Vikings are ranked No. 1 in rushing defense, thanks to a one-gap system

[Box_O_Rocks]

http://www.startribune.com/510/story/772204.html

There are no secrets. There is nothing ground-breaking, so to speak, about the way the Vikings have played run defense this season. It's actually quite simple, nose tackle Pat Williams said this week.
"We're just whupping everybody's rear end," Williams said. "It's just man against man, and we're whupping them at every position."
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All four linemen, some linebackers and occasionally the nickel defensive back are assigned gaps on running plays. Tomlin calls the approach "responsibility football" and stresses that the worst thing a player can do is try to cover for a teammate who might be losing his position.
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It is also the first tangible result of Tomlin's systemwide overhaul, one that has had less impact on the Vikings' pass defense -- currently ranked No. 18 in the NFL. Tomlin said that progression is to be expected.

"When you're a new outfit like we are," Tomlin said, "it's probably a little easier to get sound and good at defending the run than it is versus the pass. The open grass, the vertical field responsibility that's associated with playing zone defense the way we do, it takes time to develop. ... It just so happens that the run defense has come along quicker than the pass defense, and that's probably natural."

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

From Lost In Space comes the Legendary Dr. Smith's original game plan and Offensive Coordinator support post...

As a change of pace, here is something unusual: http://www.cleveland.com/sports/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/sports/116220783895650.xml&coll=2

You would think a team that's won three Super Bowls in four years this decade and has a 5-1 record this season would be the talk of the NFL.
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Even Peyton's little brother, Eli, gets more pub than the New England Patriots.
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Tonight offers an opportunity to enjoy true greatness -- even if it takes clearing away a lot of the muck and mire of the NFL to see it.

Yes folks, love from the Cleveburgh Plain Dealer...

 

[PATSNUTme]

Their "one gap system" is only as good as Pat and Kevin Williams. Take those boys out of it and their "one gap system' would no be nearly a effective.

So in this case it's not the "system " that makes the players, it's the players who make the system.

 

[DefenseRules]

That being the case, it shouldnt take Josh McDaniels halfway into the third quarter to figure out why we have only 47 yards rushing on 22 attempts.

He'll have it figured out right after half time.

Actually, I think you CAN run onthe Vikings, but not straight ahead, and not on slow developing running plays from deep inthe backfield. Maroney slashing just outside the tackles and Dillon with the guards pulling in front of him to the outside.

And then get them to bite ont he play action... Beat their secondary on crossing patterns.

Damn, NEM I like that plan. Maybe you should give "Skippy the kid" McDaniels a call. Lord knows the kid can use all the help that he can get.

 

[SVN]

best way to run against a big D line is to make them run (by running sideways) and get them tired..i think i read this elsewhere when the pats employed the same strategy when pat williams and sam adams play against buffalo....

 

[BelichickFan]

Damn, NEM I like that plan. Maybe you should give "Skippy the kid" McDaniels a call. Lord knows the kid can use all the help that he can get.

These unsubstantiated BS attacks on McDaniels are pissing me off. You people realize we're 10th in the league (going into this weekend) in scoring despite the WR corps being a work in progress, missing 3 FG and sitting on the ball a couple of times in scoring position to end games. Right ?

 

[BelichickFan]

best way to run against a big D line is to make them run (by running sideways) and get them tired..i think i read this elsewhere when the pats employed the same strategy when pat williams and sam adams play against buffalo....

And, conveniently, mobility is our OL's strength although we lose a little of it with Neal gone.

 

[brady2brown]

No secrets to Vikings run defense? Well, maybe one, the same one that makes the Patriots run D look good. The Vikes have led in the fourth quarter more often than not. Teams are passing more than running. THerefore running yardage is down. THe Vikes running game is up. Why? They are leading in the fourth quarter and are trying to run the clock out.

People read running stats backwards. They say if you gain a lot of yardage on the ground, you will win the game. They should be saying, If you are winning the game, you will have a lot of running yardage.

People say if you don't allow many running yardage, you will win the game. THey should be saying, If you are winning the game the other team will be pasing not running and therefore won't have many running yards.

Except for that, the article is pretty good.

 

[Murphys95]

These unsubstantiated BS attacks on McDaniels are pissing me off. You people realize we're 10th in the league (going into this weekend) in scoring despite the WR corps being a work in progress, missing 3 FG and sitting on the ball a couple of times in scoring position to end games. Right ?

Spot on. Apparently some fans get bored too quickly with developing a running game and want to scrap the game plan for the "exciting" no-huddle passing game.

 

[Pat_Nasty]

Actually, I think you CAN run onthe Vikings, but not straight ahead, and not on slow developing running plays from deep inthe backfield. Maroney slashing just outside the tackles and Dillon with the guards pulling in front of him to the outside.

Actually, the Vikings D is comparatively very good stopping outside runs around the (offense's) right end, and only average stopping runs be behind the left tackle.

So if you see the Pats D going off tackle behind Light rather than trying to turn the corner on the other side, it's because McDaniels knows more, not less, than you.

 

[BelichickFan]

it's because McDaniels knows more, not less, than you.

And I would say the probability of the statement above being correct is 100%. Not 99.999999999% but 100%. As sure as 2+2=4.

 

[Minnesota Mike]

No secrets to Vikings run defense? Well, maybe one, the same one that makes the Patriots run D look good. The Vikes have led in the fourth quarter more often than not. Teams are passing more than running. THerefore running yardage is down. THe Vikes running game is up. Why? They are leading in the fourth quarter and are trying to run the clock out.

Actually the Vikes have led going into the 4th quarter just once this season (Sea), they were either tied or behind in the rest of their games.

 

[Oswlek]

Actually the Vikes have led going into the 4th quarter just once this season (Sea), they were either tied or behind in the rest of their games.

Yes, the Vikings have been very good at stopping the run. They aren't #2 (now, after the Raven's last game) in yardage per game, but they are #2 in ypc allowed too. So it isn't like a team that looks like it has a good pass D because teams are too busy running up the gut.

The Vikes are also #3 in yards per pass attempt and #4 in average defensive passer rating with a 67.7.

This defense is for real.

Interestingly enough, the Vikings are ahead of NE in ypa and ypc on offense as well.

 

[BelichickFan]

Interestingly enough, the Vikings are ahead of NE in ypa and ypc on offense as well.

And, yet, they've scored only 92 points in 6 games (the defense has scored 28 points for Minnesota) and the Patriots have scored 136 points in 6 games (unless I'm forgetting a defense/special teams TD).

 

[Oswlek]

And, yet, they've scored only 92 points in 6 games (the defense has scored 28 points for Minnesota) and the Patriots have scored 136 points in 6 games (unless I'm forgetting a defense/special teams TD).

Yes. It is a little strange. I don't put much stock in yards per game because a lot of factors can skew those numbers. But when a team has per paly numbers that are good and still don't score that is strange, particularly when they haven't had a non-competitive game yet. If I remmber correctly they are really bad in the red zone, which contributes to much of those problems.

 

[PatsDeb]

best way to run against a big D line is to make them run (by running sideways) and get them tired..i think i read this elsewhere when the pats employed the same strategy when pat williams and sam adams play against buffalo....

Laurence? Oh, Laurence? We need a big night from ya!!

 

[stcjones]

http://www.startribune.com/510/story/772204.html

Obviously this game is going to come down to which team controls the line of scrimmage....and with Neal out could be a tricky situation......so like Nem said,....Play action will be huge......need to get Maroney more involved with the short passes out of the backfield and let him tear it up....you get him in the flat and he could make huge gains on this team.........should be a good game....GO PATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[brady2brown]

Actually the Vikes have led going into the 4th quarter just once this season (Sea), they were either tied or behind in the rest of their games.

I don'tknow what this means. I said the Vikings ran a lot in the fourth quarter to run out the clock because they were leading in the fourth quarter. Are you saying they won all four games at the last minute? With your screen name, I'll take your word for it that they didn't run a lot in the fourth quarter to run the clock out.

Anyway, I don't have the stats available to see how much they ran vs passed in the fourth quarter, or whether they led most of the quarter or not, and to be honest even if I did I'd be too lazy to sort it all out.

I'm just surprised that they never had a lead to protect in the fourth quarter, that's all

 

[BradyisGod]

No secrets to Vikings run defense? Well, maybe one, the same one that makes the Patriots run D look good. The Vikes have led in the fourth quarter more often than not. Teams are passing more than running. THerefore running yardage is down. THe Vikes running game is up. Why? They are leading in the fourth quarter and are trying to run the clock out.

People read running stats backwards. They say if you gain a lot of yardage on the ground, you will win the game. They should be saying, If you are winning the game, you will have a lot of running yardage.

People say if you don't allow many running yardage, you will win the game. THey should be saying, If you are winning the game the other team will be pasing not running and therefore won't have many running yards.

Except for that, the article is pretty good.

Statistically, this woule be accurate if there were only a few teams in the league. Problem is, there are 32 teams, and lots of teams have leads in the 4th quarter. Among those the Vikes is still the best.

You can't take the parameters out of the equation, or look at the team alone. You have to look at the entire league.

 

[Pat_Nasty]

Obviously this game is going to come down to which team controls the line of scrimmage....and with Neal out could be a tricky situation......so like Nem said,....Play action will be huge......need to get Maroney more involved with the short passes out of the backfield and let him tear it up....you get him in the flat and he could make huge gains on this team.........should be a good game....GO PATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, according to FootballOutsiders.com's stats, the Vikings have been the best in the league at defending passes to running backs this year, so throwing short passes to Maroney might be playing into their strengths.

Throwing him screens might not be the best idea, either -- with either a practice-squad'er or a converted tackle at RG tonight, running to many plays that demand that kind of cohesive coordination from the line might be unwise.

Furthermore, with Watson and Thomas our only active TE's, and the Pats seemingly getting more confidence in their WRs, I wonder if we won't see the Pats both throwing and running out of more three WR sets.