In the Vikings loss to the Detroit Lions on Thursday, Minnesota’s offense relied on quick, short passes since their offensive line is still banged up and the team is struggling to run the football.
Quarterback Sam Bradford was firing the ball out on nearly every three-step drop he could, completing 31-37 passes for 224 yards and one interception.
He also accomplished something no other QB is NFL history has done when he became the first player to complete 30 passes in a game that resulted in less than 225 yards and zero touchdowns.
The 29-year-old Bradford leads the NFL in completion percentage this season, completing 71.3 percent of his passes which is on pace to be the highest in NFL history.
#Vikings QB Sam Bradford has completed 71.3% of his passes, on pace to be highest in NFL history Yet there's not a lot of cheering about it
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) November 25, 2016
Although hitting your receivers is important, Bradford admitted in the post game that Minnesota needs to start creating explosive plays.
It also didn’t help that the Vikings were missing their top receiver on Thursday in Stefon Diggs who leads the team in catches and receiving yards.
With the Vikings offensive line as shaky as it is, it’s difficult for Bradford to gain enough time in the pocket to launch one down the field.
However throwing check downs and short routes isn’t going to cut it either. Offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur needs to figure out a way for the Vikings to start stretching the field or this offense will continue to struggle.
