Dominant, though possibly flawed, the Minnesota Vikings started 5-0 start last season and had fans discussing a second straight NFC North title, who the primary challengers were in the NFC and how the team’s defense may one day be spoken of with the same reverential tones as pundits allude to the 1985 Chicago Bears.
All of that went up in smoke after Minnesota’s bye week as a different-looking team took the field and was only able to scrap out three more wins over the final 11 games.
Several overarching issues took precedence, including but not limited to a banged up offensive line, an inability to produce offensively on the road and the lingering concern over Mike Zimmer’s eye condition in the final quarter of the season.
But within each individual game, there were more specific culprits that led to the Vikings demise — and not all were the offensive line. Let’s look back at each of the eight losses to identify what went wrong, attempt to spot trends and shine a light on areas where the Vikings must improve.
Part 1 will look into the team’s four-game losing streak between Weeks 7-10.
WEEK 7 @ PHILADELPHIA EAGLES, 21-10
Quote: “We turned the ball over offensively, we didn’t block people, we dropped balls, we got the quarterback hit, we [need] two inches and we can’t convert on third down or fourth down, we got three shots in the red zone in the first half, we throw an interception, we gave up a 98-yard kickoff return, we fumbled a punt. If you’re going to do those things, you have no chance to win.” – Mike Zimmer
The Vikings’ first loss was humbling and revealing and set the tone for what would plague Minnesota for much of the season’s duration. It was a game there for the taking after rookie quarterback Carson Wentz threw an early interception that gave Minnesota the ball at the 2-yard line. From that point on, it was an afternoon filled with missed opportunities, special teams lapses and, most egregiously, a porous offensive line.
Sam Bradford wound up throwing his first interception of the year after being gifted with a 1st and goal at the 2 in the first quarter, and the Vikings would later miss on a 4th and 1 at the 6-yard line to effectively seal their fate early in the fourth quarter. Along the way the Vikings allowed their first kickoff return in three years to Josh Huff, which gave the Eagles their first lead, and Marcus Sherels fumbled a punt in the fourth quarter that would’ve given the Vikings prime field position.
The offensive line, however, arguably lost the game, surrendering six sacks, two of which resulted in lost Bradford fumbles. Jake Long was playing in his first game and struggled mightily at left tackle, allowing both strip sacks.
While the game as a whole was generally sloppy with both teams struggling on the ground and through the air, Philadelphia’s six sacks juxtaposed against Minnesota’s zero was the game’s biggest swinging point.
WEEK 8 @ Chicago Bears, 20-10
Quote: “We didn’t make any plays. They made them all.” – Mike Zimmer
A second straight nightmarish performance from the offensive line sent Minnesota to a second straight defeat, adding to their litany of losses at Soldier Field. Bradford was sacked five times, and though none of them resulted in fumbles, four of the five occurred on third down and contributed to Minnesota’s abysmal 2-of-13 third-down conversion rate.
The Bears behind Jay Cutler were efficient, as they usually are against the Vikings on their home field, converting 7 of 14 third downs, rushing for 5.4 yards per carry and gaining 12.6 yards per reception. This enabled the Bears to control the ball for nearly 33 minutes and wear the Vikings down, making this one a laugher in the fourth quarter.
WEEK 9 vs Detroit Lions, 22-16 (OT)
Quote: “I don’t know. We’re kind of shocked right now.” – Captain Munnerlyn
Not every Vikings defeat could be traced to the offensive line, however. The club’s first-ever loss at US Bank Stadium was a combination of kicking woes and late-game defensive issues. Then-kicker Blair Walsh missed an extra point that should have tied the game at 10, then had a field goal blocked late in the third quarter that would’ve given Minnesota the lead.
As it turned out, Minnesota still managed to gain the lead in the final minute with a Rhett Ellison touchdown, which set up Walsh for perhaps his gravest kicking error of the day. Instructed to land the ball between the 5 and 10-yard line to hopefully pin Detroit deep and kill some clock, Walsh errantly kicked the ball five yards deep into the end zone for a touchback, giving the Lions a shorter field and a few more seconds. Detroit needed just two pass plays to get the ball into field goal range and stopped the clock via spike with two seconds left. Matt Prater sent the game to overtime with a 58-yard field goal.
In overtime, the defense allowed four third-down conversions (one via penalty), including a game-winning touchdown pass to Golden Tate on 3rd and 8.
Of all the games that got away in 2016, this one might have been the most frustrating.
WEEK 10 @ Washington Redskins, 26-20
Quote: “We’ve got to capitalize on opportunities. We’ve got to create more turnovers. We’ve got to be better on third down.” – Brian Robison
The team’s fourth straight loss was another gut-punch. Having rallied back from a 14-0 deficit to capture a 20-14 lead in the second quarter, the Vikings wouldn’t score in the second half.
After passing the ball extremely well in the second quarter, the Vikings tried going back to the running game after halftime and couldn’t generate anything. Their first two possessions of the second half ended when Matt Asiata got stuffed on 3rd and 1s. Meanwhile, Washington scored each time it had the ball in the second half (until the kneel down), converting four straight field goals to go from down six to up six.
Of course, this loss wouldn’t be complete without an offensive line blowup at the end. Not only was Bradford sacked on two of the Vikings’ final three plays, but Long tore his Achilles on the final series and missed the rest of the season.
Check back soon for Part 2, which looks deeper into the season’s final four losses, highlighted by several ugly defensive showings.
