Defense No Longer A Liability For Resurgent Minnesota Vikings In 2023

The narrative has changed dramatically on the Minnesota Vikings season. Even though quarterback Kirk Cousins is out for the season with an Achilles injury, the Vikings suddenly have significant momentum after winning 4 of their last 5 games, and they have a path to the postseason.

Yes, the Cousins injury hurts badly, but the Vikings have hit the portion of their schedule where they can reel off a significant winning streak. They have upcoming games against the Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, Denver Broncos and Chicago Bears, and there are good reasons the Vikings can win all of them.

Even without Cousins.

Suddenly, the Minnesota Vikings are playing solid defense and they don’t simply have to outscore the opposition. The Vikings have the 11^th-ranked defense in the league, and that’s a major step up from where they have been in the last 3 seasons.

They were one of the worst defenses in the league in all of those seasons, and that includes last year’s team. The Vikings were 13-4 last season and rolled to the NFC North title with ease. Nevertheless, they had the 31^st-ranked defense in the league and that’s why all but one of their victories were by one score or less.

The defense got eviscerated last year in a number of games, and that unit’s putrid play was the main reason they were beaten in the Wild Card round by the New York Giants.

New defensive coordinator Brian Flores has installed a scheme that includes multiple blitzes, and the Vikings send extra pass rushers to the opposing quarterback more than any other team in the league. This is a risky philosophy because it can result in a series of big plays against the defense if it does not work.

But there was really no risk at all since the Vikings were at the bottom for three seasons when Flores arrived. How much worse could a fourth-season at the bottom of the league rankings have been?

Instead, Danielle Hunter leads the league in sacks with 10.0 and he was just named the NFC Defensive Player of the Month for October. He is a dangerous football player who is motivated to succeed this season as he can parlay his success into a new contract next year.

But it is more than just Hunter that is allowing the defense to show such dramatic improvement. Safety Cam Bynum was little more than an afterthought in previous seasons but now he is a game-changing player. He is the team’s leading tackler with 76 stops in 2023 and he has 6 passes defensed, 2 interceptions and 1 forced fumble.

Jordan Hicks has been a going concern from the linebacker spot as he is second in tackles with 69, and he has 1 forced fumble and 2 fumble recoveries – one of which he returned for a season-altering touchdown in Week 4 against the Carolina Panthers. He also has 3 passes defensed and 1 interception.

Harrison Smith and Josh Metellus have been integral performers on the back end. Both safeties have recorded 34 tackles and have made a series of big plays. Smith has forced 3 fumbles, while Metellus has 3 passes defensed, an interception and a forced fumble.

If the Vikings are going to take advantage of this soft patch in their schedule, the defense must continue to surge.

They are going to start a rookie quarterback in Jaren Hall against the Falcons, and he will be limited. He has a crew of fine receivers led by explosive Jordan Addison and tight end T.J. Hockenson, but the Vikings can’t open the playbook at risk of exposing the team to a series of turnovers.

New quarterback Josh Dobbs should get his opportunity in Week 10 against the Saints. He has much more to offer than Hall and will give the Vikings more options. But he is not the same kind of passer as Cousins and it will be up to the defense to continue its reversal of fortune.

There is a chance the Vikings could be 8-4 by the time they reach their bye in Week 13. If they can reach that point – 7-5 would probably suffice as well – they will have meaningful games in December and January, including two against the division-leading Lions.

Suddenly, a lost season has come back to life and the Vikings have every chance of delivering a surprising finish.