 reacts to a snap against the Seattle Seahawks during the fourth quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images.</p>
<p>” data-medium-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=788,height=444,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/cashsauce.jpg” data-large-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1180,height=633,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/cashsauce.jpg”><figcaption> Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure>
<p>Remember when — all those eons ago — the Minnesota Vikings lost two games?</p>
<h4>One Viking Is Just the Special Sauce</h4>
<p>The scene was post-bye week, and Minnesota dropped two contests to the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams, one at home, the other on the road at SoFi Stadium.</p>
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<figure><img loading=)
tweeted by NFL analyst Brett Kollmann:
Vikings defensive rankings when Blake Cashman plays, vs when he doesn’t.
Cashman in:
- 1st in EPA per play allowed
- 3rd in success rate allowed
- 1st in conversion rate allowed
Cashman out:
- 27th in EPA per play
- 14th in success rate
- 30th in conversion rate
Put plainly, by the numbers, the Vikings have the NFL’s very best defense when Cashman plays, but it devolved into the league’s sixth-worst with Cashman on the sidelines. The variance is that stark, that wild.
Overall, Minnesota’s defense ranks second leaguewide per EPA/Play and third per DVOA. No matter how one dices it, it’s a Top 3 unit in the NFL and a major reason the team has 13 wins in 15 games.
 sneaks a peak into the backfield against the Tennessee Titans during the first half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images.</p>
<p>” data-medium-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=788,height=444,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/titancash.jpg” data-large-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1180,height=637,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/titancash.jpg” src=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=788,height=444,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/titancash.jpg” alt><figcaption> Steve Roberts-Imagn Images.<span></span></figcaption></figure>
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<p>Meanwhile, Minnesota has been without the services of Ivan Pace Jr. for three games, Cashman’s inside linebacking teammate. While the enterprise hasn’t thoroughly hummed on defense, the Vikings have won all games sans Pace Jr. and continued to force defensive turnovers at a breakneck pace. It’s probably safe to say that Minnesota is fully at its best when Cashman and Pace Jr. patrol the middle of the field.</p>
<p>Conveniently, Pace Jr. is schedule to return to the lineup in Week 17, a date with the Green Bay Packers six days from now. Head coach Kevin O’Connell said after his team’s <a href=)
dub in Seattle that Pace Jr. and his teammate, safety Harrison Smith, should be to good to go for the pivotal NFC North tilt.
 reacts with the crowd after the game against the Arizona Cardinals at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.</p>
<p>” data-medium-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=788,height=444,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/blakemagic.jpg” data-large-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1180,height=620,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/blakemagic.jpg” src=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=788,height=444,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/blakemagic.jpg” alt><figcaption> Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.<span></span></figcaption></figure>
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<p>Above all else, Minnesota will need Cashman to stay healthy because the evidence weirdly shows he’s the straw that stirs the drink.</p>
<p>The Vikings are favored to knock off the Packers by two.</p>
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<p><a aria-label=)
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
