2026
2026 season · Weeks 1 to 8 · 6-1
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 goodThe league's best defense: -0.17 EPA a play allowed, 1st of 32, and 0.18 below what the offenses they faced usually manage (1st).
- How they playThey blitz on 71% of dropbacks, the 1st-most in the league, and get pressure on 34%.
- Where offenses find roomOn the ground: 4.5 a carry, 25th, and runs off left tackle gain 7.8 a carry.
- Who hurt themChristian Watson (GB): 147 yards and +6.9 EPA on 8 touches, the most anyone has managed against them.
- Next upWeek 9 against the Bills, whose offense ranks 1st in EPA a play.
How good is itthe defense against the league, and game by game
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPA per playevery snap | -0.17 | 1st of 32 | 98th | |
| Pass EPAper dropback | -0.21 | 1st of 32 | 98th | |
| Rush EPAper designed run | -0.11 | 9th of 32 | 73rd | |
| Success rateplays that gain enough | 37% | 1st of 32 | 98th | |
| Explosive rate20+ pass, 10+ run | 9% | 14th of 32 | 58th | |
| Yards per play | 4.7 | 2nd of 32 | 95th | |
| Yards per carry | 4.5 | 25th of 32 | 23rd | |
| Third downsconverted against them | 31% | 2nd of 32 | 95th |
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sack rateper dropback | 10.6% | 1st of 32 | 98th | |
| Pressure rateper dropback, PFR | 34% | 1st of 32 | 98th | |
| QB hit rateper dropback | 24% | 1st of 32 | 98th | |
| INT rateper dropback | 3.4% | 2nd of 32 | 95th | |
| Red-zone TD ratetrips ending in a touchdown | 27% | 1st of 32 | 98th | |
| Points per drivetouchdown 7, field goal 3 | 1.26 | 1st of 32 | 98th | |
| Takeawaysper game | 1.7 | 6th of 32 | 88th | |
| EPA against expectationallowed minus the offenses' usual | -0.18 | 1st of 32 | 98th |
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 6 of 7 offenses below their usual EPA a play. The biggest stop: Week 5 against the Saints, 0.35 a play under their norm. The offenses they have faced average +0.01 a play elsewhere, the 14th-toughest schedule of offenses.
vs GBW 39-22-0.17usual +0.03
at CHIW 9-3-0.13usual +0.09
at TBW 23-16-0.25usual -0.07
vs MIAW 15-10-0.20usual -0.03
at NOW 23-13-0.35usual 0.00
vs INDW 16-10-0.11usual -0.12
at DETL 15-19-0.03usual +0.14Where offenses find roomthe field, the run lanes, the positions and the situations
The soft spot is behind the line left: +0.18 EPA a throw against a league -0.18. The lockdown zone is intermediate middle, -0.22 a throw (league +0.59). Completions against them run 8.4 points under expected, 1st-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 4.5 yards a carry against them, 25th of 32. The leak is off left tackle: 7.8 a carry and +0.27 EPA (league 4.6, -0.03).
| Position | Targets a game | Yards a game | EPA per target | Fantasy points allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wide receivers | 16.69th | 122.76th | +0.109th-toughest | 15.93rd-fewest20.94th-fewest25.94th-fewest |
| Tight ends | 6.36th | 39.04th | -0.093rd-toughest | 3.91st-fewest5.51st-fewest7.11st-fewest |
| Backs, receiving | 4.64th | 18.43rd | -0.255th-toughest | 15.310th-fewest16.95th-fewest18.45th-fewest |
| Quarterbacks | – | – | – | 7.81st-fewest7.81st-fewest7.81st-fewest |
Who hurt them most
| Player | Team | Touches | Yards | TD | EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christian Watson | GB | 8 | 147 | 2 | +6.9 |
| Amon-Ra St. Brown | DET | 9 | 56 | +6.2 | |
| Ollie Gordon II | MIA | 11 | 100 | 1 | +5.3 |
| Kalif Raymond | CHI | 5 | 40 | +5.2 | |
| Keenan Allen | IND | 3 | 31 | +4.9 | |
| Jonnu Smith | GB | 3 | 50 | +4.0 |
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-short (1 to 3): offenses convert 45% against a league 61%. They are stingiest in the red zone (-0.49 a play, league +0.03) and weakest in games they trail by 9+ (-0.06, league +0.03).
| Situation | Plays | Allowed | League | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st down | 166 | -0.11 | +0.01 | -0.13 |
| 2nd down | 137 | -0.10 | +0.01 | -0.11 |
| 3rd down | 91 | -0.32 | -0.04 | -0.29 |
| 3rd and 1 to 3 | 22 | 45% | 61% | −15 pts |
| 3rd and 4 to 6 | 21 | 38% | 44% | −6 pts |
| 3rd and 7+ | 48 | 21% | 27% | −6 pts |
| Red zone | 47 | -0.49 | +0.03 | -0.52 |
| Two-minute drill | 56 | -0.21 | +0.00 | -0.22 |
| When they lead | 265 | -0.22 | +0.01 | -0.22 |
| One-score game | 341 | -0.18 | -0.01 | -0.17 |
| When they trail by 9+ | 23 | -0.06 | +0.03 | -0.09 |
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 71% of dropbacks and average 4.9 rushers; 29% of dropbacks see four or fewer. They allow -0.20 EPA when they blitz and -0.26 when they do not.
They put 6.7 defenders in the box on runs, eight or more on 8%. Into a light box (six or fewer) runs gain 4.9 a carry; into eight or more, 0.5.
Offenses lean on the run against them: 13 points under their expected pass rate on early downs in a neutral game. Play action gains +0.02 EPA against them on 18% of throws; screens +0.36.
14 defensive penalties for 140 yards, 6 of them first downs, the 1st-fewest. They miss 6% of tackle attempts by PFR's count, 3rd-best.
The defenderswho plays, and what each one has done
Dallas Turner leads the pass rush with 25 pressures and 6 sacks on 81% of the snaps.
| Player | Snaps | Pressures | Sacks | QB hits | TFL | Tackles | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43Andrew Van GinkelOLB | 85% | 11 | 6.5 | 12 | 7 | 21 | 1 |
| 61Jalen RedmondDL | 82% | 4 | 0.5 | 1 | 2 | 22 | 1 |
| 15Dallas TurnerLB | 81% | 25 | 6 | 19 | 5 | 18 | 2 |
| 90Tyrion Ingram-DawkinsDT | 61% | 3 | 0.5 | 2 | 1 | 8 | |
| 50Levi Drake RodriguezDL | 58% | 5 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 14 | |
| 17Kyle Van NoyMLB | 33% | 3 | 1.5 | 2 | 7 | 10 | |
| 97Domonique OrangeDT | 27% | 1 | 5 | ||||
| 95Caleb BanksDT | 25% | 1 | 12 | ||||
| 0Ivan Pace Jr.LB | 13% | 2 | 0.5 | 2 | 1 | 14 |
Blake Cashman plays 96% of the snaps with 62 tackles and 4.5 sacks.
| Player | Snaps | Tackles | TFL | Sacks | Pressures | Targets | Rating allowed | Missed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 51Blake CashmanLB | 96% | 62 | 7 | 4.5 | 13 | 19 | 82.4 | 1 |
| 55Eric WilsonLB | 94% | 41 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 14 | 93.7 | 4 |
| 41Jake GoldayLB | 5% | 8 | ||||||
| 32Chaz ChamblissLB | 0% | 8 | ||||||
| 98Bo RichterLB | 0% | 3 |
Isaiah Rodgers is the hardest to complete a pass against: a 49.2 passer rating on 23 targets.
| Player | Snaps | Targets | Catches allowed | Yards | TD | Rating allowed | INT | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44Josh MetellusSAF | 100% | 25 | 15 of 25 | 228 | 1 | 99.9 | 4 | |
| 7Byron MurphyCB | 90% | 33 | 21 of 33 | 239 | 70.5 | 3 | 6 | |
| 2Isaiah RodgersCB | 87% | 23 | 8 of 23 | 128 | 49.2 | 1 | 4 | |
| 26Theo JacksonDB | 59% | 3 | 3 of 3 | 98 | 2 | 145.1 | 1 | |
| 22Harrison SmithFS | 55% | 13 | 6 of 13 | 47 | 54.0 | 1 | 4 | |
| 23James PierreCB | 41% | 20 | 10 of 20 | 91 | 53.9 | 2 | 4 | |
| 29Jacob ThomasSAF | 7% | 1 | 0 of 1 | 39.6 | ||||
| 24Jay WardSAF | 1% | |||||||
| 5Zemaiah VaughnCB | 1% |
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.