4 biggest takeaways from the Vikings loss to the Saints in Week 16

(Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) Mike Zimmer
(Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) Mike Zimmer /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 5
Next
Minnesota Vikings
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – DECEMBER 25: Alvin Kamara #41 of the New Orleans Saints carries the ball during the first quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on December 25, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) /

Minnesota desperately needs help in run support

Between the atrocious tackling against the Saints and the absolutely ineffective nature of the team’s personnel, the Minnesota Vikings in a bad place defensively. Theyare giving up an insane number of yards and touchdowns to their opponents on a regular basis and it’s a trend that needs to stop immediately.

Last season, the purple and gold allowed eight rushing touchdowns to their opponents through 16 games. This year, that number has already more than doubled to 17 with one more game left to play this season.

To further push this point, the Vikings allowed seven rushing touchdowns during the 2017 NFL season as a whole while the New Orleans Saints scored seven times on the ground in Friday’s game alone.

Finally getting Michael Pierce on the field should help the team’s defense in 2021, but there is still a huge question about who will be the starter next to him on the line. Plus, the missed tackles need to be cleaned up immediately, starting with Week 17 against Detroit to get back to containing the rush.