Kevin O'Connell Hints at Potential Defensive Adjustments After Vikings' Loss in Detroit

Ed Donatell's defense now ranks 32nd in the NFL in yards allowed after another woeful showing.

The Vikings' defense isn't working.

Ed Donatell's unit gave up over 400 yards for the fifth consecutive game in Sunday's 34-23 loss against the Lions, which is the longest streak in franchise history. Jared Goff was under very little pressure, throwing for 330 yards and three touchdowns without being sacked or turning the ball over. The Vikings' secondary had another coverage bust on Detroit's first touchdown and barely covered anyone in a blue uniform all game.

Minnesota's defense has been a problem for the majority of the 2022 season, but this game — which was admittedly played without Harrison Smith — brought the concern level up to new heights with four weeks remaining in the regular season. Whether the issues are due to scheme, personnel, execution, play calling, or a combination of all four, Donatell's defense hasn't been nearly good enough. The Vikings entered the game ranked 31st in yards allowed per game. They're now 32nd.

After the loss, head coach Kevin O'Connell acknowledged that the Vikings need to play better defensively, while seemingly hinting at the possibility of some sort of change or adjustment in the near future.

"I think it’s a combination of some things," O'Connell said. "But I think we need to take a look at what we can do to potentially help our guys be in a position to make more plays, be a little bit more aggressive possibly, but ultimately I think we need to generate more (pass) rush however we do it. And then just try to limit explosives. And what that looks like, it’s a variety of things, but I think if we’re doing our jobs effectively, we’ve got to take a look at it to try to improve our football team."

O'Connell is right that a lackluster pass rush has been one of the Vikings' biggest issues in recent weeks. Za'Darius Smith, who had 9.5 sacks in the first nine games of the season, has now gone four weeks without one. Danielle Hunter had six sacks through nine games and has just one over the last four. Things looked awfully easy and stress-free for Goff in the pocket on Sunday.

There's been a lot of discussion about the Vikings' low blitz rate. Donatell prefers to use a four-man pass rush and drop seven into coverage. "The hardest thing on people is when you can rush and get it done, and play coverage," he said on Thursday. In Detroit, the Vikings blitzed on just nine of Goff's 41 dropbacks, according to ESPN Stats and Info. O'Connell saying the Vikings need to "be a little bit more aggressive possibly" would seem to suggest he'd like to see more blitzes.

The Vikings' secondary clearly missed Harrison Smith in this game, but it's hard to know how much of a difference he would've made. Camryn Bynum and Cameron Dantzler, who would've been starting even if Smith had played, had rough days, with one of the two being involved in all three of Goff's touchdown passes. It doesn't help that the Vikings drafted three defensive backs in the first four rounds of April's draft — Lewis Cine, Andrew Booth Jr., and Akayleb Evans — and all three are on injured reserve.

For much of this season, it was fair to use the excuse that the Vikings were still figuring things out as they adjusted to Donatell's scheme. That's harder to justify in Week 14.

On Sunday, O'Connell coached like someone who has lost faith in his defense. He went for it from his own territory on the Vikings' first offensive possession, with Dalvin Cook getting stuffed. He then attempted another fourth down play in the third quarter that turned into an Adam Thielen touchdown — after which O'Connell unsuccessfully went for two. He also may have gotten too cute by calling a Cook pop pass in the second quarter, which resulted in a game-changing fumble.

"I felt like we needed to be aggressive today," he said.

Heading into Week 15, it doesn't feel like the Vikings' defense is good enough to support a deep postseason run. After all, this is the first 10-3 team in the history of the NFL with a negative point differential. Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson were incredible against the Lions, but the defense made sure it didn't end up mattering.

What can the Vikings change? They're almost certainly not going to fire Donatell at this point. Perhaps after the season, but not in December when they're about to clinch the NFC North and get a top-three seed in the postseason. Would O'Connell consider stripping Donatell of play calling duties? Mike Pettine, the Vikings' assistant head coach, has experience calling plays as a defensive coordinator. From a strategic standpoint, the most obvious answer would be to start sending more designed pressures in an effort to help out the secondary.

It's difficult to pinpoint exactly what is causing the Vikings' defense to play this poorly. It's also difficult to know how to fix it — or if it's even fixable. But with four games left before the playoffs begin, the Vikings need to do everything they possibly can to try to figure it out. If nothing changes, they look like a team that's more likely to be sent home in the wild card round than one capable of reaching the Super Bowl.

Thanks for reading. Make sure to bookmark this site and check back daily for the latest Vikings news and analysis all offseason long. Also, follow me on Twitter and feel free to ask me any questions on there.