The Vikings Will Continue Losing if they Fail to Generate Pressure
K. Joudry
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Finding a way to generate pressure is of the utmost importance to the Vikings. As far as I can tell, the Vikings will continue losing if they don’t generate pressure.
At this point, it’s safe to say that we have a pretty good understanding of what the team does and doesn’t do well.
Justin Jefferson – when he’s on – is as unguardable as any receiver on planet earth. Kirk Cousins has become clutch, consistently hanging in the pocket to deliver magnificent throws. When healthy, the tackle tandem is top tier and T.J. Hockenson provides much-needed balance to the passing attack. That side can thrive as a pass-first offense.
Defensively, there are more concerns. The coverage has suffered from either being too lax or being confused about assignments. The first TD of the game was a good representation of the coverage failing to understand where to go:
Credit to Detroit for seeing an opportunity and taking it. They come out in a heavy look, feigning an interest in running the ball to help get their rookie receiver open down the field. Jared Goff didn’t have his best throw – Williams had to slow down – but the receiver was so open it didn’t matter.
As most fans will remember, the Vikings accomplished something they didn’t want to accomplish in yesterday’s game: allowing a franchise record 5th game in a row of 400 or more yards.
Obviously, the offense and special teams were not without fault. Averaging a measly 1.5 yards per carry isn’t going to cut it. Allowing Detroit to convert off of a fake punt makes life more difficult than it needs to be. Even still, it’s hard not to look at the defense as the primary culprit in yesterday’s loss.
Just look at some of the numbers:
- Jared Goff: 27/39, 330 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs
- D.J. Chark: 6 receptions, 94 yards, 1 TD
- Amon-Ra St. Brown: 6 receptions, 68 yards, 0 TDs
- Josh Reynolds: 5 receptions, 51 yards, 1 TD
I only included the top three receivers to help illustrate a point. Detroit didn’t have one single player take over the game. Instead, they found success by distributing the ball to their various playmakers. Apart from those three, Williams picked up his touchdown, backup RB Justin Jackson scored, and even Penei Sewell picked up a huge first down on a (sensational) trick play.
What’s the solution? That’s the question Minnesota’s coaching staff must be asking themselves: how in the world can we get this defense to start playing better?
I’ve argued at various points that the key rests in finding a way to ignite the pass rush. The Vikings boast Za’Darius Smith and Danielle Hunter. Along the interior, they have Dalvin Tomlinson to help collapse the pocket. Simply having those three players on the field ought to make the defense a threat. Indeed, that’s where the improvement could plausibly come from.
Truth be told, I don’t know if the secondary is going to take a huge step forward at this point. Receivers pick up yards with consistency against Minnesota’s coverage, leading to some doubt about their ability to start locking down the NFC’s best offenses in the playoffs.
Where we might discover some optimism is with the pass rush. Yesterday, the team put together a grand total of 0 sacks. That’s right, not a single sack. Even if we overlook sacks, we could see that Minnesota wasn’t doing nearly enough to put pressure on Goff.
Despite these struggles, it’s the pass rush that offers the potential for improvement. I’d have a hard time believing that Hunter and Smith aren’t still great players. True, the production hasn’t been great recently, but I don’t believe for a second that they somehow forgot how to defeat blocks. What can the coaching staff do to help them start creating pressure early and often?
If the team can’t create pressure, then the fear is that the Vikings will continue losing. Thankfully, there is talent up front. The onus falls on the players and coaching staff to find a way to make a QB uncomfortable.
Next up is Matt Ryan and the Colts, a team that is averaging a mere 16.1 points per game. In other words, Minnesota’s defense needs to get back on track in Week 15. Failing to do so could foreshadow a disappointing result once the playoffs arrive.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and NFL.com helped with this piece.
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