The Minnesota Vikings have quietly have become one of the contenders in the NFL for the Lombardi trophy. Following a disappointing a 2016 season, HC Mike Zimmer was able to lead the Vikings to a 13-3 record, second most wins in season in franchise history. Zimmer has built the league’s best defense and sustained an injured offense. The Vikings have done all of this out of the eye of the league and the nation.
Preseason predictions from FiveThirtyEight had the Vikings at a 37% chance to make the playoffs, while the division rival Green Bay Packers were picked ahead of them to win the NFC North. The team has developed into a dominate team and may play a Super Bowl in its back yard. The best comparison that can be made to this team’s success is the 2013-2014 Seattle Seahawks. A strong defense that gave the offense the chance to win games and finding a way to win.
Best Defense in the NFL
The “Purple People Eaters” are back and have been frustrating the NFC this season. They are the number #1 YPG defense allowing just 275.9 per game. Along with this, Minnesota has the second best pass-defense (192.4 YPG) and rush=defense (83.6 YPG). More importantly, the Vikings have the best scoring-defense, allowing just 15 PPG and the best third-down defense with opposing teams converting on third-down 25 percent of the time.
A superior defense must have defensive stars that set the league alike, right? Although the Vikings do have three pro bowlers from the defense, it fails to highlight the contributions from those not heading to Orlando in a few weeks’ time. FS Harrison Smith has been unbeatable this season. Smith, named to First Team All-Pro team this season, has not allowed a touchdown when the ball is thrown his direction. Opposing quarterbacks have only thrown for 142 yards on 40 targets, giving them a QBR of 22.0.
Smith locks down the middle while fellow First Team All-Pro player Xavier Rhodes locks down outside the numbers. Rhodes has been tested this year with elite receivers AJ Green, Julio Jones, Mike Evans, and Antonio Brown lining up against him. Each receiver has not found great success this season along with most other receivers. Rhodes and Smith have developed into one of the best tandems in the NFL, as it’s difficult to throw against either of them.
Harrison Smith's 2017 season wasn't just great. It was historically great. The highest grade earned by a safety 12 years of grading every player on every play! pic.twitter.com/AgjjdNNyWp
— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) January 3, 2018
Quiet Offense
The Vikings offense is not flashy or electric by any mean. Due to injuries they’ve been forced to succeed with second choice players. QB Case Keenum has had a quiet season behind the breakout Philadelphia Eagles star Carson Wentz. While Wentz received the attention, Keenum has thrown 22 TDs and just 7 INTs and lead his team to postseason. Along with the air attack the Vikings have a two-headed run attack of Latavius Murray and Jerick McKinnon, owning the seventh-best running game in the NFL. The numbers aren’t spectacular by the offense, but Keenum and crew don’t need to due to the Vikings’ defensive strength. This again brings comparisons back to the 2013 Seattle Seahawks, relying on their defense strength with an average offense.
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Not noticed till now
The Vikings were put on the back-burner with the success of the Philadelphia Eagles taking the NFL by storm. Now, the Vikings have surpassed the Eagles in the eyes of most analysts to be the favorites to take home the NFC title. If they do take home the NFC title they’ll become the first team in NFL history to play a Super Bowl in their home Stadium.
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