Vikings’ dramatic win overshadowed defense’s worst second half of the season

[purplefaithful]

The Vikings’ defense might still be taking heat for blowing a 17-0 halftime lead if not for Stefon Diggs’ miraculous, game-winning touchdown in last Sunday’s NFC divisional playoff game against the New Orleans Saints.
Diggs’ 61-yard reception from Case Keenum marked the first time an NFL playoff game had ended on a touchdown in regulation and propelled the Vikings into Sunday’s NFC Championship Game on Sunday at Philadelphia.
“If we had done some things better,” head coach Mike Zimmer said during an otherwise joyful post-game news conference, “it wouldn’t have been this close and we wouldn’t have had to throw that last pass.”
Quarterback Drew Brees and the Saints scored 24 second-half points to take a 24-23 lead with 25 seconds left. It was the most points the Vikings have allowed in a second half since Zimmer’s first season in Minnesota in 2014.
This season, the Vikings’ top-ranked scoring defense (15.8 points per game) had allowed a paltry 8.3 points in the second half. In their three losses this season, they have allowed an average of 13.3 points after halftime.
It wasn’t all the defense’s fault, of course. Keenum threw an interception that gave the Saints the ball on Minnesota’s 30-yard line. The giveaway led to a touchdown. Two drives later, the Vikings’ protection unit allowed Ryan Quigley’s punt to be blocked, giving the Saints the ball on Minnesota’s 40. That led to Brees’ third touchdown of the half, and first lead, 21-20, with three minutes left.
“We can’t make these mistakes in playoff games or we’ll be going home,” Zimmer said.


https://www.twincities.com/2018/01/16/vi...he-season/

[Guest]

It is great for the offense to control the clock BUT with the offense getting the ball to start the second half, the defense was off the field for a very long time. I'm not sure what time halftime started but the defense didn't take the field until 7:58 left in the 3rd quarter.
That is a very long time to be out of the game. Plus I'm sure Shamar Stephen going down and Sandejo getting knocked out made a difference. 

[Guest]

I hope the defense and coach learned from that experience. Holding a lead against a playoff team is a lot different than holding against Brett Hundley and Mitch Trubisky. Zim just plain gets too conservative too fast at times. As hidalgo points out, they (the D) sure were not on the field all game long.

[Guest]

When you have an elite defense, I can understand the thought process of getting conservative offensively when you are up at home 17-0 at halftime. I'm not playing the blame game on that. 

Keep in mind a lot of things went RIGHT for New Orleans in the 2nd half: blocked punt, converted 4th and 10, horseshit INT. 

[Guest]

@StickyBun said:
When you have an elite defense, I can understand the thought process of getting conservative offensively when you are up at home 17-0 at halftime. I'm not playing the blame game on that. 

Keep in mind a lot of things went RIGHT for New Orleans in the 2nd half: blocked punt, converted 4th and 10, horseshit INT. 

Agreed, but that missing pass rush needs to come back to life and fast.

[Guest]

I think they can and need to get more aggressive with Fowles. who'd have thunk the offense would have bailed the D out?  but its football and strange things happen. Brees carved these guys up good in the second half, but lets not forget how key that late 3/10 stop was. 

[Guest]

Minnesota will have to take more chances to win in Philly. If I'm Z, I just say fuck it: let's release the hounds and win this game. Let the chips fall where they may. If the weather holds and its 40+ degrees and dry at game time, that's big for Minnesota.

Go big or they'll go home, IMO. Don't hold anything back. The homefield advantage is so big for the Vikings and playing at US Bank, Vegas said that Minnesota would be favored against New England in the Superbowl. FAVORED.

[Guest]

Here's the thing, all DCs like to start the Game trying to get pressure with just the Front Four. You start blitzing from the get go you give the OC the chance to dial up some quick hitters that can have the potential to turn into TDs.

And if that happens early then Foles, who does have 1 pretty great season of performance under his belt, will start to gain confidence and poise.

Sticky, I'd like to see Zimmer use every fake blitz look he has. Double A Gap, Smith, Nickel DB, Barr at Griff's side, etc.

Give Foles a lot to think about pre-snap. Then rush four and see if all the eye candy causes him to make bad reads and struggle to move the ball through the air.

The longer that goes on the more he's going to overreact to the four man pass rush. You see it all the time with the lesser QBs. They can't diagnose the Defense and react to phantom pressure.

That also should help get him out of the rhythm o the RPO the Eagles starting finding success with against Atlanta.

[Guest]

I must have suppressed it on Sunday, but when I caught parts of the game again last night I was pretty depressed at just how awful our defense played in the last 16 or 17 minutes. I think with a minute or two left in the 3rd quarter, we were up 17-0. Shutting out one of the NFL's best offenses. And then we just collapse. I wish I could recall what I was feeling just before the Miracle. Storybook year over because of poor calls on Zimmer's part? That cannot happen again. 

At any rate, right now I'm not sure whether I should severely worried about that going into the NFCC or somewhat relieved because it's unlikely the league's #1 defense will allow that to happen again. 

[Guest]

Yea giving up the ball on your own 30 (Case - INT) and then on your own 40 (blocked punt - ST) usually is not good for your defensive stats.  This was Bree's and the number 2 offense in football and they got TD's instead of us holding them to FG's after giving them the ball in FG range.  

Hopefully the INT and ST block won't happen but even if we have a miscue we will need to have our defense hold the Eagles (far less potent offense but still good) to FG's.

The Eagles strength is running the ball behind a top notch OL so we need to force Foles into throwing.