New 3-4 Configuration Gives Minnesota Vikings A Fighting Chance On Defense

What does it take to play great defense in the NFL? One of the most common aspects that dominating defensive teams have had over the decades is having at least one player in the lineup who is a complete monster and can take over a game at any moment.

The Los Angeles Rams won the Super Bowl last season, and Aaron Donald was their defensive stud who would not be denied. When the Denver Broncos dominated Super Bowl 50, they were led by Von Miller who had 11.0 sacks during the 2015 season along with 2.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles in their SB triumph over the Carolina Panthers.

The Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl following the 2013 season with their Legion of Boom defense led by Bobby Wagner and Kam Chancellor, while the 2012 champion Baltimore Ravens had a memorable 1-2 punch with Ray Lewis and Ed Reed leading the way.

The Minnesota Vikings are a long way from playing defense at a championship level, but if they have any chance of making a big jump in the 2022 season, they hope to have two players who are capable of dominating on every play and putting fear into the hearts of their opponents.

Danielle Hunter and Za’Darius Smith are slated in as the Vikings’ edge rushers, and both have the track record to dominate every time they step out onto the field. All they have to do is stay healthy and focused.

Here’s the good news for Vikings fans and coaches. When Hunter was healthy in 2018 and ’19, he recorded 14.5 sacks in back-to-back seasons. When Smith was healthy with the Green Bay Packers in 2019 and ’20, he had 13.5 and 12.5 sacks, respectively.

The bad news is that Hunter was rarely available to play the last two years as a result of injuries, while Smith played just one game for the Packers in 2021.

New defensive coordinator Ed Donatell is counting on both players to stay healthy and give the Vikings a memorable pass rush and provide the foundation for a great defense.

When a team has two pass rushers who can simply take over games and dominate, it is almost impossible for opposing offenses to sustain any kind of an attack. The relentless pressure means that one or more pass rushers will end up living in the backfield and put fear into the heart of the quarterback.

So, all that has to happen is for Hunter and Smith to stay healthy, right? Well, it’s not quite that simple.

The Vikings have been awful on defense the past two seasons, and it’s up to Donatell to figure out a solution. Minnesota has had huge problems against the run, giving up an average of 4.7 yards per carry last year (tied for 29^th), and the Vikings have regularly given up big passing plays that destroyed any momentum the team might have had.

So, Donatell is making huge changes to Minnesota’s defensive game plan. The Vikings have been a team that has played the 4-3 for decades, but that changes under Donatell. They are going to a 3-4, and the first thing he needs to see is a defense that can stop the run.

The three players up front are scheduled to be Dalvin Tomlinson at nose tackle along with Harrison Phillips and Armon Watts at defensive end and defensive tackle respectively. That’s the configuration as training camp is now underway. In the coming weeks, there could be changes before the Vikings open the season at home against the Green Bay Packers.

Jaylen Twyman and rookie Esezi Otomewo will have a chance to show what they can do, and Twyman could be the X-factor. He missed the 2021 season due to injury, and didn’t play in 2020 as a college player at Pitt. Prior to that, he had displayed impressive athleticism, and Donatell would like to see a return to his previous form.

So, all the Vikings need to become a dominating defense is to completely reverse their form against the run, get improved pass coverage from their secondary, and have their two potentially dominant pass rushers stay healthy for a full season.

It’s a huge order and one that seems like a long shot. However, there is a game plan in place, and there is at least a chance for a significant turnaround.