3 immediate replacements for Ed Donatell the Vikings need to consider

Should the Minnesota Vikings consider replacing defensive coordinator Ed Donatell before the end of the 2022 regular season before he ruins their playoff chances?

When the Minnesota Vikings hired Ed Donatell to be their defensive coordinator this past offseason, the hope was that he would be able to help improve a defense that ranked 24th in the NFL points allowed in 2021.

At first, it seemed like Donatell’s “bend, but don’t break” approach was going to work for Minnesota’s defense. But during their last few games, the defense has been getting gashed by almost every opponent they’ve gone up against.

Sunday inside Ford Field was just the latest example, as the Detroit Lions racked up 464 total yards against the Vikings’ bad impression of an NFL defense. Minnesota has now allowed at least 400 yards to their last five opponents.

With only four weeks left in the regular season, the Vikings moving on from Donatell anytime soon probably isn’t very likely. But if Minnesota wants to make a change, they do have a few guys on their current coaching staff that have called plays for a defense in the past.

Who are some of the possible internal candidates to replace Donatell the Vikings might want to consider before their dreams for the upcoming playoffs are crushed?