4 Statistics that Must Change in 2023 for the Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings had a very strong regular season in 2022, finishing the year with a 13-4 record and winning the NFC North. However, things fell apart in the Wild Card round of the playoffs as they fell to the New York Giants in a disappointing 31-24 loss. With the 2023 season approaching, Minnesota is hoping that changes to their scheme and personnel will bring improvements this fall. With that, here are 4 statistics that must change for the Vikings in 2023.
Yards Per Play Allowed
Generally, there are a lot of things that need to change defensively for the Vikings this year. Last season’s disappointing end came largely as a result of a porous defensive unit that allowed the New York Giants to get just about anything they wanted during the playoffs.
One of the most notable statistics from the Vikings defense last year came in their allowed yardage per play. They were tied for third-worst in this category with the Los Angeles Chargers, allowing 5.9 yards per play. In order to get their high-powered offense more opportunities, the defense needs to avoid giving up chunk yardage plays that allow opposing offenses to stay on the field for long stretches.
Total Sacks (Both Sides)
Sacks are one of the biggest ways to either win or lose games in the NFL. They are momentum changing plays that can end promising drives, and the Vikings were rather bad both at getting their own sacks and allowing sacks of Kirk Cousins last year. Cousins was sacked a career-high 46 times last year, and as he enters his age-35 season, that’s not a trend that should continue if the Vikings want their starter on the field.
On the flip side, Minnesota also needs to sack opposing quarterbacks more often this year. This could be a tricky ask considering Za’Darius Smith is no longer around, and Danielle Hunter’s future with the team is uncertain. Last year, they tied with the Los Angeles Rams for the 12-fewest sacks in the NFL, though, meaning they need to get to opposing QBs more often in 2023. Minnesota finished the year with 38 total sacks.
XP Percentage
Considering how many close games the Vikings played in last year, it’s a miracle that Greg Joseph’s kicking struggles didn’t come back to bite them more often. Joseph missed six extra point attempts last year, the most in the entire league, and his XP percentage of 87% was the second-worst of any kicker that attempted at least 30 of the kicks.
The Vikings may have gotten a bit lucky in 2022, but they can’t bank on his missed kicks not impacting outcomes this upcoming season. Teams typically regress to the mean in the following season after relying on winning so many one-possession games, so the Vikings will need to take advantage of free points when they are there.
Punt Return Yards
Jalen Reagor was acquired via trade prior to the 2022 season, and his main role with the Vikings ended up being as the punt returner, taking back 26 punts for 164 yards last year, an average of 6.4 yards per return. These numbers are rather underwhelming, and heading into the summer, this is the main reason that Reagor’s future in Minnesota is up for debate.
In fact, the Vikings as a team ranked 28th in the league in yards per punt return. If they are able to get opposing offenses off the field, they need to be able to take advantage of these punts by putting themselves in good field position.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.