Falcons34 wrote:
haha well the Vikings need to show they still deserve the number 1 seed. How could you let Cam go on 60 plus yard run
On that play it looked like Khalil got away with a pretty blatant hold on Barr and Sendejo just completely whiffed on his tackle attempt. The other safety that would normally have been there to seal off the bigger run, Harrison Smith, was up tight in coverage for some reason and got sealed off up the field. Not sure what happened to the defensive end on that side of the field, but he was also a complete non-factor on the play.
It was just fundamentally bad defense, and it wasn't the only play where the Vikings had that issue yesterday.
On the flip side, those sorts of letdowns haven't been a big problem for them this year. For the most part the defense has been very consistent and effective against both the pass and the run, so I'm more inclined to chalk it up to a few bad plays in a single game at the end of a difficult 3-game road trip than I am to any generalized bigger issue with the defense overall. I think they'll bounce back against the Bengals at home.
The injuries on the offensive line are far more concerning. Vikes ended that game with a single starter on the offensive line, and the Panthers took good advantage of it. If those injuries persist, that will be a big problem.