Lunchbreak: An NFL 'Top Storyline' Will Impact Vikings in Week 2

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PFF Says 'Patience is Key' in Regards to Vikings Young Defense


The Vikings will be looking to bounce back after a loss in which they allowed the Packers to rack up 43 points at U.S. Bank Stadium.


Analytics site Pro Football Focus each week runs its "ReFocused" series and takes a deeper look at each game. PFF's Anthony Treash broke down Sunday's Border Battle. He wrote:


[Aaron] Rodgers and the Packers lived and died by underneath route concepts and quick passes throughout the majority of the first half. On their first 15 plays of the game, Rodgers dropped back to pass 10 times, generating an average depth of target of 4.4 yards and an average time to throw of 1.75 seconds. For perspective, that was over half a second quicker than any other quarterback on Sunday on those "scripted" plays.


Minnesota wanted to establish the run right out of the gate, calling a run play on six of [its] eight plays in the first quarter. It wasn't until essentially garbage time in the fourth quarter that we actually saw Kirk Cousins do something for Minnesota's passing attack. Through the first three quarters of action, Cousins took 16 dropbacks; he was sacked on two, scrambled on three and completed just two passes over 10 yards downfield.


Treash took a look at Vikings rookie cornerback Cam Dantzler, whom Minnesota drafted in the third round.


Dantzler was the talk of training camp, pegged as a guy set to surprise this year, but he got worked by [Davante] Adams and [Marquez] Valdes-Scantling. On his 30 coverage snaps at outside corner — he played 82 [percent] of the team's snaps altogether — Dantzler was targeted six times and allowed all to be caught for 78 yards and a score. He did have three passing stops, though, so it could have been worse.


Remember that it is Week 1 and that these guys had a limited offseason program and no preseason action, so patience is key.