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Frederick: The Vikings defense has to be better. Seriously.

In Week 1, the Minnesota Vikings defense allowed five plays of at least 30 yards, including an 81-yard scoring strike to Christian Watson, as the Packers posted a 10.4% explosive-play rate.
SharpFootballAnalysis defines an explosive play as 15-plus yards; Minnesota allowed such plays on just 3.7% of snaps in 2025, the best mark in the NFL, but failed to maintain that standard last week.
When Minnesota failed to contain play action, Jordan Love gashed the Vikings on numerous occasions; the defense eventually tightened with three sacks and an interception in winning time.
Chicago presents an immediate challenge, having posted 59 points against Carolina last week with an 11.4% explosive-play rate; head coach Ben Johnson's Bears feature quarterback Caleb Williams and threaten a Vikings defense targeting 2-0.
Defensive coordinator Flores emphasized that improvement remains the primary focus in the opening third of the campaign; to contend in a division flush with high-octane offenses, the Vikings must demonstrate tangible defensive stability between games one and two.

Insights by Ground AI