The Vikings defense faced adversity on Sunday.
The unit dealt with the losses of every starter on the defensive line. LB Anthony Barr’s hamstring injury during the game made the defense’s job even harder.
The missing pieces were easy to see. San Francisco punished the Minnesota defensive front with 208 rushing yards on the day.
The Vikings defense couldn’t stop the 49ers on offense for most of Week 12, but the team got a lucky break when San Francisco K Robbie Gould missed a 42-yard field goal to keep the Vikings within eight points late in the fourth quarter. In the end, the Vikings offense failed to convert on fourth down during its final offensive drive.
Like all of Minnesota’s losses this year, the game was close, but all the more disappointing because of it. The Vikings moved to 5-6 and their two-game win streak snapped.
