2025
2025 season · Weeks 1 to 22 · 9-8
Vikings defense
Every snap the Vikings defended, what it cost them and how they got there: the league ranks the player pages quote, where offenses find room, how this defense plays, and who plays in it.
- How good-0.10 EPA a play allowed, 4th of 32, and 0.15 below what the offenses they faced usually manage (3rd).
- How they playThey blitz on 51% of dropbacks, the 1st-most in the league, and get pressure on 29%.
- Where offenses find roomOn the ground: 3.8 a carry, 6th, and runs off right tackle gain 4.9 a carry.
- Who hurt themA.J. Brown (PHI): 121 yards and +14.5 EPA on 6 touches, the most anyone has managed against them.
How good is itthe defense against the league, and game by game
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPA per playevery snap | -0.10 | 4th of 32 | 89th | |
| Pass EPAper dropback | -0.12 | 2nd of 32 | 95th | |
| Rush EPAper designed run | -0.08 | 12th of 32 | 64th | |
| Success rateplays that gain enough | 41% | 5th of 32 | 86th | |
| Explosive rate20+ pass, 10+ run | 9% | 8th of 32 | 77th | |
| Yards per play | 4.7 | 3rd of 32 | 92nd | |
| Yards per carry | 3.8 | 6th of 32 | 83rd | |
| Third downsconverted against them | 35% | 3rd of 32 | 92nd |
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sack rateper dropback | 9.3% | 3rd of 32 | 92nd | |
| Pressure rateper dropback, PFR | 29% | 2nd of 32 | 95th | |
| QB hit rateper dropback | 18% | 3rd of 32 | 92nd | |
| INT rateper dropback | 1.5% | 22nd of 32 | 31st | |
| Red-zone TD ratetrips ending in a touchdown | 43% | 2nd of 32 | 95th | |
| Points per drivetouchdown 7, field goal 3 | 1.63 | 3rd of 32 | 92nd | |
| Takeawaysper game | 1.3 | 9th of 32 | 75th | |
| EPA against expectationallowed minus the offenses' usual | -0.15 | 3rd of 32 | 92nd |
Each bar is the league's 32 defenses; the marker is the Vikings. Right is better for the defense, so a low EPA allowed sits right. The pressure rate is PFR's pressures (hurries, hits and sacks) per dropback. EPA against expectation compares each game with what that offense averaged in its other games, so a strong schedule is not held against them.
They held 12 of 17 offenses below their usual EPA a play. The biggest stop: Week 3 against the Bengals, 0.82 a play under their norm. The offenses they have faced average +0.04 a play elsewhere, the 1st-toughest schedule of offenses.
at CHIW 27-24-0.07usual +0.09
vs ATLL 6-22-0.03usual -0.02
vs CINW 48-10-0.79usual +0.03
at PITL 21-24+0.20usual +0.02
at CLEW 21-17-0.01usual -0.20
vs PHIL 22-28+0.28usual +0.01
at LACL 10-37+0.20usual -0.04
at DETW 27-24-0.01usual +0.09
vs BALL 19-27-0.02usual +0.04vs CHIL 17-19-0.05usual +0.09
at GBL 6-23+0.02usual +0.12
at SEAL 0-26-0.18usual +0.04
vs WASW 31-0-0.43usual +0.03
at DALW 34-26+0.11usual +0.09
at NYGW 16-13-0.38usual +0.03vs DETW 23-10-0.46usual +0.12vs GBW 16-3-0.33usual +0.14Where offenses find roomthe field, the run lanes, the positions and the situations
The soft spot is deep middle: +2.00 EPA a throw against a league +0.73. The lockdown zone is intermediate left, -0.31 a throw (league +0.35). Completions against them run 4.4 points under expected, 4th-best in the league.
Every pass they faced with a charted air distance and side, sacks excluded. Green is a zone where they allow less than the league, red more. How often shows the share of throws against them there.
Offenses run for 3.8 yards a carry against them, 6th of 32. The leak is off right tackle: 4.9 a carry and +0.09 EPA (league 4.6, -0.04).
| Position | Targets a game | Yards a game | EPA per target | Fantasy points allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wide receivers | 14.32nd | 115.92nd | +0.2116th-toughest | 15.01st-fewest19.31st-fewest23.71st-fewest |
| Tight ends | 6.57th | 42.34th | +0.106th-toughest | 6.27th-fewest8.56th-fewest10.76th-fewest |
| Backs, receiving | 4.22nd | 19.51st | -0.371st-toughest | 16.412th-fewest18.010th-fewest19.69th-fewest |
| Quarterbacks | – | – | – | 11.11st-fewest11.11st-fewest11.11st-fewest |
Who hurt them most
| Player | Team | Touches | Yards | TD | EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A.J. Brown | PHI | 6 | 121 | 2 | +14.5 |
| DeVonta Smith | PHI | 11 | 183 | 1 | +10.2 |
| DK Metcalf | PIT | 5 | 126 | 1 | +10.1 |
| Sam LaPorta | DET | 8 | 97 | 1 | +9.5 |
| Jameson Williams | DET | 9 | 103 | 1 | +7.4 |
| Keenan Allen | LAC | 5 | 44 | +7.4 |
Targets, yards and EPA per target by the receiver's position, ranked 1st for the toughest defense: the same numbers a receiver's This week panel quotes against this defense. Fantasy points allowed follow the scoring switch. Who hurt them ranks every opposing player by EPA on his targets and carries against this defense.
Their biggest third-down edge is third-and-4-to-6: offenses convert 35% against a league 44%. They are stingiest in games they lead (-0.23 a play, league -0.01) and weakest in games they trail by 9+ (-0.01, league +0.04).
| Situation | Plays | Allowed | League | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st down | 431 | -0.08 | +0.01 | -0.10 |
| 2nd down | 339 | -0.10 | +0.02 | -0.13 |
| 3rd down | 223 | -0.24 | -0.05 | -0.19 |
| 3rd and 1 to 3 | 73 | 58% | 60% | −3 pts |
| 3rd and 4 to 6 | 43 | 35% | 44% | −9 pts |
| 3rd and 7+ | 107 | 19% | 26% | −7 pts |
| Red zone | 161 | -0.15 | 0.00 | -0.15 |
| Two-minute drill | 111 | -0.11 | +0.03 | -0.14 |
| When they lead | 426 | -0.23 | -0.01 | -0.22 |
| One-score game | 684 | -0.07 | +0.02 | -0.09 |
| When they trail by 9+ | 189 | -0.01 | +0.04 | -0.05 |
EPA a play allowed, or for third downs the share converted (a first down or a touchdown). Green is better than the league for the defense. Score states are from the defense's side.
How they playpressure, the box, what offenses try, discipline
The most aggressive defense in football. They send extra rushers on 51% of dropbacks and average 4.6 rushers; 54% of dropbacks see four or fewer. They allow -0.10 EPA when they blitz and -0.14 when they do not.
They put 6.5 defenders in the box on runs, eight or more on 8%. Into a light box (six or fewer) runs gain 4.3 a carry; into eight or more, 2.0.
Offenses lean on the run against them: 7 points under their expected pass rate on early downs in a neutral game. Play action gains -0.06 EPA against them on 23% of throws; screens -0.55.
45 defensive penalties for 384 yards, 26 of them first downs, the 12th-fewest. They miss 10% of tackle attempts by PFR's count, 19th-best.
The defenderswho plays, and what each one has done
Dallas Turner leads the pass rush with 24 pressures and 8 sacks on 66% of the snaps.
| Player | Snaps | Pressures | Sacks | QB hits | TFL | Tackles | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 93Jonathan AllenDE | 76% | 15 | 3.5 | 11 | 7 | 67 | |
| 61Jalen RedmondDL | 74% | 11 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 59 | 1 |
| 15Dallas TurnerLB | 66% | 24 | 8 | 15 | 11 | 66 | 4 |
| 43Andrew Van GinkelOLB | 54% | 16 | 7 | 13 | 11 | 51 | |
| 58Jonathan GreenardLB | 53% | 24 | 3 | 12 | 10 | 36 | 1 |
| 97Javon HargraveNT | 50% | 10 | 3.5 | 6 | 4 | 52 | 1 |
| 50Levi Drake RodriguezDL | 43% | 5 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 42 | |
| 90Tyrion Ingram-DawkinsDT | 24% | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 12 | |
| 99Elijah WilliamsDE | 4% | 9 | |||||
| 94Taki TaimaniDL | 4% | 1 |
Eric Wilson plays 90% of the snaps with 111 tackles and 6.5 sacks.
| Player | Snaps | Tackles | TFL | Sacks | Pressures | Targets | Rating allowed | Missed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55Eric WilsonLB | 90% | 111 | 17 | 6.5 | 18 | 40 | 75.9 | 14 |
| 51Blake CashmanLB | 73% | 143 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 35 | 96.5 | 8 |
| 0Ivan Pace Jr.LB | 30% | 58 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 15 | 76.2 | 8 |
| 98Bo RichterLB | 5% | 11 | 2 | 56.2 | ||||
| 96Tyler BattyLB | 4% | 12 | 2 | 1 | ||||
| 57Chaz ChamblissLB | 3% | 8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 122.9 | |
| 45Kobe KingLB | 0% | 4 |
Fabian Moreau is the hardest to complete a pass against: a 61.2 passer rating on 19 targets.
| Player | Snaps | Targets | Catches allowed | Yards | TD | Rating allowed | INT | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7Byron MurphyCB | 98% | 73 | 45 of 73 | 448 | 3 | 84.7 | 2 | 7 |
| 2Isaiah RodgersCB | 90% | 85 | 53 of 85 | 636 | 2 | 85.8 | 1 | 4 |
| 44Josh MetellusSAF | 79% | 47 | 28 of 47 | 368 | 4 | 85.6 | 2 | 6 |
| 22Harrison SmithFS | 74% | 34 | 27 of 34 | 369 | 3 | 102.9 | 2 | 10 |
| 26Theo JacksonDB | 51% | 14 | 10 of 14 | 155 | 1 | 99.4 | 1 | |
| 24Jay WardSAF | 24% | 7 | 4 of 7 | 72 | 91.7 | |||
| 23Fabian MoreauCB | 18% | 19 | 9 of 19 | 70 | 61.2 | 2 | ||
| 8Jeff OkudahCB | 9% | 12 | 11 of 12 | 175 | 1 | 121.0 | ||
| 6Dwight McGlothernCB | 3% | 1 | 0 of 1 | 39.6 |
Tackles, sacks, QB hits, TFL, interceptions, passes defended and forced fumbles are nflverse's weekly stats; pressures, targets, catches and yards allowed, passer rating allowed and missed tackles are PFR's charting. Snap share is the season average of defensive snaps.