The Minnesota Vikings are driving into their bye week with a 5-1 document that has ensured they’ll stay the No. 2 seed within the NFC after they return to the sector. After such a tumultuous 2021 season the place seemingly nothing went proper, some could also be asking, “how did they get this good?”. A few of the reply actually has to do with good luck, however there are some statistics that counsel the Vikings are literally fairly good. Listed below are six optimistic Vikings stats via the primary six weeks of the NFL season.

Turnover Differential

The Vikings have turned the ball over extra typically this 12 months than that they had at this level within the 2021 season, however that has been counteracted by the truth that the Vikings are one among 9 groups to drive their opponents in 10+ turnovers.

Due to that, the Vikings have a turnover differential of +4, tied for second-best within the NFL. Minnesota compelled three essential turnovers in opposition to the Dolphins, which actually helped them win their fourth consecutive sport.

Minnesota has compelled turnovers in each sport to this point this season, and if they will proceed to make excessive affect performs on the defensive aspect of the ball, the Vikings ought to preserve profitable video games.

Scoring Protection

Everybody has introduced up how the Vikings proceed to surrender large yardage totals to their opponents. The Dolphins gained 458 complete yards this previous weekend, and the Vikings have allowed 400+ yards in three of their six video games this 12 months.

That stated, the 2022 Vikings have been the epitome of a “bend-don’t-break” protection. Regardless of permitting the fourth-most complete yards and third-most passing yards, Minnesota continues to permit fewer than 20 factors per sport this season.

The Vikings offense has not been an elite unit by any means, however any offense with Dalvin Cook dinner, Kirk Cousins, Justin Jefferson, and Adam Thielen ought to rating 20 factors with relative ease. The protection hasn’t been fairly at instances, however it’s getting the job carried out by way of retaining factors off the scoreboard.

Sacks

One of many essential ways in which the Vikings protection has continued to maintain factors off the board is by attending to opposing QBs. Minnesota recorded six sacks in opposition to Dolphins QBs this weekend. Minnesota was second within the NFL in sacks final 12 months, and as soon as once more they proceed to be a top-10 group in that division.

The Vikings have 17 sacks on the 12 months, however that’s not the one sack-related stat that issues for this group. On the opposite aspect, they’ve carried out a strong job of retaining Kirk Cousins upright. The Vikings QB has been sacked simply 11 instances this 12 months, and his stress fee of 24.4% is the bottom of his tenure in Minnesota, per Pro-Football-Reference.

Area Place

Particular groups is a large think about the place a group begins every possession in addition to the place their opponents begin possessions. Up to now into 2022, there is no such thing as a group higher than the Vikings at profitable the sector place battle.

For their very own drives, the Vikings begin, on common, from their own 32.0-yard-line. That’s first within the NFL, nearly a whole yard forward of the second-best New England Patriots, who begin from their very own 31.1.

On the opposite aspect of the ball, the Vikings particular groups have carried out an incredible job of pinning their opponents deep inside their very own territory. As soon as once more, the Vikings lead the league by forcing their opponents to start out on common from their very own 24.4-yard-line.

A serious purpose behind this discrepancy comes from their rookie punter, Ryan Wright. Wright pinned the Dolphins inside their very own 20-yard-line six instances on Sunday, and on one other event, he pinned them precisely on the Miami 20.

Fourth Quarter Scoring

While you’re enjoying as many shut video games because the Minnesota Vikings have over the previous two years (19 of Minnesota’s previous 23 video games have been determined by 8 or fewer factors), it’s essential to attain down the stretch to make sure you find yourself on prime.

Minnesota has carried out a terrific job of that to this point in 2022, rating fifth within the NFL by averaging 8.5 factors within the fourth quarter. Over their previous three video games, all video games which have ended as wins for the Vikings, Minnesota has upped that to 11.3 points. The one group scoring extra factors than the Vikings over that stretch is the New York Jets.

Three-Sport Lead

On the finish of the day, not one of the above stats would matter all that a lot if the Vikings had been 1-5 reasonably than 5-1. Nevertheless, an important stat heading into the Vikings bye week is the truth that they’re 3-0 of their division and successfully have created a three-game lead within the NFC North over the Inexperienced Bay Packers.

For Minnesota to earn themselves a house playoff sport, they doubtless have to win this division. They’ve put themselves in an incredible place to do exactly that one-third of the best way via the season.

Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The School of Idaho with a bachelor’s diploma in Inventive Writing in addition to minors in Historical past, Human Biology, and Journalism. When he’s not writing in regards to the NFL, Josh enjoys marathon coaching, enjoying video video games, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. For extra of his takes, NFL and in any other case, try his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.