The Minnesota Vikings’ seven-game win streak came to an abrupt halt after an embarrassing 40-3 loss to the Dallas Cowboys last Sunday. This was their first loss since Week 2, when they lost 24-7 to the Philadelphia Eagles. Many were saying that this loss was foreseen, as the last seven of eight wins were all within eight points or less. Cousins has been able to pull it out in the end of games as he’s tied for first in the league with comeback wins with five.
Last week’s game was very much a blowout. Outside of the second drive of the game, which only ended in a field goal, the Vikings offense never even crossed the 50-yard line. Kirk Cousins was running for his life as he faced a 63% pressure rate from the Cowboys, and he took a season-high seven sacks.
We know that the Vikings are a good team, their record reflects that. But they are the first team in 30 years with at least eight wins through the first 10 games of a season to have a negative point differential. That minus-2 differential was obviously affected to a great deal by the Cowboys debacle, but it’s still more than noteworthy. When you have an 8-2 team with this many questions, it’s time to dig deep and find out.
Have the Cowboys revealed the recipe that could keep the Vikings from a deep playoff run?
Let’s go to the film and find out!
Getting shut down in the run game.
The first assignment for the Cowboys was to take away the Vikings’ rushing attack and then get ahead early to force their offense to throw the ball.
Coming into the game the Cowboy’s run defense was one of their weak points. They were 28th in yards per attempt (4.8), 24th in total rush yards (1288), 29th in yards per game (143.1), and 26th in stuff rate (16.6%). If the Cowboys could go up early and maintain time of possession, it would force the Vikings to move the ball through the air.
When the Vikings faced the Eagles back in Week 2, one of the defensive looks that seemed to prevent Dalvin Cook from breaking big runs, (and also became viable in the passing game because of the pass rush) was using a nose tackle. Jordan Davis played 34% of snaps, and so the Cowboys took a similar approach and used their nose tackle Jonathan Hankins for 32% of the defensive snaps.
The nose tackle wasn’t as important when it came to getting into the backfield and stopping plays, as it was just to create one-on-ones.
On the first play of the game, the Vikings were able to double team the 4i defensive lineman and then work their way up to the second level and get a hand on the middle linebacker penetrating the gap.
The key here was the double team with left tackle Christian Darrisaw and left guard Ezra Cleveland.
A few plays later, the Vikings try a similar play and this time middle linebacker Leighton Vander Esch was able to get through and make a stop.
The Cowboys put lineman over the center which forced the left guard to help clog the middle. This prevented anyone from putting a block on the middle linebacker, as he was able to keep his head up and blow up the play.
With the Vikings left tackle sustaining a concussion early in the first half, the next best offensive lineman was the left guard, Cleveland.
According to PFF, Cleveland is the fourth best run blocking guard in the league with an 84.1 grade.
He was a big reason why the Vikings offense were able to keep the chains moving against the Buffalo Bills last week.
For the rest of the game, the Cowboys defense focused on preventing Cleveland from working his way to the second level. They were placing a defensive player shading his outside shoulder, then another lineman between the center and guard.
This pulled the center over opening gaps through the middle and leaving the defensive ends, one-on-one.
With the Vikings so focused on running a duo blocking scheme. Within that scheme, the running back is reading the backside linebacker, and since they are crashing towards the outside, this was leaving Micah Parsons in mismatches to clean up. This also happened in the passing game.
Cover 2 is a problem.
Even with the Vikings’ offense being as dynamic as it is, Cousins has a hard time when defenses can bring pressure in a two-high safety look.
According to PFF, among quarterbacks who have 20% of total drop backs, Cousins is 28th in the league in completions when he is under pressure, 42.3%. As Cousins does face the 8th most pressure in the league, defenses understand the assignment.
Cousins has also faced the most cover two in the league. When against cover two, per SIS, Cousins has a -16.67 offensive EPA rating.
Why the Vikings are 8-2 is because not every team has the personnel to run a two-high coverage with the ability to stop the run, and prevent underneath passing. The key to running a cover 2 defense are physical cornerbacks who can monitor the perimeter in the run, and also shut down receivers like Justin Jefferson and TJ Hockenson when needed.
The two teams that have some of the best cornerbacks in the league gave them their only loses, the Cowboys and the Eagles.
When the Vikings faced the Bills last week, their defense tried to run a cover 2 defense, but Cousins was able to get the ball over the middle when needed.
This also worked because there wasn’t enough pressure from the Bills pass rush.
When the Vikings faced the Eagles in week 2, their defense stayed in coverage and made sure they took away dagger routes with two-high defensive backs on one side of the field. As shown in the clip below:
The Cowboys used the same two-high look on critical third downs, and they made sure to bring the pressure up front.
The Vikings were running dagger routes towards the inside and so Cousins was forced to attempt throws in the toughest part of the field.
The middle, over dropping linebackers. These windows very small.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t the first time that this play was called. On Cousins’ first drop back of the game, Jefferson was asked to cut underneath Hockenson, but it resulted in a sack, fumble.
Not sure why the Vikings thought it would work later in the game with two safeties over the top. Cousins doesn’t have the time for the dagger concept to develop 15-yards down field, especially against teams that have a top-5 pass rush.
The Cowboys have just that.
Most sacks in a single season through 10 team games over last 20 years
2022 Cowboys 42
2017 Jaguars 40
2019 49ers 39
2019 Panthers 39
2014 Bills 39The @dallascowboys have one of the most fearsome pass rushing units this CENTURY pic.twitter.com/UTXmQat3ex
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) November 21, 2022
Finishing the season strong.
The Vikings’ offense has certainly had a lot of success with this dagger concept and while that is the case, it won’t work time and time again against elite defenses. This isn’t Madden. Head coach Kevin O’Connell must find other ways to get Jefferson involved because three receptions won’t be enough.
Here is what Jefferson had to say after last week’s loss, “I mean, of course I wish we had adjusted faster throughout the game,” Jefferson said. “Getting the ball out quicker, not letting Micah Parsons and the rest of that D-line get a chance to get back there to Kirk. So it’s just things we need to learn from. This is a new team. This is a new coaching staff. We have new players on this team. We’re all still learning each other. We’re still all learning how to play with each other.”
Now with the starting left tackle injured, the Vikings will have an uphill battle finishing out the season. Their next two opponents, the New England Patriots and the New York Jets both have a decent pass rush with more than capable cornerbacks.
With another loss under their belt against another very good defense, the Vikings will have to add more to their playbook. Even though the rushing attack wasn’t used often, the Vikings still only ran two play action passes and two screens.
The Vikings still have a very dynamic offense, especially with Cook in the backfield. So, with only two losses, it’s not necessarily time to panic, but it’s very much up in the air when it comes to locking this team in for a deep playoff run.
