Minnesota Vikings Week 8 Stock Report
A 28-19 win over the Detroit Lions in Week 7 improved the Minnesota Vikings' record to 4-2 in 2015. Fresh off head coach Mike Zimmer's first road win inside the division, Minnesota will now go back on the road to face the Chicago Bears in Week 8.
The 2-4 Bears had a bye in Week 7. Chicago beat the Vikings at Soldier Field by a 21-13 final last season.
In the following slides, we will take stock of the Vikings' risers and fallers ahead of Week 8.
Rising: Vikings Defense
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The Vikings gave up 155 yards and 14 points on Detroit's first two drives on Sunday. On the next nine? Only 119 yards and three points.
The Lions' 274 total yards were the least given up by Minnesota in six games this season.
Detroit punted on six of seven possessions after going up 14-3, and the game ended after the Lions turned the ball over on downs on back-to-back series in the fourth quarter. The Vikings sacked Matthew Stafford seven times and allowed just one conversion over 12 third- or fourth-down opportunities.
After seven weeks, Zimmer's defense ranks second in points allowed (17.0 per game), seventh in yards allowed (338.8) and ninth in sacks (17).
This is a young group just scratching the surface of being an elite NFL defense. In fact, it might already be there.
Falling: Vikings' Red-Zone Offense
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The Vikings would have blown the Lions out of the water on Sunday if not for the offense's struggles inside the red zone. Minnesota settled for three field goals and scored just one touchdown on four trips inside Detroit's 20-yard line.
The struggles were highlighted in the second half, when the Vikings couldn't finish off a drive featuring Adrian Peterson's 75-yard run or get in the end zone despite a 1st-and-goal opportunity from Detroit's 2-yard line. Minnesota kicked two field goals, allowing the Lions to stay in a game they had no business being in during the final stages of the second half.
It wasn't a problem on Sunday against a 1-6 Detroit team. Minnesota still won comfortably on the road.
But not finishing drives with touchdowns will be an issue once the Vikings get to the difficult part of their schedule. Playoff teams need to score seven points when provided the opportunity.
Rising: WR Stefon Diggs
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This is the third straight week in the "rising" category for Diggs. We've gone from "This guy can contribute!" after 87 yards in Denver to "Is this guy a star in the making?" after 129 yards against Kansas City.
Now, we've reached "Is Diggs the next Odell Beckham Jr.?" levels thanks to his 108 yards and a diving touchdown in Detroit.
The comparisons to Beckham are still premature, but they are hardly ridiculous. Diggs has 19 catches and 324 yards over just three games—a pace that, if continued over the final 10 games, puts him on track to finish with over 1,400 receiving yards in 2015.
Will Diggs continue to average over 100 yards per game? Probably not. But who knows? No team has covered him so far. He can get open in a variety of ways. He makes plays at every level of the field.
Maybe most importantly, Teddy Bridgewater has already established a trust and rapport with the fifth-round pick.
Diggs is here to stay. The only question left is, how high can his star rise?
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Falling: CB Xavier Rhodes
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Many believed Xavier Rhodes would ascend to elite cornerback status in his third season. It hasn't happened through six games.
Rhodes isn't having a bad season. Not by a long shot. But few would argue that he's met the lofty expectations placed on him ahead of 2015.
Lions receiver Calvin Johnson got the best of him a few times on Sunday, including on a one-yard touchdown in the first half. He also drew two more penalties on Minnesota's No. 29. Rhodes wasn't the first and won't be the last cornerback toasted by Johnson, but his season as a whole has been disappointing.
According to Pro Football Focus, Rhodes has allowed four touchdowns without an interception. Opposing quarterbacks have a passer rating of 118.5 when targeting him, and he currently ranks 105th out of 108 qualified cornerbacks.
Rhodes will have battles against Amari Cooper, Randall Cobb, Julio Jones, Larry Fitzgerald and Odell Beckham Jr. in coming weeks. The Vikings need him to be better.
Rising: QB Teddy Bridgewater
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With a run game floundering for the second straight week, the Vikings needed Teddy Bridgewater to go win the game in Detroit. And for the first time this season, the second-year quarterback used his right arm to deliver Minnesota a victory.
Bridgewater completed 25 passes for 316 yards—his first game over 300 in 2015—and two touchdowns, including the go-ahead score to rookie Stefon Diggs to open the third quarter. He was accurate and decisive despite a Lions pass rush that sacked him four times and hit him almost a dozen more.
Overall, Bridgewater connected with 11 different receivers and averaged nine yards per attempt.
There will be games when Minnesota needs something above and beyond from its quarterback. Sunday was one of those times. Bridgewater came through with his most efficient game of the season.
Falling: Eric Kendricks as a Cover LB
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The rookie middle linebacker had two more sacks on Sunday, raising his total to four in 2015. But Kendricks is having some issues handling the coverage aspects of being Zimmer's starter on the inside.
According to Pro Football Focus, Kendricks allowed four catches for 67 yards against the Lions, including a 31-yard reception to tight end Eric Ebron. A week earlier, he gave up four catches and 68 yards, with a long of 31 to tight end Travis Kelce.
Kendricks should still be considered a three-down linebacker, but it's clear offenses have figured out ways to confuse him in the passing game—especially with deep crossers to the middle of the field.
Coverage is an area of his game he'll need to get cleaned up as his rookie year progresses.
Rising: K Blair Walsh
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Walsh missed his second extra point of the season in Detroit, but a one-point failure became acceptable when the Vikings kicker was a perfect 5-for-5 on three-point opportunities.
In Detroit, Walsh connected on two kicks from more than 50 yards out, including a 53-yarder. He finished with 16 of Minnesota's 29 points in a nine-point win.
Walsh has now made 10 straight field goals since missing early in Denver. He's 14-for-16 this season, including a 4-for-5 mark on kicks of over 40 yards. It sure looks like Walsh is over his slump.
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