The NFL Network coverage of the Minnesota Vikings’ Week 15 game against the Cincinnati Bengals showed the ultimate curse for Minnesota’s defense at the beginning of the fourth quarter. A graphic was displayed to announce that the defense has not given up a touchdown for 166 minutes. Naturally, the Vikings then allowed a touchdown pass right away, as we all discovered:
The Bengals scored touchdowns on their final three possessions in regulation to tie the game before winning on a field goal in overtime after Tee Higgins’ score opened the floodgates.
It should be mentioned that the defensive effort wasn’t entirely awful because the Vikings limited the Bengals to three points in the first three quarters. However, the mistakes made in overtime and the fourth quarter can yield some important insights. The Vikings will hopefully use it to address some defensive concerns before playing the Detroit Lions this week.
The Vikings’ inventive defensive system, led by DC Brian Flores, has won them a lot of accolades this season. His strategy is based on balancing plays with maximum coverage and pressure. More often than not, the Vikings blitz six or more guys, and they drop eight players into coverage. That strategy, along with the defense’s consistent and varied mug appearances, throws the offensive off-balance.
The offense must respond quickly with passes to counter any blitz by the Vikings. But if the offense launches itself into a max coverage look, Minnesota ought to have the ball well covered and be able to tackle the opposition fast. The additional defender will help even if the offense makes a good guess and calls a long-developing pass into the max coverage.
The Vikings’ Tampa 2 looks presented a weakness that the Bengals routinely took advantage of. This year, Minnesota has come to prefer “Non-Traditional Tampa,” or NTT, coverage. These reports have been excellent. They provide additional people in the box to stop the run while also assisting with deep coverage, allowing the Vikings defense to present single-high or blitz looks before to the snap. An NTT has two deep half safeties, just like Cover 2. It also has a “high hole” player, though, who is positioned in the center of the field to cut off any posts, deep crossers, or seam routes. This player was a linebacker like Brian Urlacher in the old Tampa 2, but with the Vikings, it was more frequently Josh Metellus or Harrison Smith.
Here is more information about NTTs.
