5 bold questions for the Minnesota Vikings defense in 2020
By Chris Schad
Will the Minnesota Vikings defense take a step back in 2020?
The Minnesota Vikings have been known as a defensive team during Mike Zimmer’s tenure with the franchise.
Since Zimmer arrived in Minnesota prior to the 2014 season, the Vikings have ranked no lower than 11th in points allowed and 14th in yards allowed. While part of that has been under Zimmer’s leadership, 2020 will be his biggest challenge yet.
The Vikings have lost five starters on the defensive side of the ball since they last took the field and with no on-field reps during a virtual offseason, they’ll rely on a slew of new players to carry the torch.
In addition, some of the veteran leadership that has been on the defensive side of the ball has also moved on. Linval Joseph is now with the Los Angeles Chargers, Xavier Rhodes is a member of the Indianapolis Colts and Everson Griffen appears like he has played his last snap in Minnesota despite still being a pending free agent.
Although Minnesota added some talent both in the draft and in free agency this year, there will still be an uphill battle to meet the standards Zimmer has established during his time with the team.
Let’s look at some of the questions that remain on defense and see if the Vikings can keep things going in 2020.