The defense that fueled Minnesota’s 5-0 start with a disruptive pass rush and a swarm of tacklers to stop the run has had a rough week, humbled by a pair of code-breaking quarterbacks and their smart play-callers.
Four days after the Vikings suffered their first loss of the season at the hands of Detroit’s high-powered offense, they were defeated again in Los Angeles by another powerful group that followed a similar blueprint.
Just like Jared Goff did for the Lions in their 31-29 win on Sundaythe Vikings had their zone pass coverage picked apart by the Rams’ Matthew Stafford LA’s 30-20 win on Thursday night. Goff and Stafford combined to go 47 for 59 for 559 yards and six touchdowns, and the one turnover the Vikings forced in each game wasn’t enough to slow down the opposition.
There’s no shame in giving up pitches to players like Goff and Stafford. The Lions are thriving under offensive coordinator Ben Johnson with one of the most balanced lineups in the game, ranking second in the NFL in yards per game and third in points. The Rams, uncomfortably for the Vikings, welcomed back standout wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua from injuries and quickly got going in impressive fashion reminiscent of their Super Bowl championship team of three years ago.
Against the Lions, the Vikings sacked Goff four times with some effective pressure early and late, but he was largely untouched and in rhythm in the middle quarters. They simply never got to Stafford, turning in their first sackless performance while registering just two hits. One of the most hair-raising plays came in the second quarter, when Jonathan Greenard used a spin move to get into the backfield and force Stafford to slide into the pocket. As Harrison Phillips approached in prime position to finish the sack, Stafford ducked under his arms and fired a touchdown pass to Kupp.
With linebacker Blake Cashman sidelined for the second straight game with a toe injury, the Vikings were far less effective against the run. The variety of blitzes and disguises designed to trick offenses into thinking pressure is coming that defensive coordinator Brian Flores has deployed successfully this year didn’t cause many problems for Goff. There was even less disruption for Stafford. Rams coach Sean McVay also called several screen passes to take advantage of his receivers’ speed and get the ball out of Stafford’s hand as quickly as possible.
“We’ve been dealing with teams hitting us in those same areas, take advantage of that. We’re seeing more screens. We’re seeing more run attacks. They’re trying to tackle us, setting up plays so they can dump here and there and dump,” Vikings cornerback Shaquill Griffin said. “I don’t think this is the last time we see this, so there’s still a lot we need to fix.”
Coordination and communication were also persistent problems on Thursday. Cashman’s absence certainly didn’t help.
“I think everyone is still in good spirits,” Griffin said, “but no one likes this feeling.”
Even worse than the experience of consecutive defeats: Losing star left tackle Christian Darrisaw for the remainder of the season. Darrisaw suffered torn ligaments in his left knee, coach Kevin O’Connell said Friday.
The Vikings could hardly have imagined a better start to the season from quarterback Sam Darnold. He posted a season-best 128.7 passer rating against the Rams and ranks fifth in the league in that category.
The Vikings sabotaged their offense before the snap with completely preventable penalties. They were flagged for two false starts and two illegal formations against the Rams after being whistled for one false start, two illegal formations and the rare offensive offside penalty against the Lions.
Ryan Wright averaged 50.3 yards on three punts, landing them all inside the 20-yard line, for a long of 61 yards.
Jalen Nailor dropped a short pass early in the fourth quarter that would have given the Vikings a first down. He had the angle to get into the end zone for what would have been the go-ahead shot, but the Vikings had to settle for a field goal. Nailor scored in each of the first three games but has been quiet since.
The loss of Darrisaw will be extremely difficult to deal with, but the Vikings will have TE TJ Hockenson back from injury next week. Cashman is also on his way back.
The Vikings have lost nine consecutive night games against teams from the West divisions, a series of time zone issues that have developed since their last win over Oakland in 1996. The primetime skid includes four losses to Seattle, two to Arizona, two to the Rams and one to San Francisco.
The Vikings host the Indianapolis Colts on November 3a game that NBC grabbed for the primetime slot under the league’s flexible scheduling policy. After that, the Vikings have three consecutive games on the schedule: in Jacksonville, Tennessee and Chicago.
