12.6 … that’s the average amount of points the Minnesota Vikings defense has allowed per game this season through 5 games (1st in the NFL).
It’s no secret, the Minnesota Vikings have accumulated a league best 5-0 start by emphasizing the biggest cliché in sports – “Defense wins championships”; and they’ve been doing it against elite talent.
Marcus Mariota
2014 Heisman Trophy winner
2nd overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft
Aaron Rodgers
2x League MVP
Super Bowl XLV Champion
Super Bowl XLV MVP
Cam Newton
2010 Heisman Trophy winner
1st overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft
2011 NFL Offensive Player of the Year
2015 NFL MVP
Eli Manning
1st overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft
2x Super Bowl Champion (XLII, XLVI)
2x Super Bowl MVP (XLII, XLVI)
Over the course of this run, the Minnesota Vikings defense has held their opponents to a mere 287 yards per game (2nd best in the NFL), acquiring 19 sacks (3rd best in the NFL), 7 interceptions (3rd best in the NFL), & 6 forced fumbles – collecting 5 (2nd best in the NFL). This team is absolutely DOMINATING opposing teams on the defensive side of the ball, and their doing it without regard for human life. The magician that is Mike Zimmer has forged a unit that rivals that of the Purple People Eaters, and more importantly, a squad that is equipped to make it to the Big Dance in Houston, February 5th. But first, a stop in the City of Brotherly Love!
This Sunday, the Minnesota Vikings make a trip to Lincoln Financial Field to take on an erratic Philadelphia Eagles team; a squad who at one point exemplified great ascendancy, have now found themselves falling back down to earth with poor play and lack of discipline. Over the course of the past two weeks, Philadelphia has racked up 225 penalty yards- 110 of which have resulted in free yards to the opposing team’s offense. The defense has given up 43 points and 737 total yards over that 2 game span, (more than doubling their original per game average before the bye), and the offense has failed to support first year wonder, Carson Wentz. By no means should the league, nor the Minnesota Vikings take these stats lightly, but don’t expect things to get any easier as the birds take on the NFL’s top ranked team.
Throughout the course of these first 5 games, Carson Wentz has shown an uncanny ability to pick up on defensive tendencies- calling out blitzes at the line of scrimmage, and showing the confidence to audible out of a dangerous play in order to give his team the best chance to succeed on that down. This intelligence in quarterback has kept the Eagles in position to win each and every ball game this year; I expect that to change this Sunday. By no stretch of the imagination am I diminishing the success this ROY candidate has had thus far during the first quarter of the season, but like facing off against Dr. Neo Cortex in the final level of Crash Bandicoot, Mike Zimmer’s defense spawns deception and false certainties in his pre-snap looks, causing confusion for the offense and opportunities for his defense to cause havoc.
I expect Wentz to slip up on these reads as Zimmer attacks this Eagles JV offensive line with a multitude of blitz packages forcing Carson to make quick decisions and throw the ball early. A technique that has been used against far better quarterback’s than Wentz this season (have I mentioned the elite talent the Vikings have faced this year?) and has succeeded to the tune of 43.66…the average QBR of all 5 quarterbacks the Vikings have faced this year. I wouldn’t expect much help out of the Eagles receiving core either. The Vikings secondary has held team’s WR1’s to an average of 2.8 catches, 35.6 yards, and .2 touchdowns per game this season. Those WR1’s?: Rishard Matthews, Kelvin Benjamin, Jordy Nelson, Odell Beckham Jr., & DeAndre Hopkins’. How about the ground game? Don’t get too excited, I wouldn’t count on that either, the Vikings front has allowed only 77.8 yards per game in that category (3rd best in the NFL), making it extremely difficult for teams to find holes in Zimmer’s stacked boxes. With a pedestrian run game and a lack of any true threat at the wide receiver position for the Eagles, I don’t see why any of these trends would change; making it a long day for the rookie in his first big test against a top 5 NFL defense. This leads us to the offensive side of the ball.
Much talk of this game revolves around the return of Sammy Sleeves. After a late offseason trade sent Sammy from Philadelphia to Minnesota to replace the injured Teddy Bridgewater, Bradford has stunned his critics by posting a 109.8 Passer Rating. Good for 2nd in the league among quarterbacks who have started 3 or more games. He has paired that up with 6 touchdown passes and 0 interceptions through 4 games, with a 7o.4% completion percentage- a league best. Not to mention, he has done all this after only being acquainted to offensive coordinator, Norv Turner’s offense for only a month. Sam Bradford is playing with a new found confidence, and even with the loss of future HOF running back Adrian Peterson for potentially the season, Bradford has begun to show reason as to why he was the #1 overall pick back in 2010. The Vikings offense has never been one to stun anybody, but Bradford has found success in this new scheme, taking advantage of the middle of the field, and 1-on-1 coverage; two areas the Eagles defense lack in. The biggest weakness teams like to point out in this Minnesota Vikings offense is their offensive line. Norv, and offensive line coach, Tony Sparano have been forced to mix and match 5 different o-line groups throughout the course of this season after injuries to both starting tackles- Matt Khalil, Andre Smith, and guard Brandon Fusco. Continuity throughout the team has proven to be prosperous however, as the Vikings have only given up 8 sacks on the year (2nd best in the NFL), despite these circumstances. If Bradford can stay clean in the pocket, I see the Vikings taking advantage of a weak Philadelphia line-backing core, forcing their safeties to move into the box, and creating 1-on-1 match ups against the Eagles inexperienced cornerbacks.
And with that, I move to my Vikings keys to victory:
This game will largely come down to the success of Sam Bradford and the offense. Minnesota needs to keep the Eagles defense honest. It is crucial that Minnesota establish a run game early. The Redskins were able to thrash the Eagle’s Wide 9 defense all day last Sunday; forcing the Eagles front 7 to play conservative, which in turn limited the opportunities Philadelphia defensive coordinator, Jim Schwartz had to rush the Washington back field (the biggest strength to the Wide 9 defense). Both Jerick McKinnon & Matt Asiata need to hit the hole hard and read their blocks carefully (a statement that may seem obvious, but is truly the key at finding those wide holes in this defensive scheme). The Eagles leading tacklers are their safety’s which shows there should be plenty of opportunity to gain good yards upfront if they can get past the Eagles front 4.
Bradford needs to treat this like any other game. DO NOT FEED INTO THE HYPE!! You were in Philly for a year and were failed trade bait for Marcus Mariota. Don’t make this into a revenge game as if somehow the Eagles did you wrong by trading you to Minnesota. You were never meant to be there in the first place.
The defense needs to continue to play lights out football. This Eagles offense is certainly one of the weaker ones they’ve played thus far this season, but to sleep on them would be a big mistake. Stick to your bread and butter. Put Wentz in uncomfortable positions in which he needs to make decisions he’s not prepared for. This Eagles team does not turn the ball over much, but when they do, the Vikings must pounce. This game very well may come down to whoever gets the biggest break. (So for god sake Air-Blair…leave your tampons in Minneapolis, and get back to sending rockets through the uprights from 50+ yards out!!).
A defensive battle throughout ~ Vikings 17 – Eagles 10