Minnesota Vikings: Positives and negatives from 2020 season

Negative: Defense, special teams struggled

Although Minnesota was solid on the offensive side of the ball, consisting of one of the top offensive units in the entire NFL, another negative that countered that solid play was the play of the defense and special teams units on the team.

More often than not, most notably in the second half of the regular season, the Vikings defense and special teams groups struggled and resulted in the team shooting itself in the foot while coming out on the losing end of games multiple times.

When it comes to the defense, that group gave up an average of 29.7 points per game, along with giving up a total of 401.1 yards per contest in 16 games. A unit that has been dominant since head coach Mike Zimmer took over at head coach, the Vikings defense also gave up 258.8 passing yards per game and 30 passing touchdowns, along with giving up 134.4 yards per game and 19 touchdowns on the ground.

Along with those struggles on the defensive side of the field, the play of the special teams group was perhaps the most frustrating thing for Vikings fans throughout the course of the year. Specifically when it came to the turnover struggles and kicking woes of Dan Bailey that ended up having the below-par defense staying on the field more often than it should have.

Bailey did not help Minnesota especially in the second half of the regular season, missing multiple field goals and extra points in key situations. The veteran kicker finished with making 15-of-22 field goal attempts, also converting on 37-of-43 extra points in 2020.

Along with Bailey’s kicking woes, the kick and punt return units shot themselves in the foot often as well, fumbling the ball on multiple occasions resulting in opposing offenses taking over with good field position.

Moving forward, the defense and special teams groups are going to have to improve for Minnesota to help out the offense while putting itself in positions to win games.