It seems intuitive that a great defense is going to force a lot of turnovers. This is what makes the Vikings defense from last season so unique — it was one of the best units in the league while ranking 23rd in the NFL in takeaways.
But this isn't an anomaly for the Vikings under coach Mike Zimmer, especially when it comes to one of two ways you get a takeaway — causing and recovering fumbles.
According to data from the company Sportradar, the Vikings forced just eight fumbles last season, three from defensive end Everson Griffen. They recovered five of them.
Those eight forced fumbles were tied for 30th in the league.
If you go back over Zimmer's tenure in Minnesota you'll see the Vikings haven't forced a lot of fumbles compared to the rest of the league. They have caused only 41 since Zimmer arrived in 2014, again 30th in the NFL across that timespan. According to defensive end Brian Robison, this isn't a mistake.
"It does you no good to try and strip the ball but you don't have the tackle because if you don't get it out then he breaks off another 15 yards," Robison said.
What's interesting is the Vikings' rate of recovery on those 41 fumbles. They recovered 33 of them, or 80.5 percent, the second-best rate in the league and well above the league average of 65.9 percent.
There are certainly elements of hustle and athleticism involved in recovering a fumble, but it also requires luck — that an oval-shaped ball will bounce the right way once it hits the turf. The Vikings have been fortunate to get as many fumbles as they have.