EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) — Restructuring the porous Minnesota Vikings defense started with one big move for coach Mike Zimmer in 2014: signing 329-pound nose tackle Linval Joseph.
Looking for an anchor in the middle of the defensive line, Joseph was the first free agent signed by Minnesota under Zimmer’s watch. The Vikings lured the big tackle from the New York Giants on the opening day of free agency last year with a five-year, $31.25 million contract.
Zimmer’s defense has taken hold in Year 2 and it’s no coincidence Joseph has been the man in the middle while Minnesota is allowing the second-fewest points and ninth-fewest yards per game this season.