The blitz-happy Vikings defense took their habit to the highest level on Sunday against the Colts.
Via NBC Sports research, Minnesota blitzed on 85.2 percent of the Colts’ dropbacks on Sunday. It was the highest rate by any team in the Next Gen Stats era, which dates back to 2016.
The effort limited the Colts to 64 net passing yards, thanks to four sacks that erased 44 yards.
The challenge comes from the confusion created by the Brian Flores defense. The offense never knows who is and isn’t coming until the snap. It forces the blockers to quickly diagnose the situation, and it requires the quarterback to process his reads before he gets knocked down.
Minnesota needed that. The run defense wasn’t getting it done on Sunday; the Colts gained 154 yards on the ground. By the time the final drive came, the Colts had no choice but to throw — and Minnesota’s relentlessness forced quarterback Daniel Jones into his lone turnover of the day, a game-sealing interception.
And that was enough to deliver a 16-10 win, moving the Vikings to 6-0 for the first time since 2009. While also extending Minnesota’s winning streak to 11, the second longest in franchise history.