Minnesota Vikings' Defense is Super Bowl Level

The Minnesota Vikings are 5-0 this season, and a lot of that is due to the defensive side of the ball, because offensively, this team has been very inconsistent. Now, a lot of that is because of the quarterback play, with Kyler Murray going down and Carson Wentz needing to step in. Not having a consistent quarterback under center can disrupt momentum from game to game, but the one clear thing is that Minnesota's defense has been consistent every single week and has really been the reason the Vikings are 5-0.

Under veteran defensive coordinator Brian Flores, the Vikings are leading the league in scoring defense, opponent third-down conversion rate, red-zone touchdown efficiency and defensive expected points added. That’s a dangerous combination because not only is Minnesota limiting actual yardage, but it's also disrupting opposing offenses, forcing turnovers and creating negative plays. When you combine all of those things, it's incredibly frustrating for an opposing offense.

When you think about the vast majority of defensive statistics, both in pass defense and rush defense, the Vikings are really good. Opposing quarterbacks are struggling mightily against Minnesota, completing just 53.2% of their passes with a combined three touchdowns and six interceptions through five games. That's an impressive ratio that really speaks to how difficult it is to move the ball against this defense.

And they're getting better with each passing week. You think about points allowed in Week 1, when they gave up 22 to the Packers in a game they ultimately won. But since then, it's been just 3, 16, 10 and 13 points allowed, respectively. And in terms of yards allowed, since that season opener, it's been 297, 243, 198 and 142. So this defense is getting better with each game. Now, the level of competition has also decreased in recent weeks, but it's still impressive nonetheless.

And the thing that really stands out is the individual talent making this happen. Dallas Turner has been a force in getting after opposing quarterbacks, Andrew Van Ginkel has done everything defensively in terms of disruptiveness, Byron Murphy Jr. has been a ball hawk, and Blake Cashman is tackling everybody all over the field. There's talent at every level of this defense, and Flores has done an incredible job putting those players in positions to succeed.

And when it comes to Super Bowl-caliber teams, the Vikings are a team people should buy into because offense can be inconsistent in the playoffs, even for the best teams. But if you have an elite defense, there's a much greater reliability factor. And through five games, Minnesota has shown that its defense is capable of carrying this team, regardless of how the offense performs.