’s no longer the MVP winner from years ago, and now at the tail end of his career, he’s leading the league in interceptions. Ryan takes plenty of sacks behind a terrible offensive line, and the Vikings defense must be licking their chops at the opportunity to pad the box score.
From a skill position standpoint, it’s largely the Jonathan Taylor show for Indianapolis. He is just shy of 900 yards rushing on the season, and Nyheim Hines is no longer there to help. Michael Pittman Jr. has yet to surpass 800 yards receiving on the season but is the leading wideout. He’s talented, but nothing close to what Patrick Peterson has seen operating as the Vikings top corner. Both Parris Campbell and Alec Pierce are complementary pass catchers. No Colts receiver has more than three touchdowns this season, and for a team with as good of a red zone unit as Minnesota has, there should be little worry about getting burnt.
The Vikings finish the regular season with three more lackluster matchups. The New York Giants have faded fast from their hot start. The Green Bay Packers look like a bad football team, and the Chicago Bears’ greatest asset could simply be playing at Soldier Field. It’s in these contests that Donatell must turn the tide for his unit. Starting with the Colts, the Vikings need to come out and establish a new identity on that side of the ball.
While there’s no denying that Minnesota will be tested significantly more in any playoff matchup they will find themselves in, generating positive momentum on defense to close out the season is an absolute must. When a team as lackluster as Indianapolis comes in, that has to be an opportunity to step up, and one that can’t be missed.
All week through preparation the Minnesota Vikings secondary has to have felt like this is their time to shine. It’s hard to deny that being true based on the results Indianapolis has put up this season, but there’s no one deserving of assumed belief until this unit shows it on the field.
Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes weekly for Twins Daily. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.
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