7 things the Vikings do better than anyone else in the NFL
By Dustin Baker
Minnesota owns the best second-half defense
Period.
This dates back to Mike Zimmer’s rookie season. Since 2014, the Vikings have allowed 841 points in the second halves of games. When averaged per contest, this is a blistering 8.8 points allowed in the third and fourth quarters. The next in line for this metric is the New England Patriots at 9.0 points allowed per second half.
Interestingly, the merits of the statistic are bulletproof. Minnesota has led in 51 games after halftime in the last six years, good for seventh-most in the league.
There is often a tendency for the team with a lead to submerge into a prevent defense in these types of situations. Whether the Vikings do or don’t do this, the points are emphatically held to a minimum.
For more perspective, Minnesota has the NFL’s seventh-best defense when it comes to allowing points in the first half of all matchups since 2014.
Therefore, they are certainly not poor in quarters one and two. Yet, it is undebatable that the Vikings, under Zimmer, clamp down in the second half. More so than any other franchise, no matter the score.