The Lions cannot allow Vikings to fix their biggest issue against them, even if the new wrinkle is designed to hurt them
The Vikings want to do what the Lions seem to struggle with
The Minnesota Vikings are having a hard time right now after a big 14-win season in 2024. It seems crazy because this team seemed so put together, especially on defense. In 2024, the Vikings were one of, if not the best, defenses in the NFL. They were ranked second in defensive DVOA, and they led the league in forcing turnovers.
This year, they’re currently 19th in defensive DVOA and 18th in takeaways. That to me is the thing that makes the big difference. What is going on with the turnovers? We sat down and talked with our own Vikings beat writer, Tyler Forness, about this, and here’s what he had to say:
The Vikings’ turnover issue is a big part of a larger issue the Lions have to make sure Minnesota doesn’t fix this week
“It’s no secret that the Vikings have seen a regression when it comes to turnovers. However, it’s not the main reason for their lack of success. This year, the Vikings have forced just nine turnovers, with five of them coming in one game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The scheme has seen some evolution, with the biggest change coming with how the Vikings have been using their defensive tackles.
The Vikings had major issues last year with their defensive tackles and getting pressure. They had just 4.0 of their 49.0 sacks come from defensive tackles. They are using significantly more defensive tackles in the pass rush and relying less on stunts than before. Where the issues come into play is when these guys either don’t win one-on-one or can’t finish at the quarterback.
Their pressure-to-sack ratio has gone down almost two percent despite their pressures per game being higher than they were last season.
2024: 49 sacks on 334 pressures (14.58%)
2025: 18 sacks on 140 pressures (12.86%)
They need to figure it out to really fix the defense, as that’s the biggest caveat.”
It’s not hard to see what Forness is talking about here. Getting pressure up front caused quarterbacks ot get off their spots or throw forced passes. Forced passes can often turn into interceptions. If the Vikings aren’t bringing enough pressure, they’re not forcing enough mistakes. So far this season, the Lions have been able to keep Jared Goff clean, but interior pressure has been an issue for them.
The Lions can’t allow the Vikings to fix their issue in this game. Their whole plan seems to be to get that pressure from the inside. Don’t let them do it. Play a clean game, fix those third-down woes, and you win.
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