While some aspects of the Minnesota Vikings top-ranked 2017 defensive unit have regressed, the historically-good third-down success has not.
In fact, the defense may even threaten its own record. After setting the mark by allowing just 25.3 percent of third downs last year, the Vikings are just slightly behind last season’s pace — 27.6 percent — after holding Aaron Rodgers and Co. to a season-worst 2 of 10 on third down in their 24-17 win Sunday night.
Meanwhile, the offense came through with their fourth game of the season converting 50 percent or better on third down with a 7-of-14 effort that helped them win the time of possession battle by nearly 10 minutes.
“I thought Flip (John DeFilippo) called a good game; players executed. We were 50 percent on third downs,” head coach Mike Zimmer said about the offense before transitioning to the defense. “Defensively we played very good after that second drive they had there. We did a nice job on third downs tonight. We got good pressure on the quarterback.”
The Vikings defense has now stopped 89 out of 123 third downs this season. After giving up 6 of 12 conversions to Mitchell Trubisky and the Bears last Sunday, they rediscovered their moxie with some fresh looks against Rodgers, showing two-shell coverage for most of the second half and even displaying a rare triple A-gap look.
Three of the Vikings’ four sacks came on third down, all three by their defensive tackles. Sheldon Richardson had two, and Tom Johnson the other. Two of those sacks came on 3rd and 4-6, an area where Green Bay has been the most explosive in the league, averaging over 10 yards per play. The four-man rush was so successful that Zimmer pulled off some of the blitzes he’d planned for the quarterback that he’s jokingly wished would get traded because of his consistent excellence.
“We were having success doing what we were doing,” Zimmer said. “And so there was no sense in pushing the envelope in some of those things. I mean, I think I blitzed twice on the third downs.”
The interior defensive line proved too much in the run game as well, stifling the Packers on a key 3rd and 2 and 4th and 1 when Green Bay ran Aaron Jones up the middle on consecutive plays in the third quarter. The line cleared enough space on the fourth down play to allow safety Harrison Smith to jet in for a tackle that gave the Vikings the turnover on downs.
So what is the defensive line’s reaction when teams challenge them in short yardage situations?
“We laugh,” said Richardson. “Seriously.”
On the other side of the ball, the Vikings came up with their biggest third down conversions in the fourth quarter when they needed to retain possession to milk the clock away.
Minnesota took the ball at their 7-yard line with 12:48 to go, leading by 10. They wouldn’t surrender the ball for seven minutes, thanks to a pair of clutch third-down conversions — one to a usual suspect, the other to an unlikely source.
Cousins hit Thielen on a 3rd and 6 corner route for a 20-yard gain to keep the drive alive — one of Thielen’s eight catches on the day. Three plays later, he connected for 13 yards with seldom-used fullback C.J. Ham, who ran a route to the left flat out of the I-Formation.
And on their final possession, Cousins hit Stefon Diggs on 3rd and 7 on the first play after the two minute warning to seal the victory and send the Vikings into Victory Formation.
“You prepare the right way, you put the confidence in yourself, and you trust your quarterback and make the play,” said Diggs. “I don’t ever make excuses, just make the play.”
The Vikings made more plays on third down than the Packers, which is a big reason why they stayed in playoff position and Green Bay is on the brink of elimination.
“Our third down has been our black eye,” said Packers head coach Mike McCarthy.
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