It is known for creating chaos. It is known for producing turnovers. It is known for penetrating an opponent’s backfield, and for laying ruin to its schemes, and for forcing an opponent into errors that prevent it from winning.
That is what the Minnesota Vikings’ defense is known for. But all through Sunday’s first half, the Bears barely bent in the face of its storm. They lost but a single fumble, and it didn’t cost them any points. They surrendered no sacks, and rolled up 169 yards of offense. And they, in the second quarter alone, controlled the ball for more than 11 minutes, and ended it ahead seven.
“I thought they had a great game plan,” Vikings linebacker Jeff Brady said. “Their game plan was to dink and dunk and get you frustrated. They were happy with three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust, and that was frustrating.”
“Yeah, it was,” added John Randle, the quicksilver defensive tackle who so concerned the Bears. “They don’t give you a chance to get to the quarterback. But you just got to keep playing, and not give up.”
The Vikings’ defense, instead, got together at halftime, and there, behind closed doors, talked out its frustrations. It talked too, Brady said, of needing a turnover, of looking for a turnover, of getting a turnover it felt it needed with its offense struggling so.
“This defense,” he explained “has to create turnovers. We’re not a bunch of 320-pound guys up front who’re gonna stuff you. Our defense is built on getting to the passer who’s trying to get the ball downfield. That’s what the NFL is now, getting the ball downfield, and that’s what our defense is built to beat.
“So when a team loads up on the run, like the Bears like to do, it’s tough for us to win. Then we’ve just got to load up and fill the gaps, and hope we can create the turnovers.”
That was its intent, then, as Sunday’s second half began. And the Vikings’ defense quickly got the turnover they were looking for. It came with just under five minutes gone, after Rashaan Salaam burst through right guard and was met by the arms of linebacker Ed McDaniel.
This was hardly a jarring tackle. But it was enough to get the ball from Salaam’s hands and into those of Vikings safety Orlando Thomas. He then traipsed 22 yards for a touchdown. Minnesota’s defense had produced the points it was seeking.
“They did a good job controlling me with line slides, by keeping a back in with the guards,” Randle said. “But they forgot a defense is not just one lineman. They’ve got to account for everyone else too.”
“In our defense,” Brady said, “you try to shoot your gap, and then just go to the ball. That’s what we talked about doing (at halftime), and then it happened. Amazing. Just amazing.”
