Vikings Statistical Rankings Through Week 10: Defense
Josh Frey
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Week 10 of the NFL season has come and gone.
This past weekend, the Minnesota Vikings captured their fifth consecutive win by defeating the New Orleans Saints by a score of 27-19.
Today, we will be breaking down the Vikings statistical rankings on defense through Week 10 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. With many of the teams now having their bye weeks behind them, we’ll also be transitioning towards per game numbers for the team statistics.
Team Defense
Total Defense
- Points Allowed per Game: 20.9 (14th)
- Total Yards Allowed per Game: 323.2 (13th)
- Plays per Game: 64.7 (12th-most)
- Yards per Play Allowed: 5.0 (9th)
- First Downs Allowed per Game: 19.2 (13th)
- Takeaways per Game: 1.4 (17th)
- Overall PFF Grade: 72.8 (14th)
- EPA/play: -0.06 (10th)
Forget top-20 or even top-15, the Vikings are inching their way towards being among the best 10 defenses in 2023 under the tutelage of Brian Flores. They are 9th in yards per play allowed, and EPA considers them the 10th best defense in the league as well.
During this winning streak, the Vikings have held their opponents to under 20 points in four of the five games while also allowing 300 or more yards just twice. If they continue to play this way on top of how the offense has been performing, this team is going to be a tough out come playoff time.
Pass Defense
- Completions Allowed per Game: 24.4 (24th)
- Pass Attempts Against per Game: 35.4 (21st)
- Passing Yards Allowed per Game: 224.4 (16th)
- Net Yards per Pass Allowed: 5.9 (13th)
- Passing First Downs Allowed per Game: 11.7 (20th)
- Passing TDs Allowed per Game: 1.4 (20th)
- Interceptions per Game: 0.9 (T-12th)
- Sacks per Game: 2.7 (T-15th)
- Pass-Rush PFF Grade: 56.9 (31st)
- Pass Coverage PFF Grade: 86.5 (6th)
- EPA/pass: -0.09 (9th)
Run Defense
- Carries Against per Game: 26.6 (14th)
- Rushing Yards Allowed per Game: 98.8 (10th)
- Yards Allowed per Carry: 3.7 (4th)
- Rushing First Downs Allowed per Game: 6.5 (19th)
- Rushing TDs Allowed per Game: 0.7 (15th)
- Fumbles Recovered per Game: 0.5 (T-17th)
- Run Defense PFF Grade: 65.7 (15th)
- EPA/run: -0.17 (7th)
The Vikings run defense continues to move up the rankings, and now, they are officially a top 10 group in terms of rushing yards allowed per game as well as yards allowed per carry. Once again, Minnesota allowed fewer than 100 rushing yards to the New Orleans Saints, making it their seventh time doing so in 10 games this season.
The group will face a bit of a test in Week 11 against Denver, though, as they will more than likely be without Jordan Hicks at the linebacker spot. They signed a familiar face in Anthony Barr to help out, but we shall see how Flores utilizes the veteran.
Individual Players
OLB Danielle Hunter
- Solo Tackles: 34 (T-90th)
- Tackles for Loss: 14 (1st)
- QB Pressures: 40 (T-19th)
- QB Hits: 12 (T-26th)
- Sacks: 11.0 (T-1st)
- Forced Fumbles: 3 (T-4th)
- PFF Grade: 74.6 (T-27th among 56 qualifying EDGEs)
OLB D.J. Wonnum
- Solo Tackles: 19 (T-251st)
- Tackles for Loss: 5 (T-73rd)
- QB Pressures: 24 (T-63rd)
- QB Hits: 11 (33rd)
- Sacks: 5.0 (31st)
- PFF Grade: 58.7 (44th among 56 qualifying EDGEs)
OLB Pat Jones
- Solo Tackles: 7 (T-506th)
- Tackles for Loss: 2 (T-215th)
- QB Pressures: 12 (T-154th)
- QB Hits: 2 (T-220th)
- Sacks: 0
- PFF Grade: 31.5 (56th among 56 qualifying EDGEs)
DL Harrison Phillips
- Solo Tackles: 31 (T-111th)
- Tackles for Loss: 0
- QB Pressures: 12 (T-154th)
- QB Hits: 5 (T-116th)
- Sacks: 2.0 (T-124th)
- PFF Grade: 64.0 (33rd among 66 qualifying DL)
DL Jonathan Bullard
- Solo Tackles: 16 (T-305th)
- Tackles for Loss: 1 (T-315th)
- QB Pressures: 4 (T-312th)
- QB Hits: 1 (T-283rd)
- Sacks: 1.0 (T-189th)
- PFF Grade: 60.7 (42nd among 66 qualifying DL)
LB Jordan Hicks
- Solo Tackles: 50 (T-15th)
- Tackles for Loss: 4 (T-109th)
- QB Pressures: 9 (T-187th)
- QB Hits: 1 (T-283rd)
- Sacks: 1.0 (T-189th)
- Passes Defended: 4 (T-85th)
- Interceptions: 1 (T-51st)
- Forced Fumbles: 1 (T-43rd)
- PFF Grade: 76.7 (16th among 56 qualifying LBs)
CB Byron Murphy
- Solo Tackles: 29 (T-131st)
- Tackles for Loss: 3 (T-157th)
- Passes Defended: 12 (T-4th)
- Interceptions: 3 (T-6th)
- PFF Grade: 51.7 (62nd among 73 qualifying CBs)
CB Akayleb Evans
- Solo Tackles: 36 (T-71st)
- Tackles for Loss: 0
- Passes Defended: 5 (T-57th)
- Interceptions: 0
- Forced Fumbles: 3 (T-4th)
- PFF Grade: 63.2 (42nd among 73 qualifying CBs)
S Harrison Smith
- Solo Tackles: 41 (T-41st)
- Tackles for Loss: 2 (T-215th)
- Sacks: 3.0 (T-82nd)
- Passes Defended: 1 (T-306th)
- Interceptions: 0
- Forced Fumbles: 3 (T-4th)
- PFF Grade: 72.2 (20th among 65 qualifying safeties)
S Camryn Bynum
- Solo Tackles: 57 (T-6th)
- Tackles for Loss: 2 (T-215th)
- Passes Defended: 8 (T-16th)
- Interceptions: 2 (T-19th)
- PFF Grade: 85.3 (5th among 65 qualifying safeties)
S Josh Metellus
- Solo Tackles: 42 (T-37th)
- Tackles for Loss: 5 (T-73rd)
- Passes Defended: 3 (T-124th)
- Interceptions: 1 (T-51st)
- PFF Grade: 73.1 (18th among 65 qualifying safeties)
A Vikings Rookie Is Emerging as a Playmaker
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.