Vikings defense struggles with ‘very similar game plans’ between the Rams and Lions

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Vikings safety Josh Metellus didn’t need to watch a replay.

There are clear ways to attack this Vikings defense that dominated during a 5-0 start.

Back-to-back losses to the Lions and Rams have shown that if you can keep your quarterback upright long enough against coordinator Brian Flores’ varied and disguised pressure schemes, you can find spaces to throw the ball — especially over the middle of the field.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford routinely picked apart Minnesota’s zone coverages while throwing for 279 yards, four touchdowns and one interception in the Vikings’ 30-20 loss on Thursday night. And for the first time this season, the Vikings defense couldn’t sack the quarterback. Stafford took just two hits.

“Our front seven, the first five weeks, was lights out,” Metellus said from the visitor’s locker room at SoFi Stadium. “The plan is to mitigate that pressure, whatever they can do to stop that pressure for however long and then throw the ball down the middle of the field in the vacated zones where we’re playing deep, or the underneath defender is playing too short. Very similar game plans; ball out quick.”

“A lot more screens this week than we’d seen against Detroit, so I’d say that’s a different thing,” he added. “For the most part, the stuff on tape we’ve been giving up, that’s going to be on there for the season, so it’s on us to stop that.”

The Vikings’ lack of pressure on Stafford started with quick-throwing play calls by Rams head coach Sean McVay. The Rams’ first touchdown drive featured a couple of screens to second-year receiver Puka Nacua, who had seven grabs for 106 yards in his first game back from a knee injury in the season opener.

And when the Rams pivoted to take shots downfield, Stafford seemed to have the answers to Flores’ pressure tests. Rams blockers rarely seemed confused, unlike when the Vikings successfully harassed the Jets, Texans and 49ers offenses earlier this season.

“Tried to mess with the edges a little bit, tried to add extra [blockers],” edge rusher Jonathan Greenard said of the Rams. “Lot of gadget stuff. Seemed like 10 screens from the beginning of the game.”

The Vikings didn’t try to blitz during any of Stafford’s four touchdown passes. He was only pressured during one: a 7-yard toss to Rams receiver Cooper Kupp in the second quarter.

Greenard, the Vikings’ best pass rusher, breezed into the backfield and appeared to have Stafford wrapped up, but Stafford spun away and found Kupp in the back of the end zone.

“Just gotta make it,” Greenard said.

There were also breakdowns in coverage. Like when Rams running back Kyren Williams beat linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. over the middle for a 5-yard touchdown.

Or when Rams receiver Tutu Atwell was open for an 18-yard catch on a deep over route. Cornerback Shaq Griffin was nearby in zone coverage but lamented not being deep enough to disrupt Stafford’s throw. Four plays later, Stafford threw over Griffin’s head for a 25-yard touchdown to Rams receiver Demarcus Robinson in the third quarter.

“That’s something that’s been going on for two weeks,” Griffin said. “Not being in the right spots or having the right communication and that’s something we gotta fix right now.”

The flurry of screens against the Vikings defense isn’t just to get the ball out fast. Opponents are trying to get an older Vikings secondary to rally and tackle on the perimeter, according to Griffin.

“A lot of people got the game plan from what happened [against Detroit],” he said. “A lot of people are probably going to use that against us. We’re seeing more screens, seeing more run attacks. They’re trying to get us to tackle.”

Penalties became a new problem. The Vikings defense, which had been one of the least penalized units through six games, was called for five flags that led to Rams first downs.

Even so, head coach Kevin O’Connell said he didn’t feel the Vikings defense was that far off from making a bigger difference. He pointed to a 27-yard completion to Kupp down the left sideline in which Vikings cornerback Stephon Gilmore was in position for a takeaway. But Kupp leaped in front of Gilmore for the critical third-down catch with a few minutes left, helping the Rams to salt the game away.

“It looked like we might even have a chance to intercept that ball,” O’Connell said, “and Coop comes down with it.”