Vikings Last in NFC North, 24th in NFL in This Offensive Category

The Minnesota Vikings are off to a solid 3-1 start to the season. Most fans would agree it's been a pleasant surprise, but there is still plenty for the team to work on.

One of the many benefits to the growth of football are advanced metrics.

Marcus Mosher of PFF on Twitter recently posted a ranking of each NFL offenses' big plays thus far this season, and the Vikings are surprisingly low on the list.

Through the first four games of the season, the Vikings are worst in their division at creating big plays offensively, and rank 24th overall in the league. Big plays are defined by the chart as runs over 10 yards and pass completions over 20 yards.

The Vikings have just 20 such plays thus far this season, good for 24th in the league.

Here is the post from Marcus Mosher's Twitter page:

It's a troubling stat for such a talented offense, but one would argue the Vikings should gain ground as the season progresses. The Lions (2nd) and Packers (3rd) have had surprising early season success when it comes to big plays, and even the Bears (5th) have done well.

This is by no means a rank of total offense, as Minnesota ranks 15th in points per game, and 13th in passing yards per game.

We'll see what's ahead for the Vikings and their offense as they take on the Chicago Bears in Week 5, a home contest for Minnesota that kicks off at Noon on Sunday.

Sources: Marcus Mosher PFF Twitter and ESPN.com (Stats)

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