The Minnesota Vikings are now on the outside looking in for a playoff spot heading into week 17 after losing a 30-24 heartbreaker to the Detroit Lions.
The defense had moments of success but their lack of effort tackling paired with injuries that hindered the unit ended up making things way worse.
The grades from Pro Football Focus are out from Sunday’s game and they reflect just as poorly on the defense as you might expect.
Top 5 overall grades
- S Jay Ward: 81.9
- CB Andrew Booth Jr.: 72.3
- S Theo Jackson: 67.6
- OLB Danielle Hunter: 67.0
- DE Jaquelin Roy: 63.6
Bottom 5 defensive grades
- NT Harrison Phillips: 30.4
- DE Jonathan Bullard: 34.5
- NT Khyiris Tonga: 36.5
- ILB Ivan Pace Jr.: 38.8
- CB Jaylin Williams: 39.6
Top 5 run defense grades
- ILB Ivan Pace Jr.: 66.4
- DE Jaquelin Roy: 61.9
- S Josh Metellus: 61.3
- CB Jaylin Williams: 60.6
- OLB Danielle Hunter: 59.0
Bottom 5 run defense grades
- NT Harrison Phillips: 31.7
- NT Khyiris Tonga: 37.1
- DE Jonathan Bullard: 42.4
- CB Mekhi Blackmon: 46.4
- OLB D.J. Wonnum: 47.4
Top 5 coverage grades
- S Jay Ward: 77.9
- CB Andrew Booth Jr.: 77.0
- S Theo Jackson: 67.6
- CB Mekhi Blackmon: 67.4
- OLB D.J. Wonnum: 64.8
Bottom 5 coverage grades
- ILB Ivan Pace Jr.: 30.1
- CB Jaylin Williams: 36.2
- CB Akayleb Evans: 46.9
- S Camryn Bynum: 49.6
- S Josh Metellus: 53.4
Top 5 pass rush grades
- ILB Jordan Hicks: 72.8
- S Josh Metellus: 69.4
- OLB Danielle Hunter: 68.3
- NT Khyiris Tonga: 65.7
- OLB D.J. Wonnum: 64.8
Bottom 5 pass rush grades
- DE Jonathan Bullard: 49.8.
- ILB Ivan Pace Jr.: 50.2
- NT Harrison Phillips: 51.1
- NT Sheldon Day: 51.4
- OLB Pat Jones II: 54.0
Top 5 tackling grades
- ILB Jordan Hicks: 83.2
- CB Mekhi Blackmon: 79.7
- OLB D.J. Wonnum: 75.2
- OLB Pat Jones II: 75.1
- S Jay Ward: 73.3
Bottom 5 tackling grades
- S Harrison Smith: 27.0
- CB Akayleb Evans: 27.5
- S Theo Jackson: 29.0
- ILB Ivan Pace Jr.: 40.2
- NT Harrison Phillips: 50.0
