Vikings’ Secondary Needs to Wake Up in Week 8
The Minnesota Vikings were in a prime position for a good Philadelphia Eagles team that needed a bounce-back, and that’s exactly what happened. With the notion going around that the Eagles’ passing offense was abysmal (which, to be fair, their entire offense had been abysmal), the Birds finally decided to rev up the engine in the passing game, absolutely dismantling the Vikings’ pass defense.
Yes, Carson Wentz did not look great in his outing against his former employer, and it’s easy to blame everything on the QB. However, it wasn’t all his fault that the Vikings lost on Sunday, though he did make detrimental plays to the entire operation. On top of the Vikings’ only touchdown on six red zone opportunities, the Vikings’ pass coverage got absolutely obliterated by Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown, and Devonta Smith.
CB Isaiah Rodgers had by far the worst day on Sunday amongst a secondary that was beaten and battered. Rodgers was targeted seven times and allowed five receptions for 151 yards and a TD. He was torched by Eagles’ WR2 DeVonta Smith for 100 yards on two catches, including a 79-yarder that found paydirt. Rodgers also allowed a 45-yard reception to A.J. Brown. This performance earned him an embarrassing 27.9 PFF grade.
Josh Metellus allowed five catches on six targets for 70 yards and one TD, a performance good enough for a 54.4 PFF grade. Vikings’ CB1 Byron Murphy struggled as well, just not quite as dramatically. He did allow three catches on three targets for 44 yards and a TD, earning a 58.8 PFF grade. CB Jeff Okudah also allowed a 100% completion percentage on two catches for 41 yards and a 45.0 PFF grade.
Jalen Hurts completed 82.6% of his passes, going 19 of 23 through the air. The reigning Super Bowl MVP totaled 326 yards and three TDs, earning a perfect 158.3 passer rating. This is not something that can become a trend, especially when the Vikings are on a short week and have to travel all the way to Los Angeles for a Thursday night clash against Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Eagles’ passing offense had been completely irrelevant until they walked into U.S. Bank Stadium, so for a QB like Justin Herbert, this Vikings defense could be ripe for the picking.
The positive spin on it, however, is that the Minnesota Vikings need a bounce-back, specifically the passing defense. While Herbert is obviously a QB that opposing defenses will gameplan tirelessly for, his receiving threats are nowhere near the tier of Brown and Smith, two legitimate WR1s in the NFL that just happen to be a duo. The Chargers’ offensive weapons through the air consist of Quentin Johnston, Ladd McConkey, and Keenan Allen. Not an awful unit, but not quite at the level of the Eagles’ armory.
These Los Angeles Chargers are primed for a bounce back themselves after a big loss to the red-hot Indianapolis Colts in Week 7 by a score of 38-24. Herbert did have a big day numbers-wise, tossing the rock around the gridiron for 37 completions on 55 attempts for 420 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions.
Their leading receiver against Indy was just who everyone predicted, Oronde Gadsden II. Gadsden II had seven catches for 164 yards and a touchdown. Keenan Allen also tallied 11 catches for 119 yards and a score of his own.
The Vikings and Chargers both got defensively embarrassed by their opponents last week, and both are looking for a get-right week from their respective defensive units. As badly as the Vikings need to respond on a short week, the Chargers need to do it just as much. Thursday night should be a chess match, and it might all come down to what Vikings fans have a right to worry about: Justin Herbert vs. Carson Wentz.
