The Minnesota Vikings are sitting at 5-6 and have a decent shot of making the playoffs if they can win a few more games. That’s a surprising thing to say about a team that has some major issues on both sides of the football. Their pass rush has been uncharacteristically bad, and that’s putting pressure on the defensive backs. Their run defense and offensive line play has left something to be desired as well. And their special teams has been unreliable this year, especially recently.
Here are the four things the Vikings need to improve upon if they are going to sneak their way into the playoffs:
pass rush
The Vikings’ pass rush has been an issue all season long. It all started when the team realized Danielle Hunter would be lost for the season, which led them to trade for Yannick Ngakoue. While he provided some initial pressure and had five sacks for the purple, he was later dealt when the season appeared lost and the chances of keeping him in Minnesota beyond this year looked bleak.
The team also hoped that Ifeadi Odenigbo would be able to step up and play the way he did a season ago, when he was a madman who finished with seven sacks. He has been a ghost this season, recording just 2.5 sacks on the season. The only player to step up lately is rookie D.J. Wonnum. He has been a spark plug, and while he has just three sacks on the year, he has been getting consistent pressure on the quarterback and shown the ability to block kicks.
If the Vikings are going to make a playoff serious push, they have to be able to generate pressure more consistently. Wonnum is progressing nicely, but it’s unlikely he’ll be able to level up enough to really turn it on in the next five games. It would be nice to see Odenigbo wake up, but nothing he’s shown so far this season has led us to believe that that is a possibility.
The pressure will likely have to come in the form of blitz packages. Whether that is sending Harrison Smith like he has been doing, or a linebacker like Eric Wilson or Eric Kendricks, the Vikings have to make the opposing quarterback uncomfortable or players like Tom Brady and Drew Brees (if he’s back) will pick the young corners apart.
special teams
The Vikings’ special teams have been anything but this season. We’ve seen errant snaps, muffed punts, blocked punts, kickoff returns and basically no threat to return the ball. The punting has also been poor, and when the team does have a good punt, there’s usually a flag on the play that negates it. There have also been coverage blunders with young players downing the punt in the end zone, calling for fair catches too soon and missing one-on-one tackles.
They have a ton of new faces on the various units, but it’s highly likely Marwan Maalouf isn’t brought back next season. The Vikings just have to clean up this area. The switch from Austin Cutting to Andrew DePaola as the snapper seems to have helped a bit. The major issue right now is who is going to be the punt returner. Both Chad Beebe and K.J. Osborn have shown inconsistent hands and neither appear to be the answer. They could roll with a new punt returner this week, and it’s anyone’s guess as to who that could be.
The Vikings are going to be in some close games, and they can’t afford to have any blunders on this side of the ball. This area has to improve if they are going to sneak into the playoffs.
run defense
The Vikings’ run defense has been an issue all season, but in recent games, it has gotten worse. They were one of the few teams this season that has allowed Ezekiel Elliott to go over 100 yards, and they pretty much let the Carolina Panthers’ three backs have their way with them — even without Christian McCaffrey. They are getting no push in the middle, and their two big run stuffers, Jaleel Johnson and Shamar Stephen have been disappointing all season long.
The Vikings were expecting their run defense to be a little better than it has been this year. Even with Michael Pierce opting out, it was assumed that Stephen and Johnson could at least be average. They have been far below that mark. The Vikings are allowing 120.7 yards on the ground per game and that puts them 19th in the league. This unit has to improve or the backs they face in the coming weeks are going to kill this team’s playoff dreams.
Next week the Vikings face James Robinson, who has rushed for 890 yards on the season. After Robinson, they face the duo of Ronald Jones and Leonard Fournette, with Alvin Kamara on the horizon on Christmas Day. This unit cannot play the way it has been against these talented backs. If Stephen and Johnson continue to get manhandled upfront, things will get ugly quickly. Whether the Vikings continue to rotate their defensive linemen, call more run blitzes or simply coach their players harder, something has to change.
offensive line play
The Vikings’ offensive line has been a mixed bag this season. They were awful early in the year, and then when Ezra Cleveland was inserted into the lineup, they seemed to find their groove. He’s been out the last few weeks, and this unit has taken a step backward. In past seasons, they have been overpowered by big nose tackles as interior players were constantly pushed into the backfield. Garrett Bradbury made an effort in the offseason to hit the weights and add strength, and that seems to have paid off, as he’s having a great second season.
The team even held up against the Chicago Bears a few weeks ago. This was especially impressive as the Bears front seven has beaten up this group the last four games. After playing well in Chicago, many assumed the line had taken the next step and were now a strength — but a week later those thoughts look premature. The offensive line couldn’t match the physicality of the Dallas Cowboys front, and then in the Panthers the Vikings were again on the receiving end in the physicality department.
The Vikings’ best chance to get to the playoffs will be to ride Dalvin Cook. They need to get back to how they were playing during their three-game division winning streak. If the offensive line isn’t doing its part and isn’t opening up holes for him consistently, their season will end after Week 17 — or even before then.
