The Viking Age
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Minnesota Vikings 2015 Season Review: Defense

By Jordan Wright

Nov 8, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Linval Joseph (98) against the St. Louis Rams at TCF Bank Stadium. The Vikings defeated the Rams 21-18. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 8, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Linval Joseph (98) against the St. Louis Rams at TCF Bank Stadium. The Vikings defeated the Rams 21-18. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports /
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With the 2015 NFL season over, now is a good time to look back and evaluate the defensive side of the ball for the Minnesota Vikings.

Aug 8, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Linval Joseph (98) and defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd (73) and cornerback Captain Munnerlyn (24) get ready for the Oakland Raiders to play at TCF Bank Stadium. Vikings win 10-6. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 8, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Linval Joseph (98) and defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd (73) and cornerback Captain Munnerlyn (24) get ready for the Oakland Raiders to play at TCF Bank Stadium. Vikings win 10-6. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports /

The Minnesota Vikings finished the regular season with a record of 11-5 and won the NFC North. With the season over and playoffs on the horizon, it’s a good time to look back at how well our favorite players performed during the 2015 NFL season.

All of the stats are courtesy of www.nfl.com, and the ratings are courtesy of www.profootballfocus.com.

Defensive Tackle

Just looking at the stats, Linval Joseph’s season doesn’t appear to be stellar by any stretch of the imagination. Joseph only had 56 tackles and half a sack for the entire 2015 NFL season (576 snaps). However, when you put on the tape and see Linval consistently clogging the middle while fighting off double teams, it’s easy to see how much of an impact he had. Pro Football Focus tends to agree, as they have Linval rated as their third highest interior defensive lineman with a player grade of 94.4.

Sharrif Floyd had a mediocre season, finishing with only 34 tackles and 2.5 sacks (581 snaps). According to Pro Football Focus, Floyd finished with 75.4 player grade, ranking him number 53.

Tom Johnson was the only other defensive tackle to play enough to be ranked by PFF. After finishing the season with 36 tackles and 5.5 sacks (793 snaps), Johnson received a player grade of only 68.2 which ranks him number 81 among interior defensive linemen. A quick glance at their stats makes it seem like Floyd and Johnson should be similarly graded, but Tom Johnson’s run defense was the worst on the team, which is why his grade dips so low.

Kenrick Ellis played 89 snaps this season, earning a player grade of 65.6 and placing him at number 96 in the league.

Shamar Stephen earned a player grade of 48.2 in 67 snaps, which would have ranked him 117.

Defensive End

Nov 8, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen (97) against the St. Louis Rams at TCF Bank Stadium. The Vikings defeated the Rams 21-18. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 8, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen (97) against the St. Louis Rams at TCF Bank Stadium. The Vikings defeated the Rams 21-18. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports /

Everson Griffen had the best season among Vikings defensive ends, finishing the year with 44 tackles and 10.5 sacks (933 snaps). Griffen was PFF’s 19th rated edge defender with a grade of 83.3. Everson has recently been named to the Pro Bowl as an alternate, joining Adrian Peterson as the only two Vikings in Hawaii.

Brian Robison finished with 34 tackles and 5 sacks (962 snaps), earning a player grade of 73.7 which ranks him 54th.

Rookie Danielle Hunter was a huge surprise, as most had him pegged as a player who would need a few years before he was ready to contribute. However, Hunter finished the season with 33 tackles and 6 sacks (426 snaps), earning a player grade of 76.8 which is good for 41st in the league for edge defenders.

Justin Trattou played only 23 snaps and earned a grade of 66.7.

Scott Crichton played 131 snaps while earning a player grade of 54.3.

Next: Linebackers and Cornerbacks

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