4 reasons why the Vikings already have the best defense in the NFL

The Minnesota Vikings will step onto the field in Week 1 of the 2021 season with a defense that stands above the rest.

When the 2013 season came to a close, the Minnesota Vikings decided to part ways with head coach Leslie Frazier after three years.

Frazier’s final season with the Vikings saw the team finish with a 5-10-1 record and the NFL’s worst defense. The performance by Minnesota’s defense was especially surprising since Frazier was hired due to his excellence as a defensive coordinator for multiple years.

To fill their head coaching vacancy, the Vikings went with Mike Zimmer, a longtime defensive assistant in the NFL that was passed over for a lead gig by far too many teams.

After the hiring of Zimmer, Minnesota’s defense went from the bottom of the league to consistently ranking as one of the NFL’s best units.

That was until last year when injuries and inexperience proved to be too much for the Vikings defense. Towards the end of the season, Zimmer stated that it was one of the worst defenses he’s ever coached. He really didn’t know what to do other than to just throw up his hands.

This year, Minnesota’s top priority during the last few months has clearly been to avoid the defense having a repeat of last season’s performance.

With several new additions, a number of top players returning from injury, and Zimmer motivated more than ever to prove his doubters wrong, there are multiple reasons why the Vikings already have the best defense in the entire NFL.