The 38-31 loss the Rams put on the Vikings Thursday night isn’t shocking in itself, but some of the crazy statistics from the game are borderline unbelievable.
For example, three Rams wide receivers – Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods and Brandin Cooks – all topped 100 yards while Jared Goff threw for an unimaginable 465 yards and five touchdowns against what was supposed to be a vaunted Minnesota defense.
More stunning statistics through four games for the 1-2-1 Vikings.
1. Vikings have allowed 110 points and are on pace to surrender 440 points this season. Last season the Vikings allowed just 252 points, the fewest in the NFL.
2. Kirk Cousins’ 1,387 passing yards are the most through four games in Vikings history, surpassing Daunte Culpepper’s 1,341 yards in 2004. Cousins is on pace for 5,548 yards, which would be an NFL record (Peyton Manning, 5,477 yards in 2013).
3. Adam Thielen broke Randy Moss’ franchise record for the most receiving yards through four games. Thielen already has 474 yards. Moss had 434 yards through four games in 2003. Thielen also tied the team record with his fourth consecutive game with at least five catches and 100 yards.
4. According to @Krauserrific on Twitter, Thursday was just the seventh time in 71 games under Mike Zimmer that the Vikings allowed 300+ yards. They allowed 383 passing yards to the Dolphins in 2014 and 346 yards to the Eagles in last year’s NFC title game, but nothing else comes close to the 465 yards Jared Goff threw for on Thursday.
5. Minnesota rushing attack is among the worst in the NFL, averaging just 63 yards per game and they have yet to score a rushing touchdown. Only the Arizona Cardinals (58.3 rushing yards per game) are worse, but they still have to play this week.
Meanwhile, Zimmer is scratching his head about what’s happened to his once dominant pass defense.
“At this point, I don’t know. We’ve never been, probably anywhere I’ve ever been, this poor in pass coverage. We’re going to look at everything we’re doing and get back to doing things correctly,” he said Thursday night.
The Vikings have 10 days to figure it out before they play a rematch for last year’s championship game against the Eagles.
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