Defense steps it up inside the Bank
This shouldn’t come as a surprise, but most teams play better at home than they do on the road. This is especially the case for the Vikings’ defense though.
Last season, only the Jacksonville Jaguars defense allowed fewer yards per play on their home field to their opponents than Minnesota. This came after the outstanding performance of the Vikings’ defense in 2017 when they allowed the fewest yards of any team to their opponents during games inside U.S. Bank Stadium.
Playing a big part in Minnesota’s defensive dominance at home has been the excellent job they’ve done against opposing pass offenses.
Last year, the Vikings’ defense allowed the second-fewest yards per completion during home games and in 2017 they allowed the fewest of any team in the league in this category.
For a team like the Raiders who finished last season with one of the lowest averages for passing yards on the road, Sunday afternoon probably isn’t going to be too much fun for them during their first trip to U.S. Bank Stadium.