Minnesota Vikings: 8 Bold Predictions for the 2020 Season
By Chris Schad
The Vikings will be one of the worst teams against the run
One of the keys to Mike Zimmer’s defense has been the ability to stop the run. Although the NFL has shifted more toward a passing league, the ability to keep teams in second and third and long situations limits what they can do, leading to the Vikings being one of the best third-down defenses in the league.
But heading into 2020, that reputation could be in danger. The Vikings thought they could solve that issue with the addition of Michael Pierce, but the 340-pound nose tackle opted out due to concerns with COVID-19 leaving a bunch of uninspiring names in the middle of the defensive line.
The Vikings coaching staff will tell you that Shamar Stephen is an All-Pro, but his run defender grade ranked 96th among qualifying defensive tackles. His partner, Jaleel Johnson also hasn’t done much, collecting four sacks in three seasons and ranking 169th in run defender grade in 2019.
The reason for this is that their roles are more geared toward setting up Eric Kendricks and Anthony Barr rather than making their own plays. That being said, where is the value in having Kendricks and Barr make tackles four yards downfield as opposed to having their defensive tackles blow up the play in the backfield?
The 49ers knew this and proceeded to ram Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman down their throats until they literally ran the Vikings off the field. With no upgrade in the middle and their defensive scheme, it’s possible the Vikings won’t see improvement in this area in 2020.