Reason 3: A new defensive scheme
The offense for the Minnesota Vikings made some minor adjustments to improve but the defense made some massive overhauls after being one of the most disappointing units in franchise history.
Minnesota’s answer to that was converting to a 3-4 front in order to not only achieve pressure from the edges but contain big plays and collapse pockets to make things easier for the defensive backs on the field.
It will look very different to have this formation of players when the season kicks off but the biggest adjustment will be obvious in the first few weeks since a complete turnaround is unlikely to happen without time for the unit to gel as a whole.
Defensive coordinator Ed Donatell’s experience with the Broncos the past three years is impressive and he hopes to bring that success to the purple and gold and help the unit rebound and become the fearsome unit they previously were.