No unit provided as much intrigue for the Minnesota Vikings this season as the defense.
New coach Mike Zimmer came to Minnesota with a strong defensive background taking over, perhaps, the worst defense in the NFL the previous season. If any aspect would show Zimmer's true impact in his first season, it would be the defensive side of the ball.
In 2013, the final season under coach Leslie Frazier, the Vikings allowed the most points in the league (30.0 per game) and second-most yards (397.6 per game). The pass defense was second from the bottom, allowing 287.2 yards per game.
Minnesota has to be optimistic for the future after the defensive turnaround orchestrated by Zimmer in one offseason. The Vikings were 11th in scoring defense, giving up 21.4 points per game. They were 14th in total defense, allowing 344.7 yards per game.
The starkest contrast from last season was the pass defense, long a troubled spot for Minnesota. The Vikings were seventh in pass defense in 2014, holding teams to 223.3 yards per game.
Here's how Zimmer made his mark with Minnesota's defense:
Defensive line: B
The most drastic changes occurred along the defensive line, both in personnel and scheme. Zimmer's philosophy along the line was different and altered the way the defensive line attacked the quarterback. No longer were the two defensive ends tasked with pinning their ears back and rushing the quarterback. Zimmer wanted the ends to hold the edge. Each lineman was responsible for their gaps and rushing as a unit.
There were slip-ups at times, and the new philosophy didn't take hold right away. Minnesota's defense was left freelancing too often for Zimmer's tastes, but the line learned the coach's ideas and began to gel.
Of course, the big changes also included the players instituting the scheme. Gone were longtime stalwarts Jared Allen and Kevin Williams, with neither re-signing in the offseason as free agents. Everson Griffen received a new contract to replace Allen at right end and responded with a career-high 12 sacks.
Williams' replacement was drafted a year earlier. Defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd took a step forward in his second year and fit well in Zimmer's scheme. Floyd had 42 tackles and 4.5 sacks. Next to Floyd was the Vikings' free-agent priority signing in nose tackle Linval Joseph. Joseph finally gave Minnesota a big presence in the middle and he held up well against the run.
Brian Robison at left end became the leader of the line with Allen and Williams' departure and he had to change some of his responsibilities in Zimmer's scheme. Robison was a leader in the locker room, but he slipped to 4.5 sacks as his role changed. He had 24 tackles on the season.
Zimmer also preferred to use a rotation and received good production from the bench in backup tackles Tom Johnson and rookie Shamar Stephen. Johnson was second on the team with 6.5 sacks and Stephen was a pleasant surprise helping immediately after being drafted in the seventh round. Corey Wootton was signed in free agency to provide a third end to rotate with Griffen and Robison. He finished with just one sack in a limited role.
Linebackers: C
No position went through more changes during the season than the linebackers because of injuries. Five different players started games for the Vikings and the future, perhaps, could be seen in some of the maneuvers.
Anthony Barr lived up to his billing as the No. 9 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft early before his season ended early because of a knee injury, which was going to require minor surgery. Barr started from the season's first game and demonstrated why Zimmer wanted to bring the athletic linebacker to Minnesota.
Barr was an early defensive rookie of the year candidate after leading the Vikings to a win at Tampa Bay. On the first play of overtime, Barr stripped the ball, recovered it and run for a touchdown for the victory. His strong rookie season slowed a bit toward the end of the season before the knee injury, but he finished with 70 tackles in 12 games, four sacks, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. His development under Zimmer should be fun to watch.
Veteran Chad Greenway had led Minnesota in tackles for six straight seasons, but his run ended this year as injuries finally took a toll on the 31-year-old. Greenway missed three games early in the season with a broken rib and missed the season finale with a knee injury. Greenway finished second on the team with 93 tackles, despite the missed time, and was still a leader on the Vikings' defense. But Greenway is also slowing after nine seasons with Minnesota.
Jasper Brinkley was brought back to fill the early-down role in the middle and held up well against the run, for the most part. He was forced into a nickel role late because of injuries, taking him away from where he's at his best: attacking downhill in run defense. He still had 73 tackles as a part-time player. He started in the base defense, but Barr and Greenway were the nickel linebackers for much of the season.
Injuries gave Gerald Hodges a chance to show what he could do and he looked like an explosive, physical player who could possibly fit a bigger role going forward. Hodges started for Greenway in the three games early and then filled in for Barr at the end of the season on the other side. He also played in some nickel situations and finished sixth on the team 64 tackles despite not having much of a role in games he didn't start. Audie Cole had a big finish, leading the team with 14 tackles in the finale, while starting for Greenway.
Safeties: B
A final grade for the safeties averages an A performance from Harrison Smith with average to underwhelming production from Robert Blanton and Andrew Sendejo.
Smith was back healthy and was unleashed as a versatile player in Zimmer's defense. A true difference-maker on the back end for the Vikings since being drafted in the first round in 2012, Smith had 92 tackles this season, three sacks, five interceptions, seven tackles for loss, nine pass deflections and a forced fumble. Developing into one of the league's best safeties -- he was ranked second among safeties by Pro Football Focus -- Smith might have been snubbed by not being named to the Pro Bowl.
Robert Blanton actually led the team with 106 tackles, but it might be a sign of the issues in the running game for the front seven. Minnesota ranked 25th against the run and some of the indelible images were Blanton takin the brunt of the blow from running backs who had reached the second level of the defense.
Blanton started the first 13 games, but it was apparent Zimmer had not found a complement to Smith when Blanton lost his starting spot late in the year. Blanton was dealing with ankle and knee injuries, which forced him to miss one game. But after returning, Zimmer kept Andrew Sendejo in the starting lineup. Sendejo continued to stand out on special teams and provided a slight upgrade on Blanton, but Zimmer could be on the lookout for another starting safety this offseason.
Cornerbacks: B
Talk about progress with Zimmer's schemes and techniques and the finger needs to be pointed at the cornerbacks. For years Minnesota has struggled for consistent cornerback play due to inability, poor technique and injuries. Things fell into place this year and the Vikings might have found themselves a true No. 1 cornerback in the process.
Zimmer's tutelage, along with that of defensive backs coach Jerry Gray, helped second-year cornerback Xavier Rhodes blossom. Minnesota knew Rhodes' potential when it drafted him in the first round the previous year. Zimmer brought out the talent, showing Rhodes certain techniques to make him a better player.
Rhodes wasn't just a cover cornerback. He held up against the run and had 48 tackles. But midway through the season he really started to limit opponent's top receivers. He was tied for fourth in the NFL with 18 pass deflections. Following the bye week, Rhodes helped slow the likes of Chicago's Brandon Marshall, Green Bay's Jordy Nelson, Carolina's Kelvin Benjamin and New York's Eric Decker.
Rhodes' development took another step in Week 15 when Zimmer unleashed Rhodes and let him shadow opposing receivers. Rhodes limited Calvin Johnson in one game. He struggled a bit against Miami's Mike Wallace, but came back strong in the finale against Chicago's Alshon Jeffery.
Captain Munnerlyn was added to be veteran influence on the back end and provide an experienced cornerback in the slot so Josh Robinson could stay where he was more comfortable on the outside. Munnerlyn admitted to not playing to his expectations and not always doing what Zimmer asked of him. He had two interceptions and wasn't the steady presence the Vikings hoped for but he should be better in a second season with Zimmer. He's shown the ability over his career.
Josh Robinson, while not to the level as Rhodes, had a breakthrough with Zimmer. The experiment with Robinson last year in the slot never panned out and his confidence took a hit. Robinson was able to stay on the outside this season. Other than a poor game in Chicago where the Bears' receivers used their size advantage against Robinson, he was better and added three interceptions.
Minnesota didn't have to dig far into its depth like past seasons. Rookie Jabari Price, Marcus Sherels and Shaun Prater saw limited snaps on defense.
COACHING
Zimmer: B
The first season under Zimmer has to go down as a success. The Vikings didn't make the playoffs and were disappointed after the season but expectations had changed and there was a different feeling when players cleaned out their lockers this year. Hope and optimism for the future was apparent.
Zimmer was an emotional leader, but players seemed to respond to his style. Zimmer's honesty with them has allowed him to draw support from players even if he's sometimes blunt or upset. Zimmer deserves credit for helping guide Minnesota through some of the off-field issues this season, as well, none more so than losing star running back Adrian Peterson after one game because of charges of injuring his 4-year-old son.
After the season, Zimmer said he didn't feel overwhelmed. There might be circumstances Zimmer wishes he had back and will learn from, such as the fourth-and-20 on defense at Buffalo in which the Bills converted and ended up winning the game in the final seconds, or the late-game miscommunication issues at Detroit later in the season. But one year on the job, Zimmer will learn from his experiences and provides optimism the Vikings have found a quality head coach.
Offensive coaching: B
Offensive coordinator Norv Turner came to Minnesota and joined a few holdover coaches on the offensive staff, such as offensive line coach Jeff Davidson and receivers coach George Stewart. Turner played a big role in the drafting and development of rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. And Turner's son, Scott, was Bridgewater's position coach.
Turner receives a positive grade here as much for the education of Bridgewater as for dealing with a lot of changing offensive pieces on the fly. After just one game, Turner lost his offensive centerpiece in Peterson. He was forced to go through the rest of the season with Matt Asiata and rookie Jerick McKinnon at running back.
The Vikings also dealt with a porous offensive line and injuries which forced three starters out at one time. Right guard Brandon Fusco was lost for the season in Week 3, along with quarterback Matt Cassel who started the season over Bridgewater. Tight end Kyle Rudolph missed a large portion of the season and the team received little from receiver Cordarrelle Patterson.
Turner's play-calling also helped Bridgewater's progress, getting him into situations where he could flourish as Bridgewater learned his way in the NFL as an on-the-job, rookie starter.
Defensive coaching: B
George Edwards was the team's defensive coordinator, but make no mistake: Zimmer was in control of the defense. When Zimmer had players playing the system like he wants, the defense was steady. Minnesota wasn't as good in stopping the run as Zimmer wanted, but the pass defense made major strides.
A big factor as well is several young players made major progress under Zimmer, including Griffen, Floyd, Barr, Smith, Rhodes and Robinson. Each of them will likely be building blocks for the defense in the future.
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