Vikings Mailbag: Defensive Struggles, Danielle Hunter, Christian Darrisaw, Rookies
Ahead of Sunday's Week 5 game against the Bears, it's time for another Inside the Vikings mailbag. I asked for questions on Twitter, and you all had plenty to ask.
Here we go.
@ScoobaCards: What’s your opinion on the defense? Been pretty conservative imo the first 4 weeks. Saw some more blitzes last week on third downs. My feeling is they’re trying to get the basic downs and as season goes on we will see more variation and complex packages.
@brianlelas: Is Ed Donatell's defensive plan solid and taking time to bear fruit, or is it limiting key personnel and making this team worse than the sum of its parts?
@MjButts: Why is the pass rush not getting home, or at least feels like the opposing QB has lots of time. Are we lowest in blitz percentage?
+ several others
I got a bunch of questions along these lines regarding Ed Donatell's defense, and understandably so. Despite ostensibly having talent at all three levels, the Vikings rank 23rd in opponent EPA per play, 26th in defensive DVOA, and 27th in yards allowed per game. It's been a very disappointing start for a unit led by a respected veteran coordinator in Donatell, even if the Vikings have managed to bend and not break at times.
If you think the defense has been conservative, you're right. Per Pro Football Reference, the Vikings are blitzing just 18.2 percent of the time, the seventh-lowest rate in the league. They've been content to sit back in their two high safety shells and play a lot of soft zone coverage, which is designed to limit explosive plays and make offenses try to sustain long drives. The issue is that's exactly what has happened. The run defense has been poor, and when QBs like Jared Goff and Andy Dalton are ripping up your defense through the air, that's an issue.
I think the point about it being early in the season is a fair one. Players are all adjusting to this new scheme, and I'd imagine we'll see Donatell ramp up the pressure as the season goes along. He's a smart coach; he knows what they're doing right now hasn't been working very well. The players can definitely execute the system better, but that doesn't mean strategic adjustments aren't needed.
Blitzing more feels like a no-brainer this week against a Bears team with a weak offensive line and a sack-prone young quarterback.
@PokeysaurusRex: DANIELLE HUNTER. He’s been a non-factor both on the stat sheet and the eyeball test. Does he need time to adapt to 3-4 or is he not a fit in this scheme?
@Matt_Peterss: How alarmed should we be with Danielle hunters pressure not living up to his 4-3 history?
@prestonjrcpl: Is Danielle Hunter’s lack of production on him, or is it on the scheme and it not being a good fit for his skill set?
+ several others
This question ties in with broader questions about the entire defense. Hunter is arguably the Vikings' best defensive player, but he hasn't been living up to that standard so far with just one sack and eight pressures. Donatell was asked about this on Thursday and said he isn't concerned. He said it takes everyone who makes a transition like this (from 4-3 DE to 3-4 OLB) about a month to get comfortable.
Pair some growing pains in a new scheme with three consecutive matchups against elite right tackles (Lane Johnson, Penei Sewell, Ryan Ramczyk), and it's not shocking that Hunter is off to a slow start. But with the Vikings not blitzing much and having little in the way of interior pass rush, they're very reliant on Hunter and Za'Darius Smith getting to the quarterback. Smith has done that at a high level, but Hunter hasn't.
I wouldn't be too concerned yet. Hunter is too talented and athletic not to get going as he gets more and more familiar with this scheme, especially in easier matchups like the one he'll face against Bears RT Larry Borom. But if this slow start continues over the next month or so, we'll have to face the possibility that this scheme just isn't the best fit for Hunter's style of play. For a guy with cap hits in the $12-13 million range this year and next, that would be an issue.
@Guapo_247: When Andrew Booth is healthy do you anticipate him being on special teams or getting defensive snaps? Seems like the only spot he’d possibly take is Sullivans given the play of P2 & Dantzler.
Booth's immediate role when he returns will be on special teams. Neither Patrick Peterson nor Cameron Dantzler is in danger of losing their starting job, and while Chandon Sullivan hasn't been great, he's an experienced slot cornerback who has at least been fine. That's a tough position to play. Over time, maybe Booth could eat into Dantzler or Sullivan's snaps if they struggle. But for now, I'll just be curious to see who goes out there if one of the outside corners misses any time. Will it be Akayleb Evans or Booth? I'd lean Booth.
@VgxGoro: How do we build an offense that is not known for going 3 and out and kicking field goals in half field situations? How big of an impact would having a reliable offensive cadence have on our defensive performance?
This is a simple answer, but it's just about play calling and execution. Good offenses are efficient and explosive, which means hitting on big plays but also staying on schedule and avoiding long third downs. The Vikings are 27th in third down conversion rate at 31.2 percent, which has been an issue. The offensive line has been pretty good, especially when it comes to avoiding penalties. A lot of the responsibility for extending drives and converting in the red zone falls on Kevin O'Connell, Kirk Cousins, and his pass-catchers. Drops have been an issue, and a little more aggressiveness from Cousins in the red zone would go a long way.
@kyriakos_tj: How worried should we be about Irv Smiths ability to catch the ball? Can it been attributed to his hand surgery or "knocking the rust off" from a missed season?
This is another thing I'm not concerned about just yet. Smith has two drops this year: the long one against the Eagles and another against the Lions. It hasn't been a big issue for him in the past, and you identified a couple possible explanations that are legit. It's something to watch, but not something to worry about at this point.
@SKOL_doctor: Do the Vikings have the best tackle tandem in the nfl?
I don't think so, but the fact that they're even in the conversation — and they absolutely are — is impressive. Christian Darrisaw and Brian O'Neill have been fantastic and are in the top five, at worst. Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson (PHI), Trent Williams and Mike McGlinchey (SF), David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins (GB), Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell (DET), and Tyler Smith and Terence Steele (DAL) are also in the mix. If Darrisaw and O'Neill keep this up, they'll have a case for the top spot.
@eeleete: How does Darrisaw match up with the other Tackles drafted before him?
Darrisaw was the fifth offensive lineman drafted in 2021, behind Penei Sewell, Rashawn Slater, Alijah Vera-Tucker, and Alex Leatherwood. Sewell and Slater (who is out for the season with an injury) have been elite players right away, as expected. They were the top tier for a reason. But Darrisaw, with the way he's playing this season, isn't far behind. He's been incredible. Leatherwood was a huge bust who was cut this year, so the Vikings have Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden to thank for not taking Darrisaw there.
Vera-Tucker, who was taken with the Vikings' original pick, has been good for the Jets at both guard positions. But guard is inherently less valuable than tackle, so the Vikings would do it all over again if they could.
@LowenergyBen: What’s your expectation over the next 4 games? We play what look like 4 winnable games. Am I being overly optimistic by thinking we could be 7-2 heading into Buffalo?
I don't think that's crazy! (It would be 6-2 or 7-1, not 7-2). The Bears game needs to be a win. Playing the Dolphins on the road looked terrifying early on, but if Teddy's at QB instead of Tua, that's suddenly winnable. After the bye, the Cardinals come to Minneapolis for what should be a fun game. Then the Vikings go to D.C. to play the awful Commanders. I expect them to be at least 5-3 heading into that Bills game, but they'd much rather be 6-2 or better. If I had to make a prediction, I'd say they'll be 6-2.
@AyePayPay2: Harrison Smith has posted low grades in back to back games. Product of new scheme or age catching up to him? He has been a step late on a number of plays.
Could be a little bit of both. Smith plays a complex position where changing schemes is especially difficult. But he's such a smart, instinctive player that I'd bet on him figuring out. He's not going to be peak Harrison Smith again, but he doesn't need to be to have success.
@MinnysodaKev: How concerned should we be with the lack of production/snaps from this yrs draft class and is it too early to make accurate judgments about Kwesi's 1st draft?
@chuk85: it’s early, but it looks like kwesi passed on a lot of promising young talent to trade down for cine and booth, injuries aside for both players do you think he made a mistake trading down?
I get the desire to rush to judgment on the Vikings' draft class, but I really do think it's too early. Lewis Cine seemed to be progressing well before his awful injury. That's just a really unfortunate situation for him. Andrew Booth Jr. also being injured has been rough, but that's part of the risk the Vikings took on when they drafted him. They knew about his injury history, and if you want to criticize them for taking that chance, I won't stop you. Booth's ceiling remains incredibly high, though. I think Ed Ingram, Brian Asamoah, Akayleb Evans, and Ty Chandler might all have bright futures, but we won't know much (outside of Ingram) for a while.
As for the trade down, who would you have preferred the Vikings take? Jordan Davis and Kyle Hamilton have been pretty good, so I could see arguments there. I still think it's too early to say the trade down was a mistake, though. Let's be patient and revisit it at the end of this season.
@NsportsfanM: Two: which area that needs improvement is the most concerning? Pass rush? Run defense? Offensive running game? Yards per attempt? Tight end play? 2nd: What has changed such that they are winning these games and not 1-3 like the last two years? What’s the biggest thing to love?
To your first question, I'd say the most concerning thing about the Vikings' start to the season has been the run defense. They haven't been good in that area despite having two great defensive tackles up front, which is concerning. Maybe new addition Khyiris Tonga can help. If you can't stop the run, it puts a lot of pressure on the rest of your defense.
For the second question...it's hard to say what the difference is. It could be random luck. It could be coaching and culture. It's difficult to really determine that for certain, but I do think O'Connell is off to a strong start.
@PrescottMassaro: What’s up with the lack of clock management? Is Kirk not able to call timeouts?
Kirk can call timeouts. I think it's just been O'Connell learning in his first few games as a head coach, if anything.
@okie56201: Do you think some of the struggles on both offense and defense are due to still trying to get comfortable with new systems?
Absolutely. These things take time to master.
@mattdesmond14: Can this Vikings team win the Super Bowl?
A lot would have to go really right for that to happen this year. This Vikings team could pretty easily be 1-3. But if they keep improving and gelling over the course of the season, they have the talent to be frisky in the playoffs. They'd probably have to go through a path like the 49ers, Buccaneers, and Eagles to even get to the Super Bowl, where they'd presumably see the Chiefs, Bills, or Ravens. It would be a very difficult thing to do.
But hey, just get to the playoffs and give yourself a chance. That's what it's all about.
Thanks for reading. Make sure to bookmark this site and check back daily for the latest Vikings news and analysis all offseason long. Also, follow me on Twitter and feel free to ask me any questions on there.
