Vikings' Offensive Struggles on Full Display in Embarrassing Showing vs. Lions

Failure on the offensive side of the ball undid the Minnesota Vikings on a day in which the team’s defense held up its end of the bargain. This game was supposed to be an opportunity for the offense to get back on track after a poor showing in Green Bay. That did not happen.

Simple statistics tell most of the tale. The Vikings ran 63 offensive plays for 212 total yards, averaging 3.4 yards per play. The offense converted only three of 14 third downs. Worse yet, the unit couldn’t convert for a touchdown in its two trips into the red zone. It all added up to three offensive points.

It’s true that Detroit’s defense deserves praise. In past years, offenses could easily march on the porous Lions. The unit has improved greatly in 2014. These are its league rankings in different defensive categories entering today’s game:

Total Yds	3rd-down %	Rush Yds	Pass Yds
1	4	3	6

The failure of the Vikings offense to move the football or score points still hits the radar of significance. Norv Turner, Teddy Bridgewater and the offense’s supporting cast found no ways to penetrate the Detroit defense.

Returns from the ground game were nonexistent. Minnesota totaled up 69 rushing yards on 18 carries. Those numbers don’t cause worry on the surface. But if you remove a 21-yard gain by receiver Jarius Wright on an end-around, the average falls from 3.8 to 2.8 yards per carry.

Adam Bettcher/Getty Images

Rookie Jerick McKinnon earned the start and the bulk of the carries but could only muster 3.6 yards per carry. Too often he was left having to create yardage from nothing with Detroit getting strong initial surges.

Matt Asiata was relegated to a niche role, only carrying the ball twice and getting nowhere near the snaps McKinnon got. He was no more effective.

Minnesota’s inability to run the ball combined with having to chase a lead for most of the game led to imbalance. Bridgewater attempted 37 passes, while only 18 rushing attempts were recorded. The imbalance was even greater considering the sacks Minnesota took.

The insistent pressure from the Detroit defense came about in part because of the Vikings’ inability to run the ball. Through the usage of stunts and blitzes, the Lions' defensive front got after Bridgewater early and often. Bleacher Report’s NFC North Lead Writer Zach Kruse has the numbers:

"

#Lions: 12 QB hits, 8 sacks and 3 INTs of Teddy Bridgewater today.

— Zach Kruse (@zachkruse2) October 12, 2014"

A majority of the hits and sacks fell on the offensive line’s shoulders. Both left tackle Matt Kalil and right tackle Phil Loadholt were leaky on the edges if not outright flooded. Guards Charlie Johnson and Vlad Ducasse also had their lapses in pass protection.

The Vikings often appeared unprepared for the frequent stunting and intelligent blitzing done by the Lions. Detroit was often able to overwhelm one side of the offensive line. The guard-tackle combinations of Minnesota had trouble picking things up. Backs, most often McKinnon, had trouble accounting for extra rushers and aiding the offensive line as well.

Those eight sacks and 12 hits took their toll on the rookie quarterback.

As the game progressed, Bridgewater became rattled by the constant pressure. Too often he was unable to fully step into throws because of the pressure in his face. That led to numerous inaccurate throws, whether underneath or further down the field. Other times he was left having to scramble for his life to poor results.

The Vikings missed a big opportunity to even things up on the first offensive drive. After moving the ball down the field well on the ground, the rookie learned his first lesson. James Light describes the coverage that Bridgewater failed to identify:

"

Lions were in Cover 3 on the INT. Bridgewater never read the single high safety. Stared down #1 on the double post.

— James Light (@JamesALight) October 12, 2014"

Not looking off the safety in the middle of the field, he threw into thick coverage. That easy interception left points off the board for the Vikings offense on a day when it needed every last one.

Bridgewater’s decision-making was frequently delayed throughout the game as well. The consistent pressure and the early interception affected the way he went about attacking the Detroit defense. Mostly that meant checking the ball down to his backs or throwing underneath the first layer of coverage.

The final stat line is unkind to Bridgewater, per VikingUpdate.com:

"

Teddy Bridgewater finished 23 of 37 for 188 yards, no TDs, three INTs, eight sacks and a 41.3 rating. #Vikings

— VikingUpdate.com (@VikingUpdate) October 12, 2014"

The rookie rarely tested the Lions with throws down the field, so he earned the low yardage total. He was also rather inaccurate, earning the low completion percentage. Interceptions two and three were both deflected balls, so his hand in the turnovers is not entirely clear.

Inability to help out Bridgewater from the receiving corps was the most disappointing aspect of the Vikings offense. Detroit was able to challenge the group with man coverage across the board, tasking the receivers with separating and getting open. Jarius Wright was candid about the effect that had in interviews after the game, per Andrew Krammer of 1500 ESPN:

"

Jarius Wright: "Their 2-man defense...harder to get open against." said #Vikings WRs stifled in part from tight man cov. + quick pass rush.

— Andrew Krammer (@Andrew_Krammer) October 12, 2014"

Wright, Greg Jennings and Cordarrelle Patterson had trouble making themselves available for Bridgewater to throw to. On seemingly every dropback, the quarterback was forced off the first option. With how quickly the Detroit rush was able to close, that was a recipe for disaster.

Even when Bridgewater delivered to open receivers, his ball placement was often a letdown. Numerous passes did hit the hands of receivers and should be considered drops, though. Overall, the struggling group of receivers failed to help out a young quarterback faced with an overwhelming pass rush on an almost every-down basis.

The entire offense will be heading back to the drawing board after being thoroughly stifled by a quality Detroit defense. Finding ways to protect Bridgewater, free up receivers and breathe life into the ground game are the priorities moving forward.

All statistics via ESPN.com unless indicated otherwise.