Following their 36-30 overtime loss to the Bears on Monday night, the question that immediately popped into everyone’s minds was: What’s wrong with the Vikings?
If you want to pinpoint when Minnesota’s troubles began, you’ll have to go back three weeks ago in Arizona. At the time, many wrote off the Vikings’ 30-17 loss to the Cardinals as just an “off” night. They had to travel cross country to play a motivated Arizona team and they lost – no big deal right?
But what the Cardinals did that night was expose the Vikings’ weaknesses. Arizona utilized the three-step drop to neutralize Jared Allen and Minnesota’s pass rush in order to move up the field in short, quick bursts. The Vikings couldn’t get to Kurt Warner and he picked them apart.
Another factor that has doomed the Vikings in recent weeks is the loss of middle linebacker E.J. Henderson, who suffered a season-ending injury in that same defeat to the Cardinals. Rookie Jasper Brinkley has filled the void left by Henderson in the middle and what was evident last night is that teams can throw on him at will. Toss in the fact that cornerback Antoine Winfield is playing hurt (he was abused by Jay Cutler a couple times last night) and that the safeties (Madieau Williams has been a ghost) are non-existent and it’s no wonder why Minnesota’s defense has allowed over 100 points in their last four games.
