Craig: Defense grades well, but Vikings offense will need building

As the only NFL team not to beat an opponent that currently has a .500 record or better, the Vikings went 0-6 while scoring 3, 7, 10, 14, 16 and 21 points.

Heck, they played the Lions twice, held them to 33 points, an average of 169 yards passing and still went 0-2.

So if you're still undecided about what the Vikings should focus on as the 18-week NFL Draft Hype Regular Season approaches, keep it simple and think about three things:

Scoring, scoring and, well, scoring.

The Vikings are 24th in scoring at 19.8 points per game. Throw out the 34 points scored by the defense and special teams, and, well, the offense is generating just 16.4 points per game.

The anticipated next step in quarterback Teddy Bridgewater's ongoing career maturation and the possible return of Adrian Peterson from suspension would change things dramatically next season. But even if both were to occur, the Vikings likely will need more strength offensively to complement coach Mike Zimmer's defensive acumen.

In the six losses to teams with winning records, the Vikings scored 71 points. Meanwhile, 65 of their points allowed came off 15 turnovers and a blocked field goal attempt. Included were opponent touchdown "drives" of 1, 11, 20 and 26 yards.

For the Vikings, Year 1 under Zimmer focused on fixing the league's worst scoring defense. Through 14 games, the Vikings have gone from giving up 30 points a game last year to ranking 18th at 21.2. Throw out the 14 points allowed by the offense and special teams, and the defense is giving up 20.2 points a game.

Zimmer and General Manager Rick Spielman are benefiting from a defensive overhaul that changed eight of 11 starters. Seven of the top eight linemen are new, linebacker Anthony Barr was a draft-day hit despite a recent knee injury, and the secondary is well-coached and uncharacteristically healthy with the four opening-day starters having played 94.1 percent of the snaps or more.

Meanwhile, the offensive side of the roster has been under siege since Peterson disappeared in Week 2. Injuries to quarterback Matt Cassel, tight end Kyle Rudolph, running back Jerick McKinnon and three starting offensive linemen have created weekly challenges to maintaining the 24 players on that side of the ball. So has Cordarrelle Patterson's regression, although Spielman and offensive coordinator Norv Turner deserve credit for compensating for Patterson's unexpected fall with Charles Johnson's equally surprising rise from the scrap heaps in Cleveland and Green Bay.

There have been other offensive roster limitations as well. None appears more puzzling than keeping two fullbacks for an offense that uses a fullback just 16 percent of the time.

Starter Jerome Felton has played just 148 of 924 snaps, including a season-low three on Sunday. His backup, Zach Line, has been on the 53-man roster for 10 weeks, but has been a game-day inactive every week.

Meanwhile, the Vikings weren't going to release Felton after Week 1 because they'd still have to pay his full salary as a vested veteran. They preferred trying to get something in return for their money as their offensive identity entered an uncertain state of flux with Peterson gone after Week 1.

The Vikings also have essentially redshirted rookie guard David Yankey, keeping the fifth-round draft pick inactive for every game despite injuries at guard. But stashing a rookie draft pick on the active roster for the whole season isn't uncommon, especially mid-round picks from the PAC-12 schools that are the quarters system that restricts rookies from spring practices. The Packers have done the same thing with linebacker and fourth-round draft pick Carl Bradford, although he was on the semester system at Arizona State.

Of course, the obvious difference is Aaron Rodgers is in Green Bay to compensate for all roster limitations and imperfections. The Vikings will have to go a different route and focus as well on adding points this offseason as they did on subtracting points allowed last offseason.

Mark Craig • mark.craig@startribune.com