Analyst Points Out Vikings’ ‘Biggest Question’ For Remainder of Season

Getty Vikings coach Mike Zimmer named Kirk Cousins the starting quarterback in the Vikings' season finale vs. the Chicago Bears.

The expectations of the Vikings‘ 2020 season have been a rollercoaster ride.

General manager Rick Spielman’s “re-tooling” of the roster set steep expectations of a playoff berth for the franchise that hasn’t made back-to-back postseasons since the 2008 and 2009 seasons.

Then, It seemed the Vikings were among the frontrunners for a No. 1 overall draft pick three weeks in. But after escaping Houston with a victory against the winless Texans on Sunday, the Vikings’ season has been revitalized.

A postseason appearance isn’t out of the question with the addition of a seventh playoff spot per conference, but the Vikings could find themselves out of the running soon if they don’t get another win before their Week 7 bye.

Bleacher Report analyst Kristopher Knox detailed the Vikings “biggest question” the rest of the season that will determine their fate and, by no surprise, it comes down to coach Mike Zimmer and his development of the defense.

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Can the Vikings Defense Rebound Before the Season is Lost?

GettyThe Vikings defense needs to find its identity before the season is a loss.

That’s the question Knox posed as the Vikings are behind the Bears and the Packers in the NFC North standings.

The offense has come along producing the league’s leading rusher in Dalvin Cook and the top-two graded wide receivers by Pro Football Focus in Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen, but if the defense doesn’t find its identity soon, it’s unlikely the offense can pick up the slack.

Here’s what Knox wrote:

Minnesota needs to get improved play out of its defense. The Vikings currently rank 24th against the run, 29th against the pass, 29th overall and 26th in points allowed.

Kirk Cousins, rookie wideout Justin Jefferson and the rest of the Minnesota offense has shown growth in the last few weeks. However, it isn’t going to fully offset a defense that has more closely resembled a pool skimmer than the Purple People Eaters during the first month of the season.

If Minnesota doesn’t make a dramatic defensive turnaround against the Seattle Seahawks and the Falcons over the next two weeks, it could be sitting at 1-5 heading into its Week 7 bye.

 Defense Returning to Strength

GettyThird-year cornerback Mike Hughes was active at practice on Wednesday after missing two weeks with a neck injury.

The Vikings defense had been ravaged by injuries to start the season, playing without both Anthony Barr and Danielle Hunter. Barr underwent season-ending surgery on a torn pectoral muscle while Hunter is likely to sit out the remainder of the year as well.

They are also playing without run-stuffing nose tackle Michael Pierce who opted out this season. After the offseason release of five starters on defense, that leaves just three original pieces from the 2019 starting lineup that was sixth in points allowed and fourth in turnovers.

Starting cornerbacks Mike Hughes and Cameron Dantzler have both missed games to start the season but are both healthy entering Week 5’s primetime matchup with the Seahawks.

The pass rush is coming along with the addition of Yannick Ngakoue, whose four sacks are tied for third in the league. D.J. Wonnum is the only other edge rusher with a sack, as the rookie notched his first career sack against the Texans last week.

The run defense is the most concerning part of the defense which is allowing the eighth-most rushing yards per game (134.8). The unit has surrendered fewer rushing yards in back-to-back weeks but with no players emerging as run-stuffers, the Vikings may not see much improvement on that front.

Former Broncos veteran linebacker Todd Davis was added last month and saw eight snaps against the Texans. His acclimation to the Vikings system could be the Vikings’ answer to stopping the run.

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  Trevor Squire is a Heavy contributor covering the Minnesota Vikings and journalism graduate from the University of Minnesota — Twin Cities. Connect with him on Twitter @trevordsquire and join our Vikings community at Heavy on Vikings on Facebook.