Viktor
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- Mar 19, 2019
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Finding and limiting explosive plays | By @pcraigers
The Vikings recorded a whopping 15 "big plays" — defined as a run play that gains at least 10 yards or a pass that goes for at least 20 — against the Lions for the most allowed by a team in a game this season.
Minnesota will try to keep finding those explosive gains against a Chicago squad that has limited them during a four-game win streak in the series.
From 2018-19, the Bears offense recorded 17 big plays against the Vikings and only allowed 10 by Minnesota, a per-game average of 4.3 to 2.5.
This season, however, the Vikings average number of big plays per game is 8.5. Minnesota has allowed an average of 6.3 in 2020. That has led to a season-long differential of plus-18, according to Sportradar. Minnesota was plus-10 against Detroit for the second-largest margin in a game by any team this season.
The Bears defense, however, has allowed an average of 7.2 big plays a game, and Chicago's offense has averaged 4.9 per outing. That has resulted in a differential of minus-21.
Vikings coaches have talked all week about the talent throughout the levels of the Bears defense, and they expect the game to be tough sledding.
A new wrinkle this week is Bears Head Coach Matt Nagy announced Friday he is relinquishing offensive play-calling duties to Offensive Coordinator Bill Lazor.
What do the Vikings expect from Lazor?
"It's a little bit of an unknown, but we obviously went back and looked at when he was in Cincinnati and so forth, as far as some of those things," Zimmer said. "I think it's tough to just change everything. The tendencies might change a little bit, but during the course of the game, you kind of just go with what you feel, anyway. We'll just have to see. I really can't tell you."
Notable Number: 12
Dalvin Cook has had a nose for the end zone this season, as he leads all NFL players with 12 rushing touchdowns in 2020. Cook has hit the dozen mark despite playing in just six-and-a-half games this season.
That total is already a franchise record through 10 games, and is tied for the third-most in a single season in Vikings history. Minnesota's single-season record was set in 2009 by Adrian Peterson, who rushed for 18 scores.
Here are some other fun facts about Cook's impressive 2020 season to date.
He leads the league with 858 rushing yards, 122.6 rushing yards per game, 48 rushing first downs and 25 rushes of 10-plus yards.
His 1,031 scrimmage yards rank second behind only Alvin Kamara's 1,036 with the Saints.