Through the first nine games of the season, the Minnesota Vikings sit at 5-4 and are hoping to find a way to make a playoff run. It will have to happen with a backup quarterback but it’s something this franchise has seen time and time again.
The 2023 season has been filled with some wild ups and downs, especially when it comes to the stat sheet. Games are won on the field and not with the numbers, but said numbers help quantify what we see from the team on Sunday’s.
These eight stats highlight the Vikings’ first nine games and can help provide a path forward to a potential playoff spot.
1. Camryn Bynum has missed one play on defense all season
Throughout the season, the Vikings defense has played 605 snaps and Bynum has played in 604 of them. He played every defensive snap last season and this season, he only missed a snap in the game against the Buccaneers in week one.
2. Vikings are 12th in points per game
Despite all the injuries on offense this season, the Vikings are finding a way to put up points on offense at 22.89 points per game. Last season, the Vikings were seventh at 24.94 points per game. This season, the Indianapolis Colts are seventh at 25.78 points per game, as scoring has seen a decrease this season due to defenses adjusting better to the prolific offenses the NFL has been running as of late.
3. Danielle Hunter leads the NFL in sacks
There were some intriguing thoughts this offseason about what to do with Hunter, including a potential trade. The Vikings chose to keep him and they have been rewarded. He leads the NFL with 10.0 sacks, nearly matching his 2022 total of 10.5 in just eight games. Hunter continues to be a dominant force on the defensive line and it’s only improving.
4. Vikings have a negative turnover differential
Turnovers have been a major part of why the Vikings are sitting at 5-4 instead of either 6-3 or 7-2. So far this season, the Vikings have turned the ball over 17 times while only forcing 12 of their own. They have directly turned two of those into defensive touchdowns and won both of those games. When they have won the turnover battle, they have won the game.
5. Ty Chandler is the only running back averaging more than 4.0 yards per carry
This is one of the biggest signs that the Vikings running game isn’t working. On just eight carries, Chandler has amassed 42 yards, good for 5.25 yards per carry. Alexander Mattison and Cam Akers each averaged 3.6 yards per carry on the season and the Vikings continue to have the 31st ranked rush offense in the NFL.
6. T.J. Hockenson is on pace to set a record for tight ends
With Justin Jefferson missing time due to a hamstring injury, Hockenson has stepped up in a big way. He currently has 60 receptions for 547 yards and three touchdown, which were essentially his numbers in the final 10 games of the 2022 season. He is currently on pace for 113 receptions, which would break the NFL record for tight ends set by Jason Witten in 2012 of 110.
7. The Vikings have three receivers on pace for 1,000 yards
In the history of the National Football League, there have been five teams who have had three wide receivers that have eclipsed 1,000 yards on the season. Hockenson, Addison and Jefferson are all on pace to eclipse that mark. It isn’t likely to happen with the quarterback situation and Jefferson’s injury contributing to Addison and Hockenson’s stats, but it’s an impressive place the Vikings are at with their outside weapons.
8. Vikings rank 22nd in red zone percentage
The Vikings have struggled so far this season in the red zone. Through nine games, they have made 29 trips to the red zone but only gotten 14 touchdowns. Some of that has to do with the lack of success in the running game, as they only have two rushing touchdowns and none of those were in the first seven games.
