The Borman Breakdown: Mike Zimmer deploys CB rotation

The Minnesota Vikings took care of business at home against the Detroit Lions on Sunday, winning 20-7. Heading into the game there were questions of how the defense would perform, but Mike Zimmer’s squad quelled many of those concerns by nearly shutting out the Lions, holding Detroit to 231 yards of total offense just one game after allowing a season-high 444 to Seattle.

But it was what Zimmer said after the game that caused a double-take. Zimmer said the Vikings are deploying a rotation at cornerback. Considering the extended struggles of Xavier Rhodes and the number of explosive plays given up by the secondary this season, it’s an interesting development.

So far, so good. The Vikings held David Blough to 205 passing yards on 40 attempts. Detroit’s leading receiver was Kenny Golladay, who hauled in 6 catches for 58 yards and 1 touchdown. While the experiment didn’t go exactly as planned as Mike Hughes left the game with an oblique injury, Zimmer said after the game he wasn’t concerned about the ailment.

The secondary also got some help from the defensive line, who brought down the Lions’ quarterback five times, including three sacks by defensive end Danielle Hunter.

Moving forward, it’ll be interesting to see how the Zimmer manages the rotation. Communication would seem to be a concern, so perhaps a home game was best to try it out. The Vikings currently boast one of the deepest cornerbacks groups in the NFL:

• Xavier Rhodes (6-1, 218; 29)
• Trae Waynes (6-0, 190; 27)
• Mackensie Alexander (5-10, 192; 26)
• Mike Hughes (5-10, 189; 22)
• Holton Hill (6-2, 196; 22)
• Kris Boyd (5-11, 200; 23)

Hash marks

• Stefon Diggs leads the team in receiving with 56 catches for 997 yards. He has 5 touchdowns on the season.

• Dalvin Cook remains second on the Vikings with 50 receptions. He has 503 yards receiving.
• Laquon Treadwell continues to show improvement in both the running game and passing game.

• I’ll leave you with this… The Vikings are now 9-4.