Defense 2021 Stats

3. Third-down rate was still stingy

A calling card of Mike Zimmer’s tenure as head coach of the Minnesota Vikings will always be how tough opposing teams have had it when trying to convert third downs.

That again was the case in 2021, despite Minnesota’s struggles in multiple other metrics.

Opponents converted 78 of 214 third downs (36.4 percent) this season, which ranked fourth in terms of stinginess in the NFL.

2 stats that need to improve in 2022:

1. Too generous inside the 2-minute warnings

As good as Minnesota remained in third-down defense, one situational area loomed large from the get-go and never really got fixed in 2021.

Cincinnati’s two touchdowns inside the 2-minute warning to tie the game and build a 14-7 halftime lead weren’t just the rise of Joe Burrow-to-Ja’Marr Chase (his first career touchdown was a 50-yarder with 35 seconds left in the first half). Instead, they were a sign of things to come for Minnesota’s 2021 defense.

The Vikings allowed 93 points in the final two minutes before halftimes this season and an NFL-record (since the 1970 merger) 128 points inside all 2-minute warnings — which has a direct correlation to winning and losing football games.