Vikings Statistical Rankings Through Week 14: Defense
Josh Frey
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The Vikings defense stole the show in Las Vegas by pitching a shutout en route to a 3-0 victory, which improved Minnesota’s hold on the No. 6 seed in the NFC.
Today, we will be breaking down the Vikings statistical rankings on defense through Week 14 as a whole, and where individual players stand. Shout out to Pro-Football-Reference, Pro Football Focus, and nfeloapp.com for the numbers that went into this article.
NOTE: Individual PFF Grades are sorted to include players with at least 50% of the league leaders for defensive snaps at each position.
Team Defense
Total Defense
- Points Allowed per Game: 18.6 (5th)
- Total Yards Allowed per Game: 311.2 (10th)
- Plays per Game: 63.1 (11th-fewest)
- Yards Allowed per Play: 4.9 (5th)
- First Downs Allowed per Game: 17.8 (3rd)
- Takeaways per Game: 1.46 (T-13th)
- Third-Down Conversion Percentage Allowed: 40.2% (23rd)
- Fourth-Down Conversion Percentage Allowed: 68.4% (31st)
- Red Zone TD Percentage Allowed: 48.5% (7th)
- Overall Defense PFF Grade: 76.9 (10th)
- EPA/play: -0.10 (7th)
The Vikings defense has continuously climbed up the league rankings after a bit of a tough start to the season. After hovering around 15-20 in a number of categories throughout the middle portion of the season, Minnesota has now leapt up to the top-10 in a number of categories, including top five rankings in points allowed, yards per play allowed, and first downs allowed.
Pass Defense
- Completions Allowed per Game: 24.5 (29th)
- Pass Attempts Against per Game: 35.2 (23rd)
- Passing Yards Allowed per Game: 218.3 (14th)
- Net Yards per Attempt Allowed: 5.7 (8th)
- Passing First Downs Allowed per Game: 11.2 (16th)
- Passing TDs Allowed per Game: 1.15 (T-8th)
- Interceptions per Game: 0.77 (T-18th)
- Sacks per Game: 2.8 (T-14th)
- Pass-Rush PFF Grade: 58.0 (32nd)
- Coverage PFF Grade: 90.5 (4th)
- EPA/pass: -0.09 (7th)
Run Defense
- Carries Against per Game: 25.1 (T-8th)
- Rushing Yards Allowed per Game: 92.9 (5th)
- Yards per Carry Allowed: 3.7 (4th)
- Rushing First Downs Allowed per Game: 5.85 (13th)
- Rushing TDs Allowed per Game: 0.54 (T-4th)
- Fumbles Recovered per Game: 0.69 (T-5th)
- Run Defense PFF Grade: 67.5 (11th)
- EPA/run: -0.16 (7th)
Completion percentages for opposing quarterbacks will look very good against the Vikings, but that is about it. The Vikings defense continues to move up the pass defense rankings, and they are among the league’s best in terms yards per attempt. PFF also attributes the Vikings as the fourth-best pass coverage unit in the league as well, indicating that the youth in the secondary has performed extremely well.
Against the run, the Vikings are equally elite, ranking among the top 10 in virtually every category other than first downs allowed.
Individual Players
OLB Danielle Hunter
- Solo Tackles: 43 (T-106th)
- Tackles for Loss: 18 (T-1st)
- QB Pressures: 58 (T-12th)
- QB Hits: 18 (T-19th)
- Sacks: 13.5 (T-3rd)
- Forced Fumbles: 4 (T-3rd)
- PFF Grade: 78.3 (18th among 61 qualifying EDGEs)
OLB D.J. Wonnum
- Solo Tackles: 27 (T-238th)
- Tackles for Loss: 7 (T-63rd)
- QB Pressures: 34 (T-65th)
- QB Hits: 13 (T-49th)
- Sacks: 7.0 (T-25th)
- PFF Grade: 62.2 (48th among 61 qualifying EDGEs)
OLB Pat Jones
- Solo Tackles: 9 (T-546th)
- Tackles for Loss: 2 (T-269th)
- QB Pressures: 20 (T-127th)
- QB Hits: 5 (T-150th)
- Sacks: 0
- PFF Grade: 35.5 (61st among 61 qualifying EDGEs)
DL Harrison Phillips
- Solo Tackles: 37 (T-144th)
- Tackles for Loss: 2 (T-269th)
- QB Pressures: 15 (T-165th)
- QB Hits: 6 (T-127th)
- Sacks: 3.0 (T-115th)
- PFF Grade: 65.1 (33rd among 76 qualifying DL)
DL Jonathan Bullard
- Solo Tackles: 18 (T-353rd)
- Tackles for Loss: 1 (T-385th)
- QB Pressures: 7 (T-281st)
- QB Hits: 1 (T-336th)
- Sacks: 1.0 (T-229th)
- PFF Grade: 59.8 (T-44th among 76 qualifying DL)
LB Ivan Pace
- Solo Tackles: 43 (T-106th)
- Tackles for Loss: 2 (T-269th)
- QB Pressures: 12 (T-199th)
- QB Hits: 7 (T-113th)
- Sacks: 2.5 (T-141st)
- PFF Grade: 80.2 (11th among 64 qualifying LBs)
CB Byron Murphy
- Solo Tackles: 38 (T-138th)
- Tackles for Loss: 3 (T-209th)
- Passes Defended: 13 (8th)
- Interceptions: 3 (T-12th)
- PFF Grade: 53.4 (66th among 79 qualifying CBs)
CB Akayleb Evans
- Solo Tackles: 37 (T-145th)
- Tackles for Loss: 0
- Passes Defended: 5 (T-105th)
- Interceptions: 0
- Forced Fumbles: 3 (T-9th)
- PFF Grade: 64.8 (46th among 79 qualifying CBs)
S Harrison Smith
- Solo Tackles: 47 (T-79th)
- Tackles for Loss: 2 (T-269th)
- Passes Defended: 1 (T-382nd)
- Interceptions: 0
- Forced Fumbles: 3 (T-9th)
- Sacks: 3.0 (T-115th)
- PFF Grade: 72.6 (T-19th among 68 qualifying safeties)
S Camryn Bynum
- Solo Tackles: 71 (10th)
- Tackles for Loss: 2 (T-269th)
- Passes Defended: 9 (T-30th)
- Interceptions: 2 (T-29th)
- PFF Grade: 85.7 (4th among 68 qualifying safeties)
S Josh Metellus
- Solo Tackles: 54 (T-43rd)
- Tackles for Loss: 5 (T-125th)
- Passes Defended: 4 (T-133rd)
- Interceptions: 1 (T-76th)
- PFF Grade: 75.1 (13th among 68 qualifying safeties)
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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.