The Donatell Diary: 5 Takeaways
K. Joudry
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At times, it was tedious. Taking on seventeen games of defensive recaps was still productive, though. Coming into the series, I had general ideas of the defense but not the same understanding that I do now.
Just because Vic Fangio’s Broncos played defense in a certain manner doesn’t mean that Ed Donatell’s Vikings will play the exact same way. That being said, Kevin O’Connell brought Donatell to town so that he could bring this system with him. Watching that Broncos defense, then, ought to have offered a decent understanding of some of the things we can expect.
Now, before offering a few more general thoughts, here are the 17 game recaps/breakdowns: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 12, Week 13, Week 14, Week 15, Week 16, Week 17, and Week 18.
Next, some bullet point ideas for what Vikings fans might be able to expect.
- There will likely be a lot of two-high safeties to begin plays. As the snap nears (and, of course, after the ball is snapped), the safeties are going to move around a ton. One wonders how things will be tailored to Minnesota if the rumors about 3 safety formations end up materializing. It’s possible that Harrison Smith gets back to elite.
- Fans are going to enjoy watching the defensive linemen move around a lot. More stunts will help the pass rushers to get home. This strategic change alongside the team’s elite talent at edge rusher ought to lead to a more dangerous pass rush.
- I’m expecting Jordan Hicks to be involved in a lot of blitzes. Denver wasn’t afraid to bring a fifth pass rusher, and it was commonly one of the middle linebackers. Since Eric Kendricks is so excellent in coverage, I’m leaning toward Hicks as the more common blitzer.
- Every defense needs players to tackle, but this scheme really needs players to tackle well. Playing so much man leaves plenty of defenders with their backs turned to the line of scrimmage. The end result can be a lot of green grass if someone misses near the line of scrimmage. Moreover, the flats will often be left open, so DBs will need to come forward for a hit. Being able to hold a ball carrier to a few yards rather than 10+ yards is critical.
- Mobile QBs are going to create issues. At various points, QBs who can run found some open grass against the Broncos. There’s no such thing as a defense that perfectly defends every part of the field, so at some point Minnesota has to be comfortable with some shortcomings. Ensuring they can still have a bend-but-don’t-break defense when mobile QBs are picking up yardage will be important.
Of course, the only thing I’m offering here is an educated guess. Ed Donatell will need to adjust his defense to the talent he has on his team and to the challenges presented by the opposition. Nevertheless, some of the trends from Denver will likely carry over.
For the Minnesota Vikings to reach their full potential in 2022, the defense will need to be considerably better. Donatell is the man most responsible for getting this group to bounce back. He’s bringing a system that can allow the team’s talent to thrive.
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