It’s been well-documented that the Minnesota Vikings have struggled on defense. The unit has had flashes of good play, especially when it comes to allowing points, but they have been really bad in terms of allowing yards.
The Vikings’ defense is the worst unit in the NFL in terms of total defense, as they have allowed over 400 yards per game.
To sell the point even more, the Vikings’ pass defense has been the biggest issue. Per PFF, the Vikings are the worst in the NFL against receivers lined up on the outside.
Vikings defense vs. wide receivers aligned on the outside (PFF)
Passing yards allowed: 32nd
Explosive pass-play rate: 32nd
Yards per attempt: 32nd
Passer rating: 32nd pic.twitter.com/2RJULpw3dQ— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) December 14, 2022
That can be contextualized in a lot of ways. The scheme that Ed Donatell is using has not set these players up for success, nor has the performance of the players been great. They have corners that can play press coverage but they have for some reason not tried to pivot to it despite being atrocious in off-coverage.
The Vikings are the worst in the NFL when playing off coverage this season, allowing 9.23 yards per attempt. ESPN’s Mina Kimes went as far as to call it the definition of insanity.
The Vikings are allowing 9.23 Y/A playing off coverage this year—unsurprisingly, the worst rate in the NFL. You know what they say about the definition of insanity… pic.twitter.com/yRMofZSg8B
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) December 12, 2022
The Vikings need to do something different and fast if they want to make an impact during the playoffs.
