The Minnesota Vikings have remarkably achieved a record of 7-2 after their latest victory over Jacksonville on Sunday afternoon, marking a significant milestone as they surpass the halfway point of the season. This impressive performance reflects their resilience and determination to succeed in a competitive environment, demonstrating the team’s potential to contend for the playoffs.

Throughout the first half of the season, the Vikings have showcased a blend of outstanding plays and statistics alongside areas needing improvement. Despite their commendable 7-2 record, there are critical adjustments the Vikings must implement to enhance their efficiency and position themselves for a deep postseason run. Continuous evaluation and adaptation will be essential as they progress.

Let’s dive deeper into their performance metrics.

Comprehensive Analysis of Vikings’ Box Score and Advanced Stats

The statistics outlined below are presented by league ranking followed by the raw numerical values in parentheses, providing a clear picture of the Vikings’ standing in various categories.

Key Box Score Stats

• Overall Record: Tied for fourth in the league (7-2)
• Point Differential: Ranked 8th (+64)
• Simple Rating System (SRS): Ranked 2nd (7.82), a measure of point differential adjusted for strength of schedule and home-field advantage.
• Average Scoring Margin: Ranked 7th (+7.1 points)

Offensive Scoring Metrics

• Total Points Scored by Offense: Ranked 10th (221)
• Total Passing Touchdowns: Ranked 6th (17)
• Total Rushing Touchdowns: Ranked 30th (4)
• Points Scored per Play: Ranked 10th (0.402)

Offensive Yardage Breakdown

• Total Yards Gained: Ranked 13th (3,092)
• Average Yards per Play: Ranked 13th (5.6)
• Average Yards per Game: Ranked 13th (343.6)
• Passing Attempts: Ranked 25th (263)
• Total Passing Yards: Ranked 12th (2,010)
• Average Net Yards per Passing Attempt: Ranked 8th (6.9)
• Rushing Attempts: Ranked 11th (260)
• Total Rushing Yards: Ranked 16th (1,082)
• Average Rushing Yards per Attempt: Ranked 21st (4.2)

Defensive Scoring Insights

• Points Allowed by Defense: Ranked 3rd (157)
• Passing Touchdowns Allowed: Ranked 20th (14)
• Rushing Touchdowns Allowed: Ranked 2nd (4)
• Points Allowed per Play: Ranked 4th (0.282)

Defensive Yardage Metrics

• Total Yards Allowed: Ranked 11th (2,798)
• Average Yards per Play Allowed: Ranked 6th (5.0)
• Average Yards per Game Allowed: Ranked 11th (310.9)
• Opponent Pass Attempts: Ranked 29th (338)
• Passing Yards Allowed: Ranked 26th (2,087)
• Average Net Passing Yards per Attempt Allowed: Ranked 7th (5.7)
• Opponent Rushing Attempts: Ranked 1st (Least) (189)
• Rushing Yards Allowed: Ranked 2nd (711)
• Net Yards per Rushing Attempt Allowed: Ranked 3rd (3.8)

Turnover Statistics

• Offensive Turnovers: Ranked 29th (16)
• Fumbles Lost: Ranked 24th (6)
• Interceptions Thrown: Ranked 25th (10)
• Defensive Takeaways: Ranked 1st (20)
• Fumbles Recovered: Ranked 12th (5)
• Interceptions: Ranked 1st (15)

Penalty Metrics

• Penalties per Game: Ranked 22nd (7.0)
• Penalty Yards per Game: Ranked 19th (52.3)
• Opponent Penalties per Game: Ranked 6th (7.1)
• Opponent Penalty Yards per Game: Ranked 7th (59.7)

Situational Performance Stats

• Third-Down Conversion Percentage: Ranked 10th (40.2%)
• Opponent Third-Down Conversion Percentage: Ranked 8th (33.6%)
• Red Zone Touchdown Percentage: Ranked 19th (53.3%)
• Opponent Red Zone Touchdown Percentage: Ranked 25th (63.6%)
• Red Zone Offensive EPA/play: Ranked 28th (-0.31)
• Red Zone Offensive Pass EPA/play: Ranked 20th (-0.24)
• Red Zone Offensive Rush EPA/play: Ranked 31st (-0.39)
• Red Zone Defensive EPA/play: Ranked 22nd (-0.01)
• Red Zone Defense Pass EPA/play Allowed: Ranked 15th (-0.02)
• Red Zone Defense Rush EPA/play Allowed: Ranked 14th (-0.01)

Understanding DVOA Metrics for Team Performance

DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average) provides a nuanced evaluation of team efficiency, expressed as a percentage relative to the league average and adjusted for opponent strength. A larger negative percentage reflects better defensive DVOA, while a larger positive percentage indicates stronger offensive and special teams DVOA. Click on the DVOA title above for a more detailed explanation.

• Total Team DVOA: Ranked 4th (+22.8%)
• Offensive DVOA: Ranked 17th (-1.8%)
• Defensive DVOA: Ranked 1st (-25.0%)
• Special Teams DVOA: Ranked 19th (-0.4%)

The Vikings have faced the 7th toughest schedule so far this season (+4.8% average DVOA) and will encounter the 16th toughest remaining schedule (+1.4% average DVOA).

Offensive DVOA Breakdown by Performance Metrics

• Passing DVOA: Ranked 16th (+18.9%)
• Rushing DVOA: Ranked 19th (-7.0%)

The Vikings’ offense has faced the 11th most difficult schedule (-1.4% average defensive DVOA) thus far this season.

Defensive DVOA Breakdown by Performance Metrics

• Passing DVOA: Ranked 1st (-22.7%)
• Rushing DVOA: Ranked 1st (-29.8%)

The Vikings’ defense has encountered the sixth toughest slate of offensive opponents so far this season (+6.0% DVOA). A significant concern for the Vikings’ defensive DVOA has been game-to-game variance, which ranks 30th. Therefore, while the Vikings lead in overall defensive DVOA, their performance can fluctuate significantly from game to game.

Observing Trends in Vikings’ Performance

In the initial four games of the season, the Vikings consistently secured victories by establishing substantial early leads through dynamic plays in the passing game, complemented by an unconventional defense that left opponents perplexed.

However, following the initial four games, teams began to adapt their strategies to counter the Vikings’ winning formula. Analyzing the chart above reveals significant changes in the Vikings’ Total DVOA from weeks 1-4 compared to weeks 5-10, highlighting the need for continuous evolution in their approach.