7 biggest takeaways from the Vikings win over the Bears in Week 5

Minnesota’s defense is extremely perplexing

When looking at where the Vikings rank in some of the most notable defensive categories this season, one might believe the performance of the unit is nothing to freak out about.

After the first five weeks, Minnesota is 14th in the NFL in points allowed, 22nd in passing yards allowed, 20th in rushing yards allowed, and 14th in third-down conversion rate. PFF also has the Vikings with the 11th-best overall defensive grade in the league along with the third-best run defense grade, the sixth-best tackling grade, and the 13th-best pass-rushing grade.

These all seem like rankings for a pretty average defense, right? So why does it seem like opposing offenses have been able to do almost whatever they’ve wanted to when facing Minnesota’s defense this year?

Whether it’s due to the scheme or the actual players on the roster, the middle of the field always seems to be left wide open by the Vikings’ defense each week. Minnesota’s opponents have taken full advantage of this and it’s resulted in teams like the Saints and Bears putting up more points than they probably should have.

The Vikings’ new defensive scheme supposedly follows a bend-don’t-break philosophy. But it seems like Minnesota’s defense has been bending a little too much during the first five weeks and the team needs to straighten things out before it’s too late.