Minnesota Has A New MO In the Red Zone
Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
The Vikings enter Week 4 with an undefeated record for the first time in eight years. This fast start is a complete 180 from last season, when they dropped each of their first three contests. While Brian Flores’ defense is getting tons of credit, the Vikings offense’s emergence as one of the best in the NFL is also playing a major part.
Three games in, the Vikings are scoring 28.3 points per game, third-most in the league. That’s over a touchdown up from their 20.2 mark last season, which was 22nd in the NFL. What’s the difference this season?
Sure, the Vikings have been explosive, and their signature moment so far is Sam Darnold’s 97-yard bomb to Justin Jefferson. But the real difference this season hasn’t been these out-of-nowhere bursts of offense, but rather the opposite. The Vikings have been uber-efficient in the red zone, something they were not last year.
Last season saw Minnesota score a touchdown on just 47.1% of their red zone possessions, which was 29th in the NFL. It’s a small sample, but the Vikings have scored on seven of 10 red zone attempts, which puts them at seventh in the league.
One reason for this turn-around has been Darnold’s surprising play. Kirk Cousins struggled to start the year, then tore his Achilles as he began to right the ship, beginning a fun, but unsuccessful QB carousel. That inconsistency is gone in 2024, and Darnold has been a steady hand for the team, especially in the red zone. Both 14 completions and six touchdowns in the red zone are atop the NFL. In addition to his high volume of passes, his efficiency has been excellent as well, completing 73.7% of his passes.
He’s been poised, almost robotic… but in a good way. Darnold has leaned into Kevin O’Connell’s scheme, especially in the red zone, he makes his reads, relies on his internal clock, and throws the ball away when things go awry. This playstyle has rewarded him with zero turnovers in the red zone, something the team struggled with mightily last season. He takes what the defense gives him, and the defense has given him two touchdowns to both Jefferson and Jalen Nailor.
The Vikings’ rushing attack has aided his play and contributed to the spike in red zone efficiency. Last season, the running back room combined for three red zone touchdowns. Minnesota’s lead back, Alexander Mattison, did not find the end zone once in 34 touches. This season, new addition Aaron Jones has already made up ground on last year’s benchmark scoring two touchdowns in the red zone, once on the ground and once through the air.
AARON JONES FIRST TD AS A VIKING!!! 😤
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/e0ZwFN5sQo
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 8, 2024
Jones provides what Mattison couldn’t: elite vision. On his rushing touchdown, an inside run play, the gaps in the middle closed up fast and Jones was able to bounce it outside and find the pylon for the score. This mix of football IQ and burst provides a real threat on the ground close to the end zone, something the Vikings haven’t had in multiple years.
The rushing attack doesn’t just pose its own threat though, it frees up the passing game. Defenses are already on edge about the run when the ball gets into the red zone, but a potent ground attack puts the defense on their back foot, in turn allowing Darnold to play off his front. The addition of Jones eases pressure on both Darnold and O’Connell. Instead of being hamstrung by one and two-yard rushes, the playbook can be opened up, anything is on the table, and defenses know that.
The 2-1 Green Bay Packers know that and will try to stop it this week in a game that might prove essential in the late-season race for the NFC North title. The Packers come into the game 21st in red zone defensive efficiency, allowing a touchdown 60 percent of the time. They’ve allowed two rushing and four passing touchdowns. The Vikings will have the upper hand in the red zone, where games are won and lost.
Jones especially will be vying for the end zone this week in his revenge game against the team he spent seven years with. Jones said this week that if he scores he’s “definitely leaping,” except this time the famous Lambeau Leap will be done in purple.
If the defense can continue to force turnovers and put the offense in short-field scenarios, and the offense can find ways to continue moving the ball down the field with ease they will find themselves in the red zone plenty of times. And if the first three games prove anything, it’s that the red zone is where the Vikings run up the score, expect no less on Sunday.
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