Defense Won the Day for Vikings
On Monday Night Football, against the Chicago Bears, the Minnesota Vikings put up 30 points and never had the result in doubt. The offense did its part, even if it wasn’t entirely convincing. The story of the game may have been just how impressive the defense was.
Defense Won the Day for Vikings
Brian Flores has been among the best things to happen in recent seasons for Minnesota. When Kevin O’Connell landed the former head coach as his defensive coordinator, he could not have generated a better come-up from Ed Donatell. That reality has translated to strong performances on the field multiple times this season.
While Caleb Williams has been willing to take a sack all season long, the Vikings got to him just twice on Monday. However, he was consistently under pressure, and one of those hits was a gargantuan blow from Jonathan Greenard. The Vikings’ edge rusher nailed the quarterback and jarred the ball loose for Blake Cashman to scoop up.
Opposing running games have given Minnesota problems of late. That has been a concerning trend after spending the majority of the year leading the league in yards allowed. D’Andre Swift had a much better game than he did the first time around against the Vikings, but his 79 yards didn’t translate to any noticeable impact.
Minnesota saw Williams throw the ball 31 times, but he completed just 18 of his passes and only for 191 yards. They didn’t force an interception, but it was a game of caution for the rookie who often believes in himself to a laughable extent. Nothing that Thomas Brown’s offense threw at the Vikings registered any more than what Matt Eberflus showed the first time around.
It’s never easy to beat a team twice in the same season. The Vikings were going up against an opposition that had also changed coaches and philosophy. Kevin O’Connell had his team prepared, and there was no way they would come out flat.
The NFC North has been a juggernaut all season, but the Chicago Bears forgot to join the party. Minnesota kept them in the rearview where they belonged, and the defense showed up to get the job done in a big way once again on Monday.
Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes daily for Minnesota Sports Fan. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.
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