The Minnesota Vikings have one of the better defenses in the National Football League over the last five games.
During that five game winning streak, the Vikings are third in EPA/play (-0.139), sixth in dropback EPA/play (-0.128), fourth in success rate per dropback (41.7%) and eighth in EPA/rush (-0.162).
Against the New Orleans Saints, they were excellent, especially in the first half. They swarmed the ball and made Derek Carr’s life miserable as he tried to attack the Vikings defense. Once Jameis Winson came in, they made him pay with two interceptions in the fourth quarter.
The grades from Pro Football Focus are out and the defense was graded pretty well.
Top 5 defensive grades
- CB Akayleb Evans: 81.3
- CB Mekhi Blackmon: 76.6
- CB Andre Booth Jr.: 74.9
- ILB Troy Dye: 72.9
- S Camryn Bynum: 69.1
Bottom 5 defensive grade
- NT Khyiris Tonga: 41.3
- DE Jaquelin Roy: 47.8
- NT Harrison Phillips: 49.4
- ILB Jordan Hicks: 52.5
- OLB Pat Jones II: 54.1
Top 5 run defense grades
- S Camryn Bynum: 75.2
- ILB Jordan Hicks: 71.2
- CB Akayleb Evans: 66.2
- DE Jonathan Bullard: 63.6
- S Harrison Smith: 63.2
Bottom 5 run defense grades
- NT Khyiris Tonga: 46.4
- ILB Ivan Pace Jr.: 48.7
- OLB Danielle Hunter: 53.6
- S Josh Metellus: 54.8
- ILB Troy Dye: 58.2
Top 5 coverage grades
- CB Akayleb Evans: 81.3
- CB Mekhi Blackmon: 76.9
- ILB Troy Dye: 76.6
- CB Andrew Booth Jr.: 75.2
- ILB Ivan Pace Jr.: 69.9
Bottom 5 coverage grades
- ILB Jordan Hicks: 39.8
- OLB D.J. Wonnum: 53.7
- NT Harrison Phillips: 58.0
- DE Jonathan Bullard: 59.5
- DE Jaquelin Roy: 59.5
Top 5 pass rush grades
- S Josh Metellus: 85.5
- OLB Danielle Hunter: 73.3
- ILB Jordan Hicks: 70.3
- DE Jonathan Bullard: 66.8
- S Harrison Smith: 64.5
Bottom 5 pass rush grades
- NT Harrison Phillips: 48.0
- OLB Pat Jones II: 51.1
- ILB Ivan Pace Jr.: 52.4
- OLB Andre Carter II: 55.6
- CB Byron Murphy Jr.: 56.2
Top 5 tackling grades
- S Harrison Smith: 83.5
- ILB Jordan Hicks: 82.3
- S Josh Metellus: 80.8
- ILB Ivan Pace Jr.: 77.8
- ILB Troy Dye: 77.2
Bottom 5 tackling grades
- OLB Danielle Hunter: 24.7
- OLB D.J. Wonnum: 33.9
- CB Byron Murphy Jr.: 37.4
- S Camryn Bynum: 51.2
- DE Jonathan Bullard: 70.2
