The conversation around the Vikings after their loss in Detroit has centered on Kyler Murray and an offense that never really got going. But there’s another issue creeping into view, and it’s one Brian Flores can’t ignore much longer: the tackling has slipped.
That’s where Jake Golday comes in.
Minnesota’s defense has been one of the best units in football this season, but the last two games have exposed a troubling crack. The Vikings have given up 384 rushing yards over that stretch, with most of the damage coming against the Lions.
Jahmyr Gibbs led the way with 153 yards, and Minnesota’s tackling problems were impossible to miss. According to PFF, the Vikings had a season-high 18 missed tackles.
The issue wasn’t limited to one ugly afternoon. FOX announcers pointed out that Minnesota missed 11 tackles in the second half alone against Detroit.
That fits a pattern that first showed up in the Week 7 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, when Jonathan Taylor and Seth McGowan combined for 141 rushing yards and helped show other teams a path to wearing down Flores’ defense. Detroit clearly took that blueprint and ran with it.
And with the offense struggling to put points on the board, the defense is being asked to hold up longer and longer. That’s a dangerous mix, especially with the Buffalo Bills and the San Francisco 49ers still on the schedule.
The answer may already be on the roster.
Minnesota drafted Golday in the second round in 2026 out of the University of Cincinnati after he earned First-Team All-Big 12 honors in his final season with the Bearcats. One of the things that stood out about him in college was his tackling efficiency; he posted an elite 10.5% missed-tackle rate across his career. That kind of reliability is exactly what the Vikings need right now.
So far, Minnesota has barely dipped into that tool. Golday has played just 4.6% of the team’s defensive snaps this season, with the Vikings continuing to make their rookies earn bigger roles. He has, however, made an impact on special teams, playing 73.6% of those snaps and forcing a fumble against the New Orleans Saints in Week 5.
The current linebacker group has delivered plenty. Blake Cashman has been playing at an All-Pro level and finished with 10 tackles in Detroit.
Eric Wilson added 11 tackles and a sack. But Wilson’s mistakes have kept him near the bottom of PFF’s grading, and tackling has been a recurring problem for him since Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers.
This isn’t a call to sit Cashman or Wilson. It’s a call to adjust before the run defense gets ground down any further. If opponents are going to keep attacking Minnesota the same way, then Flores should give Golday a real shot.
He’s already shown enough to warrant more than 4.6% of the snaps.
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What stands out now is less the box score than the mood around it. Jeffersons frustration appeared to be about the quality of the opportunities hes getting, which puts the spotlight on how the offense is being put together and how much better it needs to be from Kyler Murray and Kevin OConnell if Minnesota wants to keep its best playmaker engaged and productive. [Read more 🡒]