4 most disappointing Vikings in the win over the Bears in Week 5
By Nik Edlund
Chandon Sullivan – CB
The Vikings’ defense has been shaky all season. They can’t seem to stop the run and the coverage in the secondary has been softer than the fur of a lemur.
The defense’s struggles are a big reason why the majority of the Vikings’ games this season have been settled in the final minutes, causing fans’ hearts to always be beating out of their chests.
Minnesota cornerback Chandon Sullivan has been a repeat offender when it comes to soft, shoddy coverage, and we saw it again against the Bears.
Sullivan was beaten early in the game as he was fooled on a route by a Bears receiver that lead to an early first down. He was then beaten again at the end of the half by Chicago wide receiver Darnell Mooney. Sullivan was able to at least recover enough to make it look close before Mooney made one of the sweetest grabs you’ll ever see on a football field.
What confounds Sullivan’s play is that he struggles to tackle too. He has the speed to catch up, but he is a drag-down type of tackler, and that rarely works with his short stature.
Sullivan isn’t very good, but it’s not like the Vikings have many other options. So the shoddy play from the nickel position is likely going to continue.