The 2025 Minnesota Vikings have a turnover problem.
They are tied with the Miami Dolphins for 29th and 30th of 32 in turnover differential at minus seven, with the San Francisco 49ers (minus eight) and the New York Jets (minus 10) as the only two below them.
One of the biggest differences between this year’s Vikings team and last year’s is the defensive takeaways — or lack thereof — under Brian Flores.
Flores is known for complicated schemes with blitz packages that make many rookie QBs second-guess their career decisions. Still, his defensive backs have seemed to have gone dormant.
The man in charge of the defense hasn’t changed. So, why has getting turnovers been so hard to come by this year in relation to last season? Could the lack of attention to the defensive backfield during the off-season cause such a dramatic decline?
Key Roster Moves
It was evident after last season that the Vikings needed to upgrade their offensive and defensive lines after losing twice to the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams. They addressed the trenches, but the defensive backfield needed a massive upgrade.
The Vikings acquired Isaiah Rodgers. However, they also watched Cam Bynum take his talents to Indianapolis, where he is currently third on his team in tackles, with two interceptions and a forced fumble that he recovered. On the other hand, Rodgers is seventh on his team in tackles and has one interception, two forced fumbles, and one recovery.
Rodgers and Bynum are having similar seasons, but with different outcomes.
The Vikings may have gotten quality production from Rodgers, but they needed to add more cornerbacks in the offseason. They also didn’t use any of their five picks on the defensive backfield.
Harrison Smith returned for a 14th season, and they signed Jeff Okudah, Theo Jackson, and Byron Murphy, who were pivotal to depth. However, only Murphy has played every game this season.
Even though the team decided to focus on the interior, the backs seem one step behind, leading to explosive plays by opponents and the offense playing catch-up.
Injuries
The injury bug affects every team differently season to season, but it bit Minnesota’s defense hard to begin the season.
The season started with a whimper when Harrison Smith, the man they call “Hitman,” missed the first couple of weeks to nurse an illness. At 36, he still has a lot in the tank. He’s constantly in on plays, and while Smith is still waiting for his first interception, he has a forced fumble.
Okudah has also dealt with two concussions this year, including one in Los Angeles that landed him on injured reserve, further affecting Minnesota’s cornerback depth.
Andrew Van Ginkel isn’t a defensive back. However, he’s deceptive at the line of scrimmage and baited quarterbacks into two interceptions last year. Minnesota’s disruptor in the pass game has missed five of the team’s nine games, and he often drives winning when healthy. The Vikings are 3-1 in those games, with their only loss coming last week against the Baltimore Ravens.
The rate at which Van Ginkel gets to the ball affects any QB’s timing, leading to errant throws, rushed decisions, and more defensive turnovers.
These injuries and the lack of backfield depth are huge factors in the lack of defensive turnovers, but is there anything else we are missing?
Other Factors
Here, we can highlight the game flow and penalty problems that have led the Vikings to continue playing catch-up football. Minnesota is in the bottom third in both penalties and net penalty yards this season, leading to inconsistent play and a realignment of the initial game plan.
That isn’t necessarily the defensive backfield’s fault, and they can reasonably be frustrated by the amount of time they spend on the field. They are in the bottom third of the NFL in time of possession this season, compared to the top half of the league last year.
When it comes to Minnesota’s turnover differential this year, the math is simple: Fatigue plus a lack of depth equals more injuries, which means fewer defensive turnovers.
