Last Sunday against the New York Giants, the Minnesota Vikings’ defense was not very good. They allowed the Giants to amass 431 yards of total offense as New York had no issues moving the football on Minnesota’s defense.
The Giants ultimately defeated the Vikings 31-24 at U.S. Bank Stadium.
It was a disappointing performance from a defense that had struggled throughout the season. Minnesota was 30th in points allowed per game(25.1) and was 31st in total defense.
Because of the struggles on defense, Minnesota fired defensive coordinator Ed Donatell after one season, the team announced Thursday.
Donatell, 65. was the defensive coordinator for the Broncos(2019-2021) for three seasons before being hired by the Vikings last offseason.
According to Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell, this move was what was best for the team.
“Today I informed Ed Donatell we will be going in a different direction at defensive coordinator in 2023,” O’Connell said in a statement. “While this was a difficult decision because of the tremendous respect I have for Ed as a person and a coach, I believe it is the right move for the future of our football team.
“I want to thank Ed for his commitment to the Vikings this past season, for the positive impact he had on our players and coaches, and for his role in helping me as a first-year head coach lay this foundation. We all wish Ed and his wife, Shari, only the best in the future.
“We will immediately begin our search to fill this critical role as we continue to build a championship standard for the Minnesota Vikings.”
For most of the season, the Vikings were able to overcome their struggles on defense, but it became too much come playoff time.
We’ll see what the Vikings do next on the defensive side of the ball.
