Minnesota ranked 31st in the NFL in passing yards allowed (4,756). Lewis noted the Vikings’ heavy use of Cover 6 played a key role in their defensive struggles. He wrote:
[Cover 6] means the defense has two players occupying a quarter of the field in coverage on one side and one player occupying half the field on the other side.
No NFL team ran this coverage more than the Vikings (25.6 percent of their defensive snaps) in 2022. The only team that allowed more yards per play in this coverage than the Vikings was the Raiders.
Digging a bit deeper, the Vikings were vulnerable in all areas of the field in this coverage. They allowed 10.53 yards per play when teams threw the ball to the middle of the field against their Cover 6. And they allowed 10.78 yards per play when teams threw the ball outside of the numbers against their Cover 6.
When Minnesota played in Cover 6, opposing quarterbacks completed 25 of 48 pass attempts that went 15 yards or longer in the air. And when the Vikings went to Cover 3 — where cornerbacks don’t receive as much help over the top — opponents completed 17 of 34 passes in the same category.
So what’s the solution? The first step is hiring a new defensive coordinator, but the next — and even more critical — one is creating depth at the cornerback position.
Lewis wrote that’s easier said than done, however.
As the roster stands, only Dantzler, Booth and Evans are under contract for 2023 at the position. None of the three has started consistently in the NFL, and each has injury concerns. From a free-agency perspective, Peterson andShelley are options, but their return will depend on available cap space and mutual interest.