Something Rare Is Happening With the Vikings Defense
In the 2023 offseason, the Minnesota Vikings made the decision to fire defensive coordinator Ed Donatell. The coach survived one year on the job, and the on-field product was terrible. Because the NFL has a beef with Brian Flores, he was available to take over.
Not only has Flores transformed his unit into an efficient group, but it’s also fun to watch them play. His scheme is unique, built around league-high blitzing numbers with zone coverage behind it. The pre-snap disguises create chaos that makes any QB sweat as they await the snap.
In 2023, his squad struggled early in the season, was dominant in the middle, and fell apart late. A year later, the Rams and the Lions cracked the code; all other coordinators were in trouble when Flores deployed the troops led by Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard on the edges.
And this year? The defense has been solid, keeping the operation in games despite abysmal offensive output.
A Historical Vikings Defensive Streak
It’s been flying under the radar, but the Vikings are currently in the midst of a historic streak. They did not allow a passing touchdown in the last five games. The last passer to do it was Lamar Jackson in Week 10.
The remarkable aspect is that they didn’t face bad offenses by any means. Ben Johnson’s white-hot Bears were followed by the Packers, the Sam Darnold-led Seahawks, the Commanders (partly) with Jayden Daniels, and perhaps the top offense in football, the Dallas Cowboys.
Nobody scored a touchdown through the air.
That sounds like an unusual feat, and it surely is. Since the Vikings joined the NFL in 1961, only 32 other teams have had five-game streaks without allowing a touchdown. That includes an era of football that was still pretty run-dominant.
The longest streak during that period is the Packers’ eight-game streak in 1997. They got it done in the last five regular-season games as well as three in the postseason. Green Bay, of course, lost the Super Bowl to the Denver Broncos, who just rushed for four scores (three times Terrell Davis and once John Elway).
You now might wonder about the longest streak in Vikings history. That was in the early days of the Purple People Eaters — in 1969. Bud Grant’s defense did not allow a passing touchdown in six consecutive games.
Flores and his crew can tie that on Sunday against the New York Giants. Rookie Jaxson Dart has thrown for at least one score in eight of his nine career starts. Perhaps the good news for Skol Nation is that inexperienced quarterbacks have struggled with Flores’ complex defense.
A fun fact: The Chicago Staleys had 27 consecutive games with zero allowed passing touchdowns between 1921 and 1923. Of course, the passing offense back in the day was not nearly as prominent as it is now. Elmet Oliphant led the league with seven passing touchdowns in 1921.
Over the course of the entire season, the Vikings rank 9th in EPA/play on defense and 6th in passing EPA/play. DVOA has them 10th in overall defense and 9th. It hasn’t been the best defense on paper, but avoiding big plays over the top and holding offenses to field goals in the red zone are the reasons for the streak without passing scores.
The Vikings made some roster adjustments in the past offseason that have helped stop the pass. Those were headlined by the signings of Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, who provide a boost as pass-rushers over last year’s interior defense. Jalen Redmond has emerged as a true Pro Bowl-caliber defender, making those moves afterthoughts.
In the secondary, Flores had to reshuffle his unit following Cam Bynum’s departure. Isaiah Rodgers replaced cornerback Stephon Gilmore.
On Sunday, the Vikings can tie the franchise record, and they have enough games left to tie Green Bay’s mark in Week 18 — against Green Bay.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.