Vikings have struggled on defense as of late. Can they bounce back against Colts?
It’s been a total departure from earlier this season when the group was considered among the best defenses in the NFL.
The resume for the Vikings’ defense spoke for itself as the team raced out to a 5-0 record.The Vikings reduced Daniel Jones to rubble in a win against the New York Giants. They made Brock Purdy uncomfortable in a win over the San Francisco 49ers. They got C.J. Stroud out of rhythm in a win against the Houston Texans. They forced Jordan Love into turnovers in a win over the Green Bay Packers, and they made life miserable for Aaron Rodgers in a win against the New York Jets.
It felt like whatever defensive coordinator Brian Flores dialed up during that particular stretch worked to perfection as the Vikings suffocated their opponents on their way to establishing themselves as a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
Now it’s back to the drawing board for the Vikings after getting carved up by Jared Goff in a loss to the Detroit Lions, with Matthew Stafford doing the same in a loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
As he searched for common threads that have plagued the defense as of late, Flores pointed to some of the little details across the board, emphasizing that the margin of error is so small when it comes to winning and losing.
Whether it was allowing a drive to be extended with a costly penalty, or simply lining up out of position in a crucial moment, the Vikings didn’t do themselves any favors in the losses to the Lions and Rams.
“They exploited the things we didn’t do,” safety Josh Metellus said. “We just need to get back to everybody doing their job on every play.”
The most noticeable breakdowns that the Lions and the Rams were able to take advantage of came through the air. They kept extra blockers in as a way to mitigate the some of the pressure, then layered the ball into the vacated space between the linebackers and defensive backs to pick up chunks of yardage.
It’s safe to assume other teams will have similar game plans until the Vikings prove they can stop it.
“We’ve got to go out there and execute,” edge rusher Jonathan Greenard said. “They can sit here and say they’ve figured it out. We don’t worry about them. We’re going to worry about us perfecting what we’ve been running already, and tightening a few things up and making some plays.”
After watching film on the defense, NBC analyst Devin McCourty, who played for Flores with the New England Patriots, noted that he expects the Vikings to play with even more aggressiveness when they host the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Never mind that the pressure hasn’t been getting home over the past couple of games.
