Big difference between last years team, and heres why...

[quattrovike]

Through 7 games the D has generated only 8 turnovers and offense has committed 7. Through 7 last year....16 Turnovers and 5 committed(including 12 to 1 in our 5-0 start.) This team isn't as reliant on the game changing turnovers to win, they are finding ways to get it done by playing great defense and getting off the field on 3rd down without being so reliant on the TO. If those TO's start to happen and we stay clean and efficient on O, I think this team will start winning games by two touchdowns consistently. 

[Guest]

Bradford was very careful with the ball and that certainly helped the strong start last year.  But that is a great point about our defense.  Last year the D was winning games, until they didn't.  Against Philly was the beginning of the end.  The D took the ball away and got to the goal line, but the offense couldn't score.

[Guest]

@quattrovike said:
Through 7 games the D has generated only 8 turnovers and offense has committed 7. Through 7 last year....16 Turnovers and 5 committed(including 12 to 1 in our 5-0 start.) This team isn't as reliant on the game changing turnovers to win, they are finding ways to get it done by playing great defense and getting off the field on 3rd down without being so reliant on the TO. If those TO's start to happen and we stay clean and efficient on O, I think this team will start winning games by two touchdowns consistently. 

This is a great stat/observation and goes a long way to explain the 2016 Jekyll/Hyde season. I do really hope to see our defense start to generate more takeaways yet this year, but good they are not dependent on them. I think there was more wrong during the 3-8 skid, because they were mysteriously flat in some games, but it could have been tied to them losing confidence when the turnovers stopped.

[Guest]

2016 Opponents:
Win Titans 25-16
Win Packers 17-14
Win Panthers 22-10
Win Giants 24-10
Win Texans 31-13
Loss Eagles 21-10
Loss Bears 201-10
2017 Opponents:
Win Saints 29-19
Loss Steelers 26-9
Win Buccaneers 34-17
Loss Lions 14-7
Win Bears 20-17
Win Packers (w/o Rodgers) 23-10
Win Ravens 24-16
I think we needed the defensive scores last year because the schedule (first seven games) appears to me was tougher.  This year there are a lot of teams we have played who are struggling and from bottom of the NFC which helps our offense put up points. 
That being said, there are many factors effecting offense (Bradford out, Case in, no Peterson, better play from the O line, better play calling, and even lack of defensive and special team scores) so it is hard to compare the two seasons and what is going to occur when we hit the tougher teams.

[Guest]

Tough road games await. Important Vikes are 6-2 headed into the bye, they'll need all the wins they can get. 

[Guest]

@ThunderGod said:
2016 Opponents:
Win Titans 25-16
Win Packers 17-14
Win Panthers 22-10
Win Giants 24-10
Win Texans 31-13
Loss Eagles 21-10
Loss Bears 201-10
2017 Opponents:
Win Saints 29-19
Loss Steelers 26-9
Win Buccaneers 34-17
Loss Lions 14-7
Win Bears 20-17
Win Packers (w/o Rodgers) 23-10
Win Ravens 24-16
I think we needed the defensive scores last year because the schedule (first seven games) appears to me was tougher.  This year there are a lot of teams we have played who are struggling and from bottom of the NFC which helps our offense put up points. 
That being said, there are many factors effecting offense (Bradford out, Case in, no Peterson, better play from the O line, better play calling, and even lack of defensive and special team scores) so it is hard to compare the two seasons and what is going to occur when we hit the tougher teams.

It was easy to see the skid coming in 2016 after giving up 201 points to the Bears. That's just ugly Defense /Offense and ST!

[Guest]

Turnovers affect win/losses directly.

[Guest]

@NorthernCalVike said:

@ThunderGod said:
2016 Opponents:
Win Titans 25-16
Win Packers 17-14
Win Panthers 22-10
Win Giants 24-10
Win Texans 31-13
Loss Eagles 21-10
Loss Bears 201-10
2017 Opponents:
Win Saints 29-19
Loss Steelers 26-9
Win Buccaneers 34-17
Loss Lions 14-7
Win Bears 20-17
Win Packers (w/o Rodgers) 23-10
Win Ravens 24-16
I think we needed the defensive scores last year because the schedule (first seven games) appears to me was tougher.  This year there are a lot of teams we have played who are struggling and from bottom of the NFC which helps our offense put up points. 
That being said, there are many factors effecting offense (Bradford out, Case in, no Peterson, better play from the O line, better play calling, and even lack of defensive and special team scores) so it is hard to compare the two seasons and what is going to occur when we hit the tougher teams.

It was easy to see the skid coming in 2016 after giving up 201 points to the Bears. That's just ugly Defense /Offense and ST!

Your right!   How did we not see it coming. 
This year I am going to watch for those little indicators.