The Vikings defense allowed the fewest points and yards of any unit in the league last season and that was a major reason why they found themselves in the NFC title game against the Eagles in January.
The play of their defense in that game was a major reason why the Vikings didn’t return home to play in Super Bowl LII. They gave up season-highs in both points and yards as the Eagles rolled to a 38-7 win. As the team prepares for the 2018 season, linebacker Ben Gedeon said they need to use the loss as “fuel” and safety Harrison Smith wants the loss to be an educational tool.
“We didn’t deliver, so that’s something we can learn from this offseason, and hopefully we will use it in the future,” Smith said, via the Pioneer Press. “If we just throw the film away, that’s doing yourself a disservice. We want to learn from the good and from the bad, and use it all to get better for the season.”
The Vikings defense had its worst day at the worst possible time. Getting a chance to reverse that this season will take the same kind of effort from the unit every week.
