From pee-wee football on, one of the fundamentals of football is that you always play fast. If the assignment is wrong or there is a miscommunication, always play fast. When a team plays fast, usually good things happen.
That axiom doesn’t change at the highest level. In fact, it is even more beneficial. When an offense plays fast, that can force the opposing defense to keep the same personnel on the field. This makes it more difficult for defenses to match up with offenses and their personnel groupings.
And for the Minnesota Vikings, the data bears that out. According to Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis, the Vikings had the fifth-fastest-paced offense in the NFL in 2022. That analysis is based on data from the first three quarters of games, as the fourth quarter can skew the data.
In addition to creating matchup mismatches, keeping the same personnel on the field can also wear down a defense. Now, the Vikings’ success comes into play. Minnesota was able to pull off eight fourth-quarter comebacks last season. The pace could be a contributing factor. The Vikings were second in EPA/play in the fourth quarter last season and put up astronomical numbers when the game was on the line.
There is skepticism about whether the Vikings can duplicate last year’s offensive production, specifically in the fourth quarter. If they can apply pressure to defenses with a similar pace, that would be a step in the right direction.
