Did Vikings' struggles against Lions show a blueprint for how to slow down Sam Darnold?

EAGAN, Minn.

Parse coach Dan Campbells words in the aftermath of Sunday nights Minnesota Vikings debacle in Detroit, and youll find that he laid bare the Lions defensive game plan.

It all revolved around quarterback Sam Darnold.

Campbell, Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and other staffers reviewed the tape.

They concluded that if they allowed Darnold enough time to run a play-action pass and view the field, their defense would have zero chance.

Advertisement When he can see it and has time, Campbell said, hes deadly.

The numbers support that notion.

Darnold has thrown more passes this season after 2.5 seconds than any other NFL starter, according to Next Gen Stats.

He has also accumulated almost 80 percent of his passing yards on those throws, which is easily the highest rate in the league.

Coach and offensive play caller Kevin OConnell wants to push the ball vertically because thats what suits the Vikings playmakers best.

The Lions decided they didnt want to go down that way.

So, Glenns defense blended rush and coverage strategies.

They blitzed aggressively and deployed countless stunts up front.

In coverage, they double-teamed Justin Jefferson, monitored Jordan Addison with multiple defenders and took their chances in one-on-one coverage with a linebacker lined up against tight end T.J.

Hockenson.

This was, for all intents and purposes, a dice roll.

A bet that Darnolds clock would speed up.

A wager that relentless physicality would grind on Jefferson and Addison.

A gamble that Hockenson, who has caught just eight of 28 tight-window throws over the last two seasons, couldnt secure passes when covered closely by a defender.

It really worked exactly like we kind of envisioned it to, Campbell said after his teams 31-9 triumph .

GO DEEPER Sam Darnold will have to bounce back quickly for Vikings to have a chance in the playoffs Most interesting, especially as it relates to next Mondays wild-card game in Los Angeles, is how likely the Rams are to try to duplicate what Detroit did.

The short answer? Its not likely.

Few opponents will have the gall Glenn had, and even if they do, there is no guarantee that a similar plan would work so well again.

Detroits defense sent more six- or seven-man pressures than any other NFL team has in a game all season.

The Lions also played man coverage on 66.7 percent of Darnolds dropbacks, the second-highest mark by a defense in a game this season.

Advertisement These are diabolically aggressive extremes that could lend a defense to major susceptibility.

Dont get home with the pass rush, and a quarterback will have the time to dice the defense.

Defend elite receivers with man coverage, and youre playing a dangerous game.

Thats why the Vikings entered Sunday nights game as one of the NFLs best teams against man coverage and versus the blitz.

Detroit was well prepared for this style of play.

According to TruMedia, the Lions play man coverage at the highest rate in the NFL and have applied maximum pressure on the third-most snaps.

Playing this way was authentic to them, whereas the Rams rank in the bottom 10 in both man coverage usage and maximum pressure frequency.

Another mitigating factor in another team mimicking the Lions scheme will be the potential for the Vikings to execute more sharply.

OConnell spoke to reporters Monday about the performance and cited up to eight missed plays that he expected his offense to make.

Youve got to make them pay when theyre balancing coverage programmed to Justin with a lot of pressure, OConnell said.

Youve got to find a way to make one of those six, seven or eight opportunities happen to discourage some of that.

Live: Coach Kevin O'Connell Press Conference https://t.co/CnWiUiTUNy Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) January 6, 2025 Its almost the inverse of the Jacksonville Jaguars blueprint from earlier this season.

Against the Vikings in Week 10, the Jags played the highest percentage of two high safety snaps in a game a shockingly passive approach daring Darnold to consistently find shorter completions.

GO DEEPER Did Jaguars find formula for slowing down Justin Jefferson and Vikings offense? The Lions lived on the opposite, more aggressive end of that spectrum, challenging Darnold to accurately place the ball downfield with defenders in his face.

He struggled, but his teammates did not help him, either.

Hockenson couldnt haul in a third-down attempt on the Vikings opening drive that OConnell said the tight end would catch nine times out of 10.

Here is an image of that throw: Darnold twice missed an open Addison in the end zone.

Here is the first play, a fourth-and-3 situation in the second quarter: And here is the second, a fourth-and-2 opportunity in the third quarter: There were plenty of other mishaps, too.

Jefferson dropped a difficult catch on the back line that would have been a touchdown.

Darnold tried a deep shot to Addison down the middle while receiver Jalen Nailor leaked open toward the sideline.

Jefferson double-moved Lions defender Amik Robertson, and Darnold sailed the throw with pressure in his face.

Advertisement The Lions rushed four men a couple of times, too, and Vikings left guard Blake Brandel looked lost.

(The issues) are across the board, OConnell said.

The quarterback is going to get the spotlight on him when a play looks to be available to make and we dont make it.

Detroits plan worked, but it helped that the Vikings produced one of the worst red zone showings of OConnells tenure.

The only other time the Vikings visited the red zone four times in a game under OConnell and emerged with zero touchdowns was the aforementioned Jaguars game.

Darnold struggled mightily that day, too, but at least then he had time to throw.

This is a nod to the overall point: Beating Minnesotas offense requires a healthy dose of Minnesotas offense beating itself.

(Top photo: Junfu Han / USA Today Network via Imagn Images).

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